"The 'Professional Homeless' make me rage"

[Johnny P]

Oh yeah, and these days I'm usually just holding a sign that says "SMILE" and then just stand there and try to get all the sour puss faced people in their cars to smile. It's fun and can uplift your spirits. Getting on a corner with a cardboard sign can be extremely humbling in my opinion. Never had any luck holding a sign asking for work. When I'm holding a "Looking for Work" sign I never get any work or any money. Then where does that leave me.

 

[daveycrockett]

Aren't we all professional homeless isn't definition of professional getting paid for something?

no its not the definition dummy...pro means pro get it right....

 

[Odin]

pro·fes·sion·al
prəˈfeSH(ə)n(ə)l/
adjective
adjective: professional

1. 1.
   of, relating to, or connected with a profession.
   "young professional people"
   synonyms: white-collar, nonmanual
   "people in professional occupations"
   antonyms: blue-collar
2. 2.
   (of a person) engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.
   "a professional boxer"
   synonyms: paid, salaried
   "a professional rugby player"
   antonyms: amateur
   • having or showing the skill appropriate to a professional person; competent or skillful.
     "their music is both memorable and professional"
     synonyms: expert, accomplished, skillful, masterly, masterful, fine, polished, skilled, proficient, competent, able, experienced, practiced, trained, seasoned, businesslike, deft;More
     informalace, crack, top-notch
     "a thoroughly professional performance"
     antonyms: amateurish
   • worthy of or appropriate to a professional person.
     "his professional expertise"
   • informalderogatory
     denoting a person who persistently makes a feature of a particular activity or attribute.
     "a professional naysayer"

noun
noun: professional; plural noun: professionals
1.
a person engaged or qualified in a profession.
"professionals such as lawyers and surveyors"
synonyms: white-collar worker, office worker
"affluent young professionals"
antonyms: blue-collar worker

• a person engaged in a specified activity, especially a sport or branch of the performing arts, as a main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.
  synonyms: professional player, paid player, salaried player;
  informalpro
  "his first season as a professional"
  antonyms: amateur
• a person competent or skilled in a particular activity.
  "she was a real professional on stage"
  synonyms: expert, virtuoso, old hand, master, maestro, past master;More
  informalpro, ace, wizard, whiz, hotshot, maven, crackerjack
  "she was a real professional on stage"
  antonyms: amateur

 

[skitter]

If you wanna get down to the nuts and bolts of it, the term "professional homeless" is a gat dang compliment. If you are able to get by, not getting arrested, not starving to death, etc etc etc cos you aint no AMATEUR then sure.

Posting this from the phone I didnt want to pawn for ten bucks... suckaz.

That whole thread turned into "one time an asshole spanged me!" stories and if you want to let one experience with one person color your whole perception of an entire group of people you sound pretty dumb to me.

imagine if you met one bar-cruising financial bro asshole in the east village and then assumed all of new york was like that.
Dumb.


2

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

I find myself in a similar predicament. Once you've been travelling for a while its hard to switch back to a "conventional" way of life. Its almost as if travelling is a career. Its hard to live a normal life after travelling for an extended period of time due to not having a normal job for a long period of time, criminal record, etc. But I wouldn't trade my experiences for the world. And unfortunately I have a lot of resentment towards other people because if we all lived more autonomously we would be in better shape as a societal whole. But due to the way our society is we all probably wouldn't have the opportunity to live this way. So double edge of the sword.

 

[ancienttoes]

I have never spanged. I try not to use money at all. In the book Evasion, it talked about the courage to take from the real hoarders and how the donators of spangers are usually of the lower economic class. But I've never stolen either. But sometimes you need to dependent on the situation. I try to find places that have work and save up. I also think thought that it could be told that spanging does provide a service because it is connecting people to humanity and giving back and giving them another reason to feel good about themselves. If I spanged, I would maybe try to give them something in exchange. Like you can dumpster little things and say gets something in my grab bag for something from your pocket since I don't know if the sign can straight out ask for money but that's just cuz I see anything helps and haven't seen please give money. I might also write something radical too that gives the people something to think about outside of the mainstream culture to connect that you actually believe in something and if it's a choice, not pretending it isn't a choice and give them a reason why maybe they might want to think or live outside the box. Or just to connect on some level. Or say everyone meet at this place at 7 pm and have a party. Spare change and I will give you my number and talk to you. Just creative stuff. Using the public forum to engage people and make connections with people, rather than just utilitarian need of what you want from them. I say this in no judgement of regular spanging or people who do it. I think everyone made very interesting and thought-provoking points on both sides. Thank you for reading.

 

[VikingAdventurer]

I'm a professional. I will fly signs when I'm passing through town, make some money, resupply and then leave. It's not up to you to judge weather I'm right or wrong...if you don't like it...don't give me money.

Will I work? Of course I will, if there is an opportunity to do so.
Will I busk? Of course, if there is a good venue for such.

Flying a sign makes way more money per hour than working or busking...yes I am living off of the kindness of others, ut I have respect. I go up to the corner expecting NOTHING, and every kick down should be treated as a blessing.

Only God/The Universe or whatever you want to call it can judge me...

It is the oogles and homebum kids that sit in the same spot for weeks on end holding a "Traveling, Broke, Hungry" sign. "Bitch you ain't traveling anywhere but from that spot on the sidewalk to the beer store and then maybe to the shitty doorway you sleep in.

I'm a tramp and I beg, but I definitely ain't no Bum

Well fucking said, Johnny P. I approve.