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I feel pity for the thousands of homeless people who are scattered all over Baltimore. Sure, but only for so much. It’s sad to see how people use suffering as a way to get their hands on things that only bring them further suffering (i.e. alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, etc.) Would I give money to those who beg? Absolutely not. They will not get a penny from me, not at all.
My last experience trying to help a stranger happened during summer 2005. I was on my way home from work in Washington, DC when a lady asked me for a favor. She started asking me about the parking lot across the metro station, particularly about the time they re-open. This lady’s clothing was quite raggidy, but at the time, it didn’t appear as worth suspecting. She was and seemingly frail, and apparently she was having trouble going back home because her car is stuck in the parking lot which is already closed. She asked for my name, and I gave it too her, not my real name of course. This conversation went from okay to worse. This stranger started asking me for money, about $50 she said. Quickly I realized just what situation I’ve gotten myself to. I stepped back, gained my common sense and told her that I was unable to help her. She went ballistic on me! In the middle of public she started screaming that I am “one careless person who wouldn’t want to help a helpless old lady.” Well I walked away right away of course, leaving the scene and leaving the lady in distress. That was the last time I tried helping a stranger.
If you really need help, wouldn’t you go for more reasonable ways? Maybe call the cops if you really don’t know where you are, I’m sure they will direct you to some social services somewhere along the way; they will certainly help you find whatever it is you’re looking for. Asking favors from people rushing through the streets is not an idea. Plus, how would I know that you really need help. Am I right?
If you are helpless, jobless and couldn’t figure out what to do, there are programs out there reaching out for you trying their best to get you back to life. For those refugees who’ve lost their homes to the hurricane, for those who are kicked out of their homes because they couldn’t get out of debt… I wish I could help them directly, but mixing between the I-lost-all-my-money-to-cocaine crowd does not make the job easier.
From the way I see it, there is almost no way that you could find no job; no way of making a living. If you have a social security, you are basically given a list of jobs that you could work for. And that list could only go on and on and on. We hear it all the time, people who started out as the trash collector, ended working for the company for a long time and joined the management team. There is always a way to work up the hierarchy. Only if you have the willpower, which unfortunately a lot of people in the U.S. do not have.
Haven’t they realized just how many immigrants fight their way into this country because of the job opportunities around? Haven’t they realized that people actually row boats and swim across borders to get their feet here in the U.S., the land of opportunity. They fought to get a working permit, to be allowed to work, to be allowed to make a living. Yet here many who are given the opportunity choose to waste it to drains.
If I have my way of helping these individuals, I would rather help through programs that I believe in. I’m sure there are programs out there to help these homeless people to get back on their feet and use the opportunity that they are given out there in the working world. I’m sure there are such programs. I just don’t believe in simply giving. I believe in training those people. Train them to be able to realize what they have, and train them to able to battle it out there out in real world.
Maybe I went from feeling pity for them, to feeling how they are pathetic. Sad, huh?
*Note the grammar on this sentence, if someone would fix it for me, I’d be glad to fix it 
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Perhaps there’s a plan written for me out there. Follow your instincts. What if my instincts are bad? What if I’ve made the wrong decision after all?
I am in my junior year of college and I’m struggling. Bad. I feel like I’ve made a mistake to even move to Baltimore in the first place. Yes I’ve gained experience and made lots of new friends. But what now? I’m stuck with no money whatsoever. Living away from home is difficult. I didn’t expect it to be this difficult. I didn’t expect it to be so expensive. I’m not ready.
It’s my fault to have pushed myself to my own limits. I should have listened, “it’s better that you wait, you’re not going to make it on your own, you’re not ready.” But I closed my ears and pretended they were wrong. I was selfish. I let my ego took over me. I should’ve… I should’ve… I should’ve…
If I keep saying that I wouldn’t get anywhere, wouldn’t I?
I called for guidance, and I found none. I literally trembled scared. I’m scared. Why wouldn’t I? But I know that I will get through this. I’m on my own, yes. But this time I have to make the right decision and I will listen better. I’ve made a mistake. In fact, I made lots of mistakes. But I guess that’s the road to adulthood? Making mistakes and fixing them? Learning what’s right and what’s wrong.
And I guess letting my ego won was wrong.
… I’ll update more when I figure out what to do next. I myself don’t even know what I’m going to do next. It’s like a mystery…
Baltimore is part of Maryland, correct? So why is it just an hour away from Montgomery County, you can really feel the difference in the public transportation? As someone who rely solely on public transportation, I feel as if Maryland has disappointed me. Let’s put it this way: living in Montgomery County made going from one point to another easy and effective whereas living in Baltimore County made going from one point to another as hard as hell.
The closest bus route will take me to school in about 15-20 minutes (including walking and waiting time). By the way, school is only 3-4 minutes away by driving. So this time being used on transportation really took a toll on me. For example this morning when I lost about 30 minutes in total which I could have used to eat breakfast before going to work – all because I missed the bus by 30 seconds (which is quite sad, by the way).
All that I don’t understand is how come governor O’Malley doesn’t see this as an issue? Or maybe he doesn’t realize this at all. For commuters to go from Baltimore to DC is difficult, ineffective and expensive!
Comparing Montgomery County’s $1.25 bus ride to Baltimore County’s $1.60 bus ride – that’s quite a big gap for two counties who are only about an hour away. That is a terrible gap which could result in big difference in the end. Just imagine how much you would spend in a week? Weekly pass in Baltimore County cost approximately $20++ whereas Montgomery County only charge $11. Big difference.
Maybe this is something I could bring up to attention? I am aware that the state of Maryland is (apparently) facing a deficit in their budget for about a few million dollars. I don’t know the details on this, I only heard of it from my professor. But either way, one of the main things that Baltimore County could improve is their public transportation.
Can anyone tell me where I could reach them to raise this issue?
