Benches Cut in Half or Thirds

I wonder if any other folks out there have the type of first-date conversations I had with my man. I get the idea that some of you MUST have or I wouldn't know some of you. The first time I spent a great deal of time with my boyfriend we were walking around in the downtown Nor'East section of St.Pete. Nice enough parks being gunned down to add to the Vinoy but more on that another time. Eventually we sat under a majestic oak tree on a park bench and we had to make a choice. The benches look similar to this:



Or to this:
(yes the little finger stays, it's a very fond memory of a shared heart's moment)

(bordering on WTF??? no?) I think of the large homeless or non-homeless persons who can't fit themselves into st pete northeast and mayor baker's idea of COMFORT ala bench ...


So, I had to make a choice ... sit VERY next to him (kinda forward for a first date, for me, anyway, i'm way standoffish) or sit way on the other side?? hmmmm.
Pretty quick, I HAD TO KNOW. What the hell are these big uncomfy metal things???

And he told me: THIS is the city's way of keeping the homeless from lying down.

ME: (shocked into cursing in front of this nice, serious, clean-cut man)are you fucking SERIOUS?? Did the city seriously send a bunch of assholes with portable welding torches around to fashion these on every bench? Just so a person could NOT lie down? What if I want to lie down RIGHT NOW? Yep,then I tried to and because I'm small I almost could. Not quite.

I had this terrible mental picture of someone running about making the benches as uninviting as possible. I think these things are really bad for soul/karma ...

He further explained the city's diabolical plot. Explained that when he first came to live in St Pete that the benches were normal. If I wanted to bring a pillow to the park and lie back and read a book I could have done so.

Apparently the pre-Rick Baker years but maybe not. Anyone know??

It was really terrible for me as another human to discover that some group of assholes had decided to ruin a perfectly good bench for everyone just so those 'dirty dang homeless' people would not be able to get comfortable. Of course this IS the same city that slashed the tents of the homeless and stole their belongings so what am I thinking???
I pushed and pulled at the bar ... they DO NOT BUDGE. Someone really DID run around with a portable welder and make these nasty, inhuman arcs permanent.

I have a goal to go out with a portable torch and UN-INHUMAN them but I'll bet there's a fricking law against that AND chalk on the sidewalk.

As well, someone did all these benches up the same way (don't want those non-existent-condo-dwellers looking down on any prone homeless)
BUT ... if they have a pooch ....



.........

the Parkshore Grill (attached to the Parkshore Towers) has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to make your dog comfortable (shush I have THREE dogs and all were homeless .... so they would probably NOT have been able to dine here in the designate dog dining spot)
in a place where a human being without a home is MOST DEFINITELY NOT welcome.

Imagine the mind-set that went to work on that one. Wonder who the developer of parkshore towers is? Here's some choices ... lots of people staking claim.

Wouldn't it have been wonderful for a human being to be involved at some point?

I guess .............

................ Maybe this is just more of the



The program so touted by our former and past Pinellas and Tampa mayors, currently Pam Iorio (ELEVEN THOUSAND homeless in Tampa on her watch) and Rick Baker (tent slashing of the homeless)

MAYBE the deal WAS: You send your homeless to St Pete and we'll keep em from sitting or lying down, slash their tents and arrest them. Maybe that's the whole "hands across the bay" compromise/partnership, eh?? maybe ..........




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I THINK THAT TAKES::::



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NO !! It takes the TOTAL LACK THEREOF. And the female parts as well, for any woman who went along with this b e a u t i f y i n g ................. Condi disappoints me and if you voted for THIS you REALLY disappoint me, too. Woman President? Don't know. Let's see where she's at on this one.
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Please go check out Zimbio.com. The page on Pam Iorio.

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Oh by the way ... the guy survived the first date and on a scale of one to ten .... we're cruising along about a 9.37 .... and he's always patiently allowing me to follow my heart around and pointing out to me where I'm wrong ... and then sometimes acceding to the fact that maybe I'm right .... spends his only days off taking me to take pictures ... this is a perfect man in many respects ... and, like most men, in need of a LOT of work. LOL baby !!

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UPDATE FOR STOGIE who will think I am being mean but I myself just found this out when I put it in the comments below. Stogie is a big fan of Mayor Pam Iorio ... I'm not for or against her but I VERY MUCH believe that she has not been the best mayor for Tampa. In fact, Tampa has enjoyed a dearth of the same with the exception of a few. Who also have their distinct errr vagaries.
Anyway ... hate to tell ya this Ybor Stogie but your hero, Mayor Pam Iorio installed the same INHUMANE benches ...




SEEKING SANCTUARY: John and Cara Thornton interview Jim in Curtis Hixon Park as part of their online survey of Tampa's homeless.

Maybe you can gather up those homeless you interviewed and bring they and your dog to eat at the Parkshore Grill DDA ... I'm pretty sure they'll let them in if they don't try to lie on the benches or tell anyone they are homeless .... but your dog can come NO MATTER WHAT. I'm pretty sure he/she can lie on the benches TOO.

Thanks PAM !! Thanks RICK !! The EVIL DUO of Hands Across the Tampa Bay. NO GD homeless for the Tampa bay area. ...


Serious thanks and gratitude to this young couple who apparently are still at it. Going to have to find out. Any homeless advocates check these young people out. More heart than most people in the Bay Area .... more compassion. If you have money to give, give it to the least among us ...
SEEKING SANCTUARY: John and Cara Thornton interview Jim in Curtis Hixon Park as part of their online survey of Tampa's homeless.

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