The Plot To Kill The Homeless?

Recently I went to go give a homeless man some tools, and he said he would stay in the shelter were it not for the chemicals they spray. He described chemicals being sprayed at night while they sleep. Not only did he say that he simply couldn't stay there because of the way it affected his lungs, he went on to say that he knew of people being hospitalized from it. After bit of searching, I'm guessing this might be Pyrethroid.

This chemical Pyrethroid is disturbing:

Toxicity for Vertebrates, including humans, occur at extremely high concentrations, but repeated exposure may increase health risks at lower concentration. ... The Clean Air Act (EPA, 42 U.S.C. 7401–7671) establishes mandatory reporting for the discharge of hazardous substances into the environment. Medical conditions like Hypersensitivity can increase risk of experiencing Angioedema, Paresthesia, Bronchitis, Sinusitis, Conjunctivitis, or other symptoms as described on the product MSDS during or after accidental exposure. A Poison control center and licensed health care professional should be contacted to discuss the product if symptoms occur following exposure.
en.wikipedia.org...

He mentioned that the chemicals contained "mandarin orange" frangrance to cover the smell, but the frangrance didn't cover up the side effects. I actually chatted with him for a bit. I don't give 'homeless' people money, but rather mixed packs of vegetable seeds and 3" glass magnifying lenses to start fire with. He was a down on his luck chap who has a knee injury that the surgery for requires 2-3 months of recovery time, but they wont give him the surgery if hes going to be out on his feet in the street, so apparently rather than stay in a shelter he's waiting for a break to get an apartment where he'll be able to recover. This was not a bitter man, and I sensed no phoney agenda behind him talking about these "chemicals".

So tonight I decided to do a simple search about what these chemicals might be about, and quickly found mentionings of Bed Bug chemical treatments being common place in homeless shleters.

One scathing report carries on about how the chemical Pyrethroid is commonly used, even though in modern perspective all its done is create an army of super-resistent bed bugs, instead of decimating the species. It goes on describe homeless shelters as beings hubs for bed bugs to permeate out into society, rather than being tools for erradicating them.

It also mentioned an actual solution: wrap the beds with plastic, instead of shelters spending $20,000 per year fumigating human beings with paralyzingly toxic chemicals. I cant see why giving them proper showers, and laundry in conjunction with reusable plastic bed covers wouldn't solve this problem.

Oh, and he said it was a local (Hillsborough) county run shelter.

[edit on 1-4-2010 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]

Originally posted by IgnoranceIsntBlisss
I don't give 'homeless' people money, but rather mixed packs of vegetable seeds and 3" glass magnifying lenses to start fire with.

Yeah....


Okay, here is the thing; at night there is no sunlight. Night is when you most need a fire and even during the day the sun is not always accessible to start a blaze.

You ought invest a penny and get a packet of matches. Quit trying to do a headjob on these people.

*And Why are you giving out seeds? These men don't own farmland.


Honestly, if was homeless and you came up to me with me a bag of planting seeds and a magnifying glass and told me what you intended me to do with them - I'd pity you and get the hell away from you as fast as possible (because something ain't right with a man who only gives out seeds and magnifying glasses).


Tip for next time you meet a beggar:

Give Money, food, water and/or matches - not seeds and a frigging magnifying glass.

Originally posted by Exuberant1
Give Money, food, water and/or matches - not seeds and a frigging magnifying glass.

There you go! Give him a dollar. He might not even be homeless for all you know, get humself some form of drugs. Give him a can of food and he can eat... once, and feel "needy" both during and after the encounter. One time, exiting a grocery store, a beggar hit me up. I went to give him a can a tuna from my stuff, and he rudely commented about not having a can opener, whats he gonna do with it. He didn't have a basic tool for survival. I guess I would have been crass to go in and buy him one? (I would have were he not a jerk, not even homeless for all I know just some jerk who wanted free money for booze instead I've seen it all between Tampa & Detroit.)

These people need dignity, and ideas about how they might be able to take care of themselves and not lose confidence in life of needing handouts. I love your ideas about these people needing handouts, not ideas.

And wrong again. The homeless are a standing population of 'survivalists'. The problem is too many only know how to survive with the exploits of society. The homeless have grounds they cover, and stash caches all about where they keep things. They dont only live on sidewalks, they often creep in areas off on the edges where others dont have specific reasons of being there. They can find places to plant things, in their routines.

They even have little camps I sometimes see off the edges of the highway. In fact, the one from my OP had his shopping cart overloaded with plastic sheeting, some jugs and even a shovel. And if they have to choose to live outdoors to escape the chemicals he claimed they fumigate them with, they ought to have ways of starting campfires that in effect dont run out of gas. If they have any hope whatsoever, which you appear to feel they dont, they'd realize to start the fire before dark. And believe me, theres plenty of sunshine down here in FLORIDA. You can even light a cigarette with the stack of lenses, that I got for free, I've tested it myself.

They need rehabilitation into self-reliance, as do a majority of todays 'civilization'.

I wish there were a list of ATS acceptable names for name calling I could reference, as right now I'd be picking the lowest one on it, for you.

because something ain't right with a man who only gives out seeds and magnifying glasses

For somebody who expects free food, handouts, healthcare, and so on... probably not. The funny thing I've been thanked everytime its come about. One time a guy was standing outside the liquor store entrance to the local grocery store. I didn't have any of my apparently selfish handouts, but told him how to keep some seeds from food and find places to plant them at random, and he was grateful. He went to shake my hand at the end, and I accepted.

Thanks for muddying up my thread.

[edit on 2-4-2010 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]

If there's ever a need to give someone a can opener- got find a local Army/ Navy surplus store, and buy some P38s. I own one myself, 'just in case'.


I dont doubt one minute what this guy says- I Spent a good deal of time around a homeless shelter (it was down the street from where I worked)- and I saw and heard stuff as well. My fave was if you showed up drunk (or even might 'smell' like alcohol), no food. AT ALL. You actually got Breathalyzer'd at the gate, and sent off if you smelled of booze. No programs to help people like that, either. Not to mention the person running the dinner end of things was a certified jerk anyways- I had a dog with me I was walking while trying to at LEAST track down one of the worker's cellphone she had in her purse (which had been stolen) One day. I tried to tell the guy *exactly* what I was there for- it was like talking to a submerged brick wall. "No dogs allowed!' " I am not here to eat, I need to ask if someone has been trying-" "No dogs allowed!". The person running the place lived like a king (of course), and treated the people who stayed there like dirt.

I stayed there once- and managed to beautiful charlie horse one morning- complete with pain sounds- and I got ridiculed, tossed out of the bed, and told to 'walk it off'. I was never, NEVER so happy to have gotten myself up off my feet before in my life when I managed my own place to live! I also noticed my health improved a lot after I left....

[edit on 2-4-2010 by wylekat]

reply to post by unknown known


They all junkies fo sho!

How about, if they dont hit me up I wont bother them with any of my 'bad' ideas?

Note how earlier I put "civilization" into quotation marks? Think about why I did that that for a minute.

[edit on 2-4-2010 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]

Just to jump in on the idea. I never give out anything to the homeless though an organization like Salvation Army I will during Christmas. We don't have many homeless in these parts. The idea of the magnifying glass and seeds is a great idea IMO. Me and my wife recently started a garden and it works wonders for your psychi. It isn't hard for me to believe that these are lonely people and it isn't uncommon to talk to plants when growing them. I personally think the shelters serve a purpose but getting them to do things in their moments of sobriety may just do the trick. A little plant may be to them like the child they always wanted or the friend that they need. Just my two cents. /raisesflameshield

As for the chemical spray. I wouldn't doubt it when so many of the elite in the U.S. alone have mentioned population control. Chances are it is just the shelters being stupid though.

Perhaps this big thing everyone calls a civilization is pointless.

More people support the Exuberant1's idiotic comment more than the actual topic: homeless people needlessly being fumigated with nasty pesticides. It's like people like the idea of chemicals killing them more than idea of helping them help themselves (which isn't the topic anyways). Perhaps people were disappointed when they saw I was actually trying to help one when they thought they were gonna learn about them being exterminated?

[edit on 2-4-2010 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]

Hmm, good idea. Maybe people at homeless shelters should tend to vegetable gardens and grow there own food where possible. I would be good for them. I agree with giving them tools to help themselves with instead of handouts also.

reply to post by (C2C)


Right? Teach a man to fish, he'll have food for life. Teach a man to plant some exotic food... nah he's homeless make sure he'll always feel you have power over him with handouts or brushoffs.

I know my quality of life has gone up in a major way during the past year via the gardening process and all the exotic veggies I now eat. Twoyears ago I had almost no use for veggies, and now I have about 350 different kinds of seeds. I got the 225+ glass lenses from collecting 90 big screen tv's for free last year (via Craigslist) to stockpile the big Fresnel Lenses for solar projects, and to end up with a bunch of good tv's via DIM repair. Giving these things is my way of sharing the wealth.

[edit on 2-4-2010 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]

Great thread although I'm not sure if they are intentionally trying to kill the homeless, I wouldn't put it past them.

I live in Florida too and in the summers they could frie an egg on a sidewalk if they needed to. The sun is awful, but if I was homeless I would prefer to live in FL than MN! Before I watched and read the whole day about Ron Paul and listened to his ideas about indiviualism and libertarianism I would have attacked you for being a cruel person who has no regard for other humans and that the homeless guy deserve sympathy.

They don't deserve sympathy, they deserve dignity. I think that we need to teach people how to survive on their own in nature and on the streets. Schools need to start teaching it to the kids because I feel that we may be entering a seriously bad time when our debt is due in 2012. We all need to become self reliant. If my mom wasn't so deadset on making me go to college I would not go, I don't mind being poor that's how I always lived and I don't like fancy things. I would prefer to live in a camper in the woods and just travel and be free.

I was offered a job to help my friend about a week back deliver papers and make some extra cash and I declined, I worked for free because I am not worried about the money I just wanted to help out a friend. If I had my own land I would just live in a camper, have a little farm, go hunting, and do minor jobs whenever I needed some cash. That's all I need and that's all the average person should need. When people don't learn to be self reliant they becoming reliant on others, this is typically involuntary though because that's just how society works.

So thumbs up to you for giving him some seeds and a magnifying glass.

reply to post by IgnoranceIsntBlisss


I'm going to be checking with the only homeless shelter I know of to see what they do about bed bugs when I get home. And ofcoure suggest a vegetable garden! Ive tired starting a fire with a magnifying glass and it never seems to work. It will burn a hole in the leaves but it won't start them on fire.. Do these lenses work better? Thats pretty cool, I did not know that you could get lenses like that out of big screen tvs. You mean big led/plasma screens?

edit: vegetable garden



[edit on 2-4-2010 by (C2C)]

reply to post by IgnoranceIsntBlisss



It isn't surprising to find such a story or even surprising to find it might be true. We live in a cold, dark, world without love. Who can understand evil? There is no logic to it whatsoever.

And yes, it would be cheaper and healthier for homeless people to have alternative methods of eradicating bed bugs and such.

Cheers-
Phil