Homeless man threatened with a machete 1 time and attacked 3 times in Edmonton, and attacked 1 time in Calgary
Before I was ever attacked, I had already camped outside 9 months in Montreal with no problems, and I never heard of anyone else being attacked in Montreal, so I was not wary enough when I came to Edmonton.
Attack #1, summer, 2004, Edmonton:
Even though Edmonton's inner city is notorious, and there was evidence of prostitution nearby, I fearlessly decided to camp in between some hills and Commonwealth Stadium, where I was to work the next morning. At about 1:00 A.M., I was in my underwear in my tent, when I heard walking noises, which I judged to be maybe 10 feet away. My judgment was wrong. The guy had just walked up to the vent of my tent. I then heard him say to himself with a native accent "1, 2, 3", and BAM! he hit me in the chin with maximum force. I screamed in shock, and I made the mistake of lingering in my tent. When I did get out, I saw what looked like a railroad tie beside my tent with nobody in sight. I went to the downtown police station, and the officer suggested I should have a description of the guy and let me clean my bleeding lip. Luckily, I was not hurt. Later, a resident said he was probably a crack head trying to roll me.
Attack #2, July, 2004, Calgary:
I had hitchhiked down to Calgary for the Stampede fair, and I was tired and didn't know Calgary well enough to find a suitable camping spot. So, I slept on a bench on a river bike lane. The next morning, I was awoken by a punch to the face. I lifted the sleeping bag flap off of my face to see a young man on a BMX bike riding away. He turned his head and said "Sorry". I didn't report this to police.
Attack #3, summer, 2004, Paul Kane Park, Edmonton:
I was in Paul Kane Park with my touring bike, when a group of white teenagers on BMX bikes came by. As I was brushing my teeth, the guy with an Italian looking face said "Isn't there an outhouse where you can do that." I said "Who are you talking too." He said "You, you idiot." As the group was walking away, I said "Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm going to do what I want to do." and "Come back when you are by yourself." The Italian-faced guy turned around, and punched me hard in the back of the jaw. One of the BMXers was behind him and told me "Just say 'fuck-off', and let it go." I said "Tell him to fuck-off? I said a lot less than that." I phoned police from a pay phone, and they drove around but found nobody. The police did say I wouldn't have won if I had tried to fight, and I was worried about my touring bike and wallet.
Machete threat, summer, 2005, 107 Ave & 107 St., Edmonton:
3 native males in their early 20's were walking down the street lipping off everyone. When they got to me, the last one said "If you lip us off, we'll kick the piss out of you." I said "I think you should go to college." The last one with a football jersey on came straight at me as though we were going to fight. He has a glassy look in his eyes from drugs or alcohol, and he pulled out a machete. He said "I ain't taking any shit today." I said "This is a misunderstanding." A couple of police on bikes happened to come by 15 minutes later, and told me it wasn't a good idea to tell the guy to go to college. I was homeless, but not identifiably homeless that time, so it was not a threat targeting homeless.
Attack #4, midnight, April, 2007, Maurice Lavalee School, Edmonton:
I was sitting in my sleeping bag with my 3 inch TV plugged into the school's wall when gravel was thrown at me. I didn't know who threw it or from where, so I backed away from the wall, and phoned police with my cell phone (Yes, I should have bought a cell phone sooner, and I should even get a camera/video phone). I noticed a silhouette of a head bobbing up and down on the roof directly above where I had been sitting. I walked around the school, and I met four 14-year old white males, sliding down the pillars in front. I said "Who threw gravel at me. What are you doing on the roof of a school." One kid said "Uh, nothing." I said "You guys have to wait here, because the police want to ask you some questions." Then they all started running away.
I ran after the one with the knapsack (it's a very smart idea to chase the one who's carrying some weight; he won't get far), and caught him a few blocks away. I yelled "There are homeless people who will fucking kill you. They have been attacked. They have knives." The kid said "Sorry", so I gave him my cell phone, and he admitted to the police "We just want to spray paint." I handed him to the police 30 s later, so I could get back to the school to get my expensive stuff I had to leave behind. I don't know if the police tracked down the other 3 spray painters.
I believe what you're ritting!
Teenagers and young adults are the homeless worst ennemies, and they do have a habbit of hitting when we are parked or camped. This has always been so. And unlikely to change.
You have to be "street smart". We don't like to use the shelter, but that is what you have to do when you need to clean, to sleep, and to eat. So why don't you use the shelter? It will help you avoid those incidents.
Bonne Chance David
I have tried shelters. I tried Old Brewery Mission in Montreal and the Herb Jamieson Centre in Edmonton under 5 times each, and I was in the Salvation Army in Ottawa for 8 months when I was not feeling well. I should have gone to the Old Brewery Mission when I had back spasms (from carrying camping gear everywhere), but I didn't, and someone took me to the hospital.
Shelters are rough too. My brother got 2 black eyes at the Herb Jamieson, and I saw 2 guys fight over a stupid cigarette. I came out of the Salvation Army unscathed, although 1 guy did threaten put me to sleep, and I saw people using needles in the washroom. Also, they put up to 50 people in 1 room, and you have to listen to them snore. Shelters do fill up, and misbehavers (not me of course) are put back outside, so people will always be on the streets.
Also, I'm an Albertan, and because of that I don't enjoy listening to anyone complain about their taxes paying for shelters. The people in shelters have it a lot easier than true homeless. True homeless people have hard lives; have you ever seen a fat homeless person? No, neither have I. They shiver and walk those pounds off. I like being with nature rather than in sweaty shelters. I'm a "happy camper", and I can take getting wet and cold.
I think the solution is giving me a legal campground where I and the other campers would be capable of protecting ourselves, and where at least if someone wants to stalk us and trespass past our tents, they would be charged. It's crazy sleeping in a tent in a park because imagine if people could walk up to you in your bed and hit you in the head like they have done to me.
Don't forget to be nice to the sqirrels K9
One time when I was in Vancouver, I was sitting in this parkade, relativly unprotected, in an alley way off of Davie Street. I was just sitting there going through some of my flail, quietly and such. After about 10-15 minutes, a firecracker exploded right in front of me that seemed to had been thrown from another apartment builing. Apparently this alley way was notorious for that. I was pretty fucking offended. I told the police who happened to be in the area, and I left after that. I know how police sometimes like to blame the most 'likely' subject, a homeless teenager, so, again, after I told them, I left. I was also threatened with a machete, but it was by someone that I had known who started shooting meth in his cock, and he flipped out when he heard that I had dope and was willing to slit my throat for it. Luckily he didn't. He pulled it on me right on the street, on Davie street. AND, one time I was arrested for breach of probation and when the cops took me in, they did not let me wear a shirt and they made me sit in the holding cell with no shirt and my hands cuffed behind my back with no blanket. Fuck.
Hi David,
Question...I was noticing when reading your blog that when you refer to different incidents (attacks) you describe the offenders race? I was just curious as to why? People who beat up on homeless people for whatever reason are just people, I'm just wondering why you feel the need to point out what race they are, or if they have a "native accent" or have an "italian looking face". Does it matter what race the people are or does it matter that they assaulted someone, you in these cases?
Just a thought, was curious when I read it.
I agree that true racists often want to talk about crime to stigmatize a race; however, I'm using race simply for identification just like the police do on the news in the hope of solving these crimes.
The group of BMXers were a group of about 6 white teenagers, but only the "Italian-looking" one hit me. Maybe one of them is a decent person after all, will read the blogs here, report the crime to police, and it's solved.
If any white person wants to find out what it is like to suffer from prejudice such as what natives deal with, I suggest they try being homeless. Even if you are 100 % innocent, you will get banned from otherwise public buildings, simply for having a sleeping bag.
Amen David. This is *exactly* what I've been saying about legal squatting/camping rights etc.
There would be far less violence directed towards people who are unhoused if we had a "place" of our own. Not relying on some burnt-out staff who aren't paid enough to get their faces bashed in and having legal title to somewhere where we would be allowed to evict violent individuals and expect police protection.
Instead, we're so busy dodging the cops who can arrest us for a number of mickey mouse charges that we're at risk for all kinds of abuse [rape, battery, deadly assaults] instead of arresting the real problem people who treat other people violently.
don't let yourself be afraid of anything- 'turn the other cheek' is actually the credo of ninjas as well.
NINPO: the way of nature
NINJA: practicioner of ninpo. Art of 'invisibility' comes from understanding one is a perfect part of nature, then does not look out of place- perfectly supposed to be wherever it is they are. So, ninjas understand that all life is perfectly natural, which makes evident there is no evil, and no reason to be distracted by resentment or fear. We are conduits of experience, all of us.
Life is a singular soul.
peace,
David