What would you do about this situation regarding a homeless person? (See details)

Call your local police station, I imagine they’ll shuffle him along somewhere else, or at the very least give him some warning about the safety hazards of his leaving excrement around public areas.

As for the ethics, he’s crapping on a public trail. I mean, really. That’s gotta stop. He can find a bush further into the trees if he has to.

What if a kid walked by and fell in it? It’s a serious health concern. You need to report it.

Find a flyer or brochure for the local homeless shelter and drop it by the wall the next time you pass.

Call the cops or a local shelter or mission. Homeless people have it rough but there are public toilets. I would get arrested if I used a park path for a toilet, same laws apply to all.

The goverment is supposed to help this, Rich people pay more taxes, Goverment helps the poor, but anyhow… Police, Shelter, Mission, Perhaps ask friends if they have any open space? Doubt it but it is worth asking am I right?

We would like to think of the homeless as all benign people who have experienced unfortunate life circumstances that led up to this situation, but some homeless people can be potentially very dangerous. You need to be careful. The poop smeared bush is the least of your dangers if you’re walking though a homeless encampment by yourself.

Public toilets.. Hahaha. Maybe down under. Every place near my house has a “No Public Restrooms” sign here. Burger King makes you show a receipt to get a key to the bathroom.

This person probably has a hard enough time figuring how to get food for the day. Hiking into the woods so you don’t have to be inconvenienced is probably pretty damn low on the list of worries.

And if the area is populated by the homeless they have to worry about other people taking what little they have in life. “John is taking a shit, grab his blanket.”

@The_Compassionate_Heretic I agree. I think part of what makes me more uncomfortable about poop guy than the other homeless people is that this person (I assume a he) is clearly so out of touch with the idea personal space. The other make shift homes and piles of stuff are way off the trail, which makes me think they at least have enough of their bearings to know to have personal space and not want to be that close to the trail. The poop guy is lacking that capacity, so I don’t know what else could be up with him (not to mention he doesn’t dig a hole for his used tp). or am I totally off about this?
It’s not really a homeless encampment, just a few tarp tents and piles scattered about. I’ve never seen people “home”, actually.
@johnpowell There are actually portapotties about a block and a half away in a park. Don’t know if they’re locked though.

@Likeradar :: Nobody wants to shit in public. Well, maybe GG Allin. There has to be a reason that we can’t see.

I’m going to have to go with not wanting to pack up everything in the middle of the night to take a poo.

Unless he has pizza delivered he has to leave/pack up sometimes.

For the sake of the other homeless people, he should not be that unhygienic.

I don’t feel as if I am being unsympathetic by not wanting to walk through sewerage.

I’m torn, on one hand I feel bad for this guy and it is very easy for those of us (myself included) who have the luxury of working, indoor toilets to turn our nose up about this “disgusting” behaviour when, as @johnpowell said, this is probably very low on his list of priorities. On the other hand, if this pathway is public then other people have the right to it being as clean as possible for a public pathway and if that’s where he is going to set up his base then, despite his problems he should be made aware of that and given other options.

I think you should seek advice from a homeless shelter/charity in your area. Hopefully they will be able to help so that both the homeless guy and the general public benefit. I am worried that if the police or local council get involved then they will just force him to move which won’t help him at all.

I’ve got to echo @The_Compassionate_Heretic: err on the side of caution when going through homeless encampments. Should just one person give you a hard time or become agressive for whatever reason, you will probably be without witnesses who’ve cell phones who can call for help I’m pretty sure there are some statistics that will state people are less likely to come to your physical aid than you want to think. If it were me, I’d not go there with my dog and I would call authorities.

What happens to homeless people when police are called?
I’m concerned about the people who live further off the trail… seems like their shelters have been there for a while.
I’m really torn between being a NIMBY-ist and a more compassionate person, no matter how disgusting and unsanitary one person’s toilet habits are.

@Likeradar: think of it this way, most of the other homeless probably don’t like that bush being used as a toilet either, it’s a health hazard as well as eyesore. It’s your responsibility as a “good citizen” to contribute to the upkeep of public places that are there for all. What will happen to that particular person if they’re questioned and maybe scolded? Probably not much. Unless they’re in obvious medical distress and poor medical condition then authorities will give them a reprimand and maybe encourage them to move on, it’s not like homeless can pay fines to support the local police depts. so there isn’t much incentive to arrest them.

I live right across the street from a bike path. On any sort of trail you will find homeless people. I have rarely had a poor experience. I suppose that is my way of saying I understand your experience. However, I have never came across this feces issue. It is a hygiene issue and should be resolved. I think it is fantastic that you want to respect this person’s living space. Good for you! I would contact a homeless advocacy group in your area and ask them for advice. If you don’t know where any are then go to your local Mission and ask. Or your local Department of Human Services.

If you call the police they will likely evict all the homeless people on the trail. That is what they do around here. And sometimes they even focus on the area and come back repeatedly. I can’t say I’m a fan of this. If you have no one else to call then call the police but if you can start somewhere that respects homeless people in the same way you do then I’d go for that option first.

@Leanne1986 Just typed out my advice and seen it was quite similar to yours. GA.

The poop could be a method of keeping others away. It’s working (on you at least).

@RedPowerLady When they’re evicted, where do they go? I assume they’re just forced to find another spot and start all over, until they’re evicted from that place too…

Sigh. I want to do the right thing… allow these people to maintain their home while not feeling disgusted and afraid to walk on a public trail in my neighborhood.

I have worked with homeless populations – I like to think I know what some of the issues are and if it were me and I was uncomfortable by the poop I’d walk elsewhere…I’d never call the police – they are NOT helpful to the homeless

My brother lives in a town that has a homeless population living along a creek in a public space. His response is 1) to not go there even though it is public land because many homeless are mentally disturbed and it would mean putting himself or family members in a potentially risky situation, and 2) work with local homeless shelters to try to expand the number of spaces for homeless people who are willing to live in shelters.

However, many homeless people don’t want to live in a shelter. If they are willing to be aware that they are living in public space there is little problem, but if the situation becomes a health or safety hazard, it may be necessary to call on the folks who advocate for the homeless, to see if those individuals that are causing a problem can be moved elsewhere by persuasion.

Calling the police may solve the problem for you, but it will simply shift the problem elsewhere, to someone else’s neighborhood.

@Likeradar It depends. Sometimes they will get arrested depending on several factors. But most of the time yes they are just forced to go elsewhere and find another place to stay.

I think this is a catch 22 in all honesty. Speak with a homeless advocate and if they tell you the only action is to call the cops then that is what has to be done. At least you care.