What in the POP TENT is going on here?

Soooo,......
Those who know me know I use to live here many moons ago. Twice actually 10 yrs apart.
Although it has changed and have grown sooooo much.


I Would of never ever ever thought this city would allow all the pop up tents to be everywhere in the medium between the freeway and the feeder road.


I saw a little patch of grass maybe 3 body lengths between exits have a tent a clothes line and a bq pit. HOW IS THIS ALLOWED? Is this one of the things that makes Austin weird?


It is really all over I was at the North side it was not to bad but scattered now I am on the south side it is horrible.


I am surrounded by nice hotels yet on the corner is like a camp of several families it looks like. The bridge on 71 near Ben White is covered,
The Parking Lot at the hotels are all empty on the end closest to the tents. No one wants to park near it. Each hotel has its own security walking the parking lot day and night.
BUT UGHHH.
No way in the world if I owned a million dollar property would I ever allow it that close.

My property or not I would mow it or weed eat it every day and throw all the trash away not give anyone time to set up a damn pop up tent. If it was only that but the trash that is all around most of them is UGH......
It saddens my heart also angers me.
What the hell can be done?
In Louisiana it is bad under the bridges but never near a predominant business on a piece of grass right off the damn freeway.
I was going to ask if the pop up tent villages effect if you go see a traveling person or not but as I have been traveling through out the areas North and South there is really no area that is not affected by this.

HOW IS THIS ALLOWED? Originally Posted by Majichands

Californians on the City Council.

Legislation doesn't have to make sense or be effective, it just has to make us feel good about ourselves.

Judging by the "tiny home" communities that are popping up on the edge of town at SF Bay prices, I'm assuming they want everyone living in pup tents.

Seeing our town through a visitor's eyes is always illuminating. How is it allowed? The city council directed the police to stop enforcing "no camping" laws. (I don't know if the actual law is still on the books.) The council's idea was to quit enforcing the ordinance on people who would never change their ways on their own, and would keep wasting police and court time. That's a great idea that theoretically saves time, resources, and money for more important things, IF the homeless have somewhere to go, which the city didn't think through.

To their credit, a few individuals and charities created a tiny home community for the homeless that enforces basic rules and offers social services. It's a success and these are true Christians, the kind who feed the homeless through Loaves And Fishes, but that's a drop in the ocean. What makes it even worse is that Austin is now drawing homeless from all over the country.

I hear a lot of accusations of a "Commie/socialist" city government, but really, it's just incompetence and failure to plan ahead. A saying called Hanlon's Razor (cut to the logic) says "never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity". I don't think our realtor mayor even has political principles, just another handshaking sales guy with good hair who bends with every breeze.

Oh, and the city savings from police/court time is more than eaten up by the costs of fire department and police response to the frequent fires under overpasses and in the woods, "warming fires" that get out of control.

This post is not hobby related and belongs in the Sandbox where this site's erudite cultural warriors can answer and educate us.

Here in Austin the homeless are celebrated and herolded. Our city makes statues and monuments of these "celebrities"! Google leslie cochrane. He was the queen of the homeless!

There is no easy answer. If tents are banned from where they currently are, they will just move to less safe areas where they are hidden from view. Problem not solved. A hotel in NW Austin was purchased for the purpose of giving homes to a handful of the homeless and people are out protesting against it -- NIMBY. Problem not solved. I agree with anyone who says the situation is horrible and likely to get worse. But I'd like to hear other people give opinions as to what the answer might be.

kalifornia especially san francisco loves these people. Solution? One-way bus tickets!

Brilliant idea.

You can be in charge of that effort, WD.

This post is not hobby related and belongs in the Sandbox where this site's erudite cultural warriors can answer and educate us. Originally Posted by EagleEye

I specifically asked if this situation affects. If a hobbiest would come see me?
It effects where I park my car and where everyone else parks their cars at this hotel.
If you drove in and saw 19 tents on the right and ALL THAT DAMN TRASH and there was no other parking on the left. would you park by that riff raff and come up to my room? or not feel safe and cancel?
But Sand Box is cool too. Those who are on this board especially in this town read it all.
It was on the news last night.
The major problem I have is the trash all around them and I see the city has placed trash cans to no avail.
So might I suggest some kind of clean up ralley if you will. A clean up team make anyone move or their stuff get discarded or jailed if trash is around the (home/tent) area. If it is clean and tidy no trash around the tent it can stay but if its full of trash it has to be moved for city clean up. It is still against the law to litter right? Your tent is yours so this is your area around I guess 5 /10 feet all away around? So if every tent area had zero litter around it that would take care of the trash. Because ok: I can comprehend the homelessness in a tent I get that part but being in filth and trash that is too much to except.Word would get out if you have trash by your place it will be discarded with all the other trash. One big sweep.


I HATE SEEING ALL THAT TRASH. deal with the trash first CLEAN UP AUSTIN..
Keep Austin weird .. well there is no chance in hell that is ever going away Austin will keep that title for ever. Need to change the motto. Keep Austin Clean.
If every tent was discarded that was surrounded by trash today you would get rid of about 90% of the tents. Have a huge up roar I am sure. Put up notices do one area at a time have foot cops spread the word bring in a litter team. I mean it is better than doing nothing. If I lived here I would voltmeter to help round up the trash

Brilliant idea.

You can be in charge of that effort, WD. Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

Youd like it there. Lush fields to run around and play! The west coast board tna has a political forum that youd love and fit right in.

new orleans has same problem!

I specifically asked if this situation affects. If a hobbiest would come see me? Originally Posted by Majichands

It's not just you, two agencies I used to see quit coming to Austin they think it's an unprofitable shithole.

No one has mentioned the fact that right now,, this very moment, the city is having election about what to do with the tent situation. Some want a ban on public camping and fines for violators. This is in opposition to what the city did a few years ago and allowing public camping.


The irritating part, for me at least, was that they allowed camping on public sidewalks which makes no sense at all. In addition to it being an eyesore, it was short sighted on behalf of the council members who voted for it to allow camping in the business area. Not only that, but they failed to recognize the hazard it presents for those who are mobility impaired or visually impaired. Can you imagine what it must be like to be blind and have to pick your way through all the detritus on the sidewalks and have to step over the bodies of those sleeping there.


Although it is harsh, I will be voting for the ban simply because of the short sightedness of our city leaders failure to recognize the consequences of their actions and the negligent attitude toward the rest of the Austin citizens.

Our mayor is a complete cuckhold