Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petition...omeless-spikes

A Shameful, inhumane way to deter homeless people sleeping where there may be some shelter.

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

Some of them are quite sensible under major junction bridges etc, but the ones in the doorways are pretty dire and I completely disagree with them however I have no idea how prevalent they are as I've only seen pictures of two or three locations.

A Mayor in Canada had exactly the right response to a store putting in 'anti-loitering spikes'

''The mayor rushed over to Archambault to meet with media and reassure the public that the spikes would be removed.

"It's a disgrace. This is not the kind of society I want to live in," Coderre said while pointing to the spikes.

He tweeted in French: "I guarantee that these spikes will disappear today, even if we have to remove them ourselves!!!"''


Boris should do that !

'' Boris Johnson @MayorofLondon · Jun 9

Spikes outside Southwark housing development to deter rough sleeping are ugly, self defeating & stupid. Developer should remove them ASAP.''

and

''Boris JohnsonVerified account @MayorofLondon

We've spent £34m on the likes of 'no 2nd night out, reaching 3/4s of rough sleepers, but must do more. Spikes are simply not the answer.''

[enaid]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

signed how sickening

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

Apologies in advance

http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2014/06/0...meless-spikes/

''A crack squad of Indian fakirs have been flown in to the UK to teach the homeless how to have a good night’s sleep on the 2-inch-long metal spikes which have sprung up all over the UK’s capital to deter rough sleeping in doorways.

“I read with horror of these ghastly spikes and decided to get to grips with the root of the homelessness problem immediately,” said Prime Minister David Cameron, who announced his ‘practical compassion’ initiative after calling an emergency meeting of COBRA.

“With the help of Swami Yogesh and his elite fakirs, homeless people will now be able to continue to enjoy a good night’s ‘kip’, tucked up in stinking sleeping bags and sodden cardboard, whilst drunken yobs urinate on them from a great height. This is another example of the Coalition looking after the poor with compassion and dignity.”

Speaking through interpreters at the launch of the initiative, Swami Yogesh said he was impressed by how quickly rough sleepers in London were adapting to the spikes using fakir techniques. “They’re naturals. We fakirs don’t eat or wash for years on end either. The only difference is, we choose to do it.”

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

PS. I signed it earlier (forgot to say that bit)

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

Another, slightly less 'panic stations!' view on the spikes.

http://imsorrythatimlikethis.wordpre...07/the-spikes/

If you’re worried about the spikes maybe instead you could worry about the housing shortage, or the lack of good mental health and drug and alcohol services in your area. Worry about how your local area is dealing with antisocial behaviour. Worry about children’s services, worry about decent homeless liaison teams in hospitals. Worry about the lack of shelters. Worry about the benefit cuts.

Oh and if you see someone rough sleeping in London call No Second Night Out on 0870 3833333. http://www.nosecondnightout.org.uk/ They can get an outreach team to that person within 24 hours, who can start the battle of building trust and getting the person back indoors.

[bluebottle]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

These spikes are dangerous and should never have been installed or allowed to be installed in the first place. If someone were to stumble and fall onto these spikes, who is say what injury they may sustain? Any building freeholder or leaseholder who has installed them should be served with a health and safety improvement/enforcement/prohibition notice requiring their immediate removal. Anyone who does not remove them should be fined and/or the spikes removed at their expense, whether they agree or not.

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

All it needs is for one of the residents in the southwark housing development to lock themselves out when its raining and have to lurk about without being able to sit down while waiting for the locksmith

[seduraed]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

crack team of angle grinder operatives to deal with them in the wee small hours.

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

Oh and if you see someone rough sleeping in London call No Second Night Out on 0870 3833333. http://www.nosecondnightout.org.uk/ They can get an outreach team to that person within 24 hours, who can start the battle of building trust and getting the person back indoors.

I saw one of them "How to get a council flat" programs a few weeks ago, based in Tower Hamlets. A guy turned up at the council housing offices saying he was sleeping on the streets, they told him because he was single, etc. they couldn't help and sent him away. They told him there is a 'night squad' of some sort that goes round the streets of the borough at night and that he'd need to be out on the street when they do their rounds to get any help, as that was basically the only way to verify his status as a rough sleeper.

[Wombats]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

If you’re worried about the spikes maybe instead you could worry about the housing shortage, or the lack of good mental health and drug and alcohol services in your area. Worry about how your local area is dealing with antisocial behaviour. Worry about children’s services, worry about decent homeless liaison teams in hospitals. Worry about the lack of shelters. Worry about the benefit cuts.

I hope this was posted with an intent to urge discussion rather than insinuating we may not already be concerned about the other areas mentioned. I can only speak for myself, but I am VERY involved in the parts I've changed to bold type on a local basis, and involved nationally with one of the biggest charities in the country helping to try to address the issue of mental health and debt which in turn impacts on some of the other areas.

Being worried about something actually achieves nothing. Acting on the worry is what counts, and even then it's good to try to find some compassion for those who still find themselves sleeping rough on the streets.

Purely a personal statement. :beagle:

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

I hope this was posted with an intent to urge discussion

Of course ! (I have put the quote marks in the earlier post btw )

[Wombats]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

Good and thank you! :tinysmile_twink_t2: :beagle:

[MissFM]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

This is just so horrifying it's hard to believe it's really happening ...now... here... in our country.

I do like the idea of "Bankers' spikes". (Joke, in case it offends).

Will sign, of course - and hang my head in shame that we can't change the ethos of such a "society".

[Amethyst]

Re: Remove Anti-Homeless Spikes! Will you sign this petition? I have.

I don't think it is the ethos of our society, I think its some to$$er developers being to$$ers. I don't believe it is that prevalent either. But the furore about it IS raising thoughts and publicity about how we help people with housing issues in our capital city.