RCMP plan to seize shopping carts from homeless

[whirlygigspin]

KELOWNA, B.C. - Street people in the B.C. Interior city of Kelowna have been told by the RCMP they have until April 1 to surrender their shopping carts – or have them seized.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/03/18/homelesscarts-050318.html

...so much for social mobility?

[solinvictus]

1. Snidely Whiplash get control of the Mounties? n/t

[frylock]

2. that should put an end to homelessness once and for all..

fuck me. :eyes:

[applegrove]

3. I don't know why. I mean I know the carts are stolen but have

you ever checked the number of "lost" shopping carts near the universities? And where do the old shopping carts go .. because the grocery stores buy new ones every few years.. I mean.. shouldn't people have shopping carts provided by the state or something? Cause if you leave your stuff behind at the shelter when you go out for errands.. it disappears.

Seems a little odd. I don't quite get the logic. Maybe it has to do with drugs or something?

[Maple]

4. Shortage of actual crime

in Kelowna? Some kind of make-work project for bored RCMP members??

[cynatnite]

5. I can understand the business owner's positions

$350 per cart does add up which means the taxpayer winds up footing the bill. They are property which belongs to the businesses, too.

I do hope some solutions that are satisfactory for all can come out of it.

What about a way to raise the money and buy the shopping carts for those that need them? Maybe some business owners might be willing to donate some carts as well.

[madeline_con]

12. right

Not to mention the fact that so many of them end up abandoned in ditches and all over. It's not like taking ONE and actually putting it to good use.

[CHIMO]

6. Would Be Interesting

To see some quantification of the problem. Are they trying to disappear any indication of homelessness or is the problem a huge one in this area of gods country?

[LiberallyInclined]

7. could be a little from column A, and some from column B-

if the problem has been growing, it can be VERY costly to smaller grocers especially- profit margins in grocery stores are pretty tight, and shopping carts aren't cheap.
if the town gets a rep as "homeless friendly", the numbers could increase fairly steadily.

[CHIMO]

9. I Would Question The Cost

Aspect. Although costs always enter into the picture, a large part of the economy in that area is tourism. An impression of one from afar, it seems to be quite a right wing area, although I may be corrected on this impression by others more knowledgeable of the area.

[LiberallyInclined]

10. most tourists don't shop at the grocery store.

for a small store, continually replacing shopping carts would become a MAJOR expense in a big hurry.

[CHIMO]

14. The Area Is Not All Hotels

There are motels with cooking, camping etc. Also tourists see things and if you are seeing homelessness it may not give the correct impression. Also the area is home to the previous leader of our conservative(sic) party who believes the the dinosaurs walked the earth 2000 years ago with us humans.

[LiberallyInclined]

15. like i said in my first post- it's a little of both...

the cost to the shopkeepers, as well as the impression it sends- they'd rather not be known as an area that's tolerant of vagrants.

[CHIMO]

16. Agree With Your

Synopses. However, I am wondering what if anything has changed. Are there more homelessness or is there less tolerance or is there some other reason. It is my impression that the area is quite right wing and attracting more of the same. Although as I stated earlier, that is only an impression on my part.

[applegrove]

8. Maybe they are trying to get all the homeless to move.

Vancouver has about 20 huge suburbs and it is the drug capital and car theft capital of Canada. All the suburbs end up being the place the drug gangs rob. Maybe it is something like that...trying to keep the suburb the way it was and out of the "loop".

I still think that those old shopping carts go somewhere. They should be donated.

[lostinacause]

11. Kelowna is nowhere near Vancouver.

[applegrove]

17. How far is Kelowna? More important how can we stop the drug trade?

[madeline_con]

13. Homeless moving

Won't they need shopping carts for that? :+

[applegrove]

18. You are very witty!! Thanks n/t

:hi:

[applegrove]

19. I think that the person who suggested storage space was brilliant.

[Wilms]

20. .