Empty bottles, full bellies

[ferri]

A group of homeless people have set up shop on Kirschner Road collecting bottles to make a few bucks.

The group set up a makeshift shop trying to gather the empty bottles, before people head to the bottle depot down the road.

A few local businesses aren’t too happy with the shop as some say it’s driving out customers.

Rob Sawatzky works at the Fireplace Den on Kirschner, and says he thinks the homeless may be driving out customers.

"They are a distraction to the traffic and they can sometimes become unruly. I don't know if there are some people that wouldn't come in because they feel uncomfortable walking in that area. It is possible," Sawatzky said.

More here: https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/1 ... ll-bellies

[Painfulbliss]

Should amend that to "trying to make enough for food and meals and drink" because anyone who uses that bottle depot knows these guys are drunk off their *bleep* by the end of the day. Tragic alcoholism.

[highcheese15]

I'm honestly surprised we're only seeing this reported in 2017. I worked at the OK Corral for years and this "setting up shop" has been going on since at least 2014. It initially started with just a couple guys directly across the street from the liquor store doing exactly what they're doing now, but it wasn't long before similar "shops" popped up in front of Prestige Collision and Glass, at the corner of Dolphin and Kirschner, and in front of Diamond H Tack as well. While some of these people were generally well-behaved, there were legitimately dangerous ones who come through as well, and as was previously mentioned, they are, almost to a man, visiting the liquor store throughout the day.

Not sure about the other businesses on Kirschner, but we routinely called Bylaw Enforcement as well as the RCMP, and were usually asked if anyone was causing a problem or was in visible distress. If not, responding was not a priority for them. RCMP also informed us that the reason they didn't patrol the area as often as they could was because we didn't call enough, and that outside of Leon Ave, Kirschner had the highest concentration of homeless in Kelowna. That street has been a problem for years. We regularly witnessed assaults, extreme intoxication, theft, and general rowdiness. I've had my life threatened more than a couple times when dealing with some of them, and that's not an exaggeration. The OK Corral property was, and presumably still is, routinely used as a bathroom and shelter. All in all, it's not a great look for a street in the middle of town.

Cleaning that area up, especially if they want to begin developing the area around the Landmark buildings, is going to take a concerted effort by police, by-law enforcement, local businesses, particularly the bottle deport and liquor store. It's a tall task to say the least.

[KelownaCrackinCrew]

The group of homeless that hang around there spend the money they earn from empty bottles on full bottles, I see them around often drinking black label beer and arguing with each other.

[Barney Google]

There is a tack shop in the area that two JR ladies own and their staff is predominately female.

Their clientele is also predominately female and a lot of children go with their parents there too.

Kinda scary when the parking lot is full of arguing and fighting drunks and users who have set up 'shop'.

I called the city about this one day after experiencing it myself and was told they are 'aware of the situation'.

Business owners have shared they complain and complain to the City yet nothing gets done and now its getting worse.

[MAPearce]

I'm honestly surprised we're only seeing this reported in 2017. I worked at the OK Corral for years and this "setting up shop" has been going on since at least 2014

Sounds about right.. I've been shopping at the CBW there for years too...I've never been bothered , harassed or irritated by any one of them from any one of the three "shops" you would find there lately.. I've been more pi$$ed by the dork staff at the beer store lately and I've not bothered to make the trip there for that reason.

I'd suggest the guy at the fire place business work on some customer service AND a better location .. Lets face it , there's not much other than high tech for business in the area other than specialty shops that have been there for years . The Tack place and Pendozi machine ? are two of them .. The only reason to go there is to get what you need and not to browse..

I doubt the bottle pickers are the problem

[motokelowna1]

I wish they would move on why should I gather, sort, clean package then transport just so these guys benefit . They smoke they drink they ( as far as I have seen) not caused any commotion. Yet they are there loitering and just being untidy. I am tired of spending my time and money for those that say they are hard done by. You look well enough to work so go help the orchards that fly people up from Mexico. Show some initiative Now you have got me started Police you know the drug dealers throw them in the lake. Rant over for now

[MAPearce]

I smoke , I drink ..Sometimes I loiter in a bus stop waiting for a bus while being untidy...

You should get over yourself IMO . These people hang out and collect cans and bottles until they have enough to make some dough.

They don't break into your home or car to do it ... Can you get over the bad personal choices and hygeine and give them some credit for exploiting the vast resources of human sympathy to make an honest living ??

Like I said , they didn't STEAL it , people give it to them and they do the dirty work that "others" don't want to do .

[Bsuds]

why should I gather, sort, clean package then transport just so these guys benefit .

Who gathers? When your finished drinking put the container in a bag. No need to clean and sort, they will do that!
Transport, well ya but you would have to do that anyway! Pretty petty excuse!

Any drink containers that don't have boxes to go into I throw in a clear yard waste bag. When it's full I give it to one of these folks so that I don't have to sort them.

Win,Win in my mind. They make a few bucks and I save the time and effort of something I don't care to do in the first place.

[lightspeed]

I smoke , I drink ..Sometimes I loiter in a bus stop waiting for a bus while being untidy...

You should get over yourself IMO . These people hang out and collect cans and bottles until they have enough to make some dough.

They don't break into your home or car to do it ... Can you get over the bad personal choices and hygeine and give them some credit for exploiting the vast resources of human sympathy to make an honest living ??

Like I said , they didn't STEAL it , people give it to them and they do the dirty work that "others" don't want to do .

"Work".

My god some people are so living in cloud cuckoo land.

Work would be, as suggested, go to an orchard, get a labouring job, detail cars. Anything. Loitering, begging for cans and bottles and being an unruly mess is not "work".

This attitude is why modern society is a disaster, riddled with excuses and misplaced sympathy.

[dogspoiler]

"Work".

My god some people are so living in cloud cuckoo land.

Work would be, as suggested, go to an orchard, get a labouring job, detail cars. Anything. Loitering, begging for cans and bottles and being an unruly mess is not "work".

This attitude is why modern society is a disaster, riddled with excuses and misplaced sympathy.

That's right, if they wanted to work why would there be hundreds of TFW showing up and taking those jobs ?

[MAPearce]

Work".

My god some people are so living in cloud cuckoo land.

Work would be, as suggested, go to an orchard, get a labouring job, detail cars. Anything. Loitering, begging for cans and bottles and being an unruly mess is not "work".

This attitude is why modern society is a disaster, riddled with excuses and misplaced sympathy.

Some people sit on their *bleep* and tell staff what to do for a lousy 10.50 an hour while they just count the money gained from exploiting a resource... And they call it work.. Which is harder , sorting through cans and bottles to organize them for a refund or telling someone where to go or what to do so just to line their own pockets ??

Are you a people or staff ??

[ferri]

*Stay on topic please!

[the truth]

*removed*

[MAPearce]

That's right, if they wanted to work why would there be hundreds of TFW showing up and taking those jobs ?

Why would they do that ??

give them some credit for exploiting the vast resources of human sympathy to make an honest living ??

It's brilliant IMO .. They are taking advantage of...

This attitude is why modern society is a disaster, riddled with excuses and misplaced sympathy.

That is the misplaced sympathy of those who actually are too lazy to sort out their own crap and give it to the "dirty , lazy ,bums" to do for them..

And this is a BS comment from someone I'd peg as one who has never walked by..

begging for cans and bottles and being an unruly mess is not "work"

before I moved last year , the area in question was on a route I took on my way home from work.. A couple times a week , I'd stop at the beer store for my "after workers" and not once did anyone ask me for anything and never have I seen a mess left behind other than the usually road side litter that can be expected for that type of area..