A new use for homeless people, Wifi hot spots

http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-homeless-hot-spots-031212,0,4713980.story

NEW YORK (WPIX)— We all know how handy a mobile hotspot can be in a crowded, open area. That's especially true this year in Austin, Texas, - the site of this year's annual South by Southwest interactive festival in Austin, Texas.

But there is a controversy brewing over something - or someone - called a "Homeless Hotspot."

A homeless man named Clarence was one of thirteen homeless people who we're given mobile hotspot devices. They spent the weekend walking around the festival providing "pay as you go" WiFi access. Their services were scheduled to med Monday.

Their recommended fee was relatively reasonable - two bucks for 15 minutes. That's plenty of time to post that all important Twitter update.

The New York City-based marketing firm BBH partnered with a local homeless shelter in Austin - and handed out the hot spot devices to Clarence and the others as a quote, "charitable experiment" designed to give the less fortunate a chance to digitize the "street newspapers for sale" business model.

But critics immediately jump all over the campaign - calling it, among other things - shameful, patronizing, and de-humanizing.

i know of one city where people that most definitely look homeless are paid to stand on street corners holding signs that advertise for various businesses.. i don't see this as being any different- they are getting paid to offer a service to people..

I don't have a problem with it. it's giving the people doing it a purpose. It's their choice.

Sounds like honest bucks to the people that need it the most. I'm cool with it.

BUT IT'S DEHUMANIZING TO GIVE THE HOMELESS MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR SIMPLE WORK!!!

YOU HEARTLESS MONSTERS!!

I wonder if the critics ever bother thinking stuff like this through before they start complaining.

These girls offering wifi on behalf of GoDaddy would be better.

I would have the girls with garter belts to slip the two dollar bills into and my guess is that no one would call it...
shameful, patronizing, and de-humanizing.

Grizz wrote: BUT IT'S DEHUMANIZING TO GIVE THE HOMELESS MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR SIMPLE WORK!!! YOU HEARTLESS MONSTERS!! I wonder if the critics ever bother thinking stuff like this through before they start complaining.

No, they criticize for the pure enjoyment of being shiny happy people. I actually just typed that out. In Austin, the homeless situation is just about insane. They are on EVERY street corner and bug you. There are a couple of really cool ones I'd hand money to. One big hairy dude would have the funniest signs ever. Examples...

"Family killed by Ninjas, need money for Karate Lessons!"

"Wife + PMS + Gun = I need to bring home the bacon!"

"Brother kidnapped by Aliens, need money to fix my spaceship!"

I like the idea. If legit poor are making honest money whats the harm?

I will never forget two episode that have left no trust in the "homeless". One was in DC when a street beggar with his cup out that I plunked a few coins in later was observed by me taking off his filthy cloths and getting into a limo. The other was at a stop light when the sign holder asked for some change. I offered him a job instead and he turned it down.

Tonight, on the local (Jacksonville, Fl.) news station there is a "teaser" news(?) story about the homeless. The commercial says things like "...they are everywhere, near your home, your children's schools, your church, and local law enforcement officials say that dealing with it is costing taxpayers MILLIONS of dollars."

I don't watch these stories on the news as I don't believe them and I don't care to sit through 30 minutes of local news and "stuff" to hear these idiotic stories. I mean, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. If it even approached that in cost, someone needs to change strategies for dealing with homeless...at least here.

There have been at least 2 news stories (I don't read the 'paper every day, so there may be more) where folks who were homeless or thought to be homeless were entrapped by the local police into drug possession and/or sales arrests or in the case of older males...solicitation of sex charges. When I lived in Memphis, Tn. there were at least as many homeless folks, but the ones here are not the nuisance that the folks in Memphis were/are. In Memphis, panhandlers were/are aggressive and down right hostile.

Just as every woman on welfare isn't a "welfare queen", neither is every homeless person a lazy SOB who won't work even when provided with job opportunities.

I heard the whole article on NPR... not only did you have to pay to use the hotspot.. but you actually had to talk to the person. This brings interaction to a group of people most of us try hard to ignore...

I see nothing wrong with that..

ThePhranc wrote: I like the idea. If legit poor are making honest money whats the harm? I will never forget two episode that have left no trust in the "homeless". One was in DC when a street beggar with his cup out that I plunked a few coins in later was observed by me taking off his filthy cloths and getting into a limo. The other was at a stop light when the sign holder asked for some change. I offered him a job instead and he turned it down.

it's work, but i don't know if i'd call it "honest".. charging $15 to use a wireless hotspot for 2 minutes?

Conquest351 wrote:

Grizz wrote: BUT IT'S DEHUMANIZING TO GIVE THE HOMELESS MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR SIMPLE WORK!!! YOU HEARTLESS MONSTERS!! I wonder if the critics ever bother thinking stuff like this through before they start complaining.

No, they criticize for the pure enjoyment of being shiny happy people. I actually just typed that out. In Austin, the homeless situation is just about insane. They are on EVERY street corner and bug you. There are a couple of really cool ones I'd hand money to. One big hairy dude would have the funniest signs ever. Examples... "Family killed by Ninjas, need money for Karate Lessons!" "Wife + PMS + Gun = I need to bring home the bacon!" "Brother kidnapped by Aliens, need money to fix my spaceship!"

He worke at the co-op in the busy fall rush if we're talking about the same guy. One his better ones was "need money to fix rudder on my Cessna".

But that guy is providing a service: entertainment. I'd give him some change for making me chuckle.

novaderrik wrote: > it's work, but i don't know if i'd call it "honest".. charging $15 to use a wireless hotspot for 2 minutes?

I think you have that reversed. $2 for 15 minutes. on par with Airplanes

Grtechguy wrote:

novaderrik wrote: > it's work, but i don't know if i'd call it "honest".. charging $15 to use a wireless hotspot for 2 minutes?

I think you have that reversed. $2 for 15 minutes. on par with Airplanes

Who ever said airlines were honest?

thats almost funny, the people that will run story's about the homeless have no idea what it is like to be in there shoes. Your average homeless shelter/rescue mission do no have the proper funds coming in to really help the ones that need help and are trying to do better. Most shelters are get there funding threw private donations. Old shirts and pants do not pay there electric bill, or other utilities it takes to run a shelter,...they need money. hmmm, "why is that man selling wifi at fare....because thats the job he/she was able to find.

I'd pay 2 bucks for wifi for 15 minutes. (What stops Mr. Homeless from sprinting off with my wifi after I give him 2 greenbacks?)

The video above says they were just using one of these.

If so, the homeless man (or at least the device) has to stay within 300 feet of you for the entire 15 minutes.
A device like that only allows 5 people to connect to it at one time. Once you have passworded into it, it should allow you right back in at any time which makes me wonder how they were regulating the 15 minute intervals.

So I'm a bored teenager, but has enough cash to buy my own hot spot. I go to places where people like to just hang out, and sell air time. Make some extra cash to live on- very cool. Better than a lemonaid stand. And it would be seen as a good idea.

But suggesing that people who don't have a home do this is somehow demeaning? For work, it's one of the easiest things in the world to do- if you ask me, it's a brilliant idea. Especially if it's a place where the city or anyone is providing service like that.

As for timing, and protection, I'm sure it's not that hard to program them into time segments, and moving passwords. It would be quite possible to even have an online payment system- if talking to people is just that hard....

Why is this even a story?

Suit walks up to a homeless guy.

Suit: "Wanna walk around with this device and serve WiFi?"

Homeless guy: "Sure!"

Why is this even a story?

I dont see how this is any different then having them stand around major intersections with signs advertising the latest stores going out of business sale.

This is quite common around here and they have been out in ALL kinds of weather.

Because the bleeding hearts in Austin think it's demeaning.

The last beggar who I gave money to washed the windows on my car. I gave him $2. $2 for 10 minutes worth of work factors out to be $12/hr. Not bad.

I have no problem with this plan or giving homeless people work in general, but this story made me think of a Seinfeld episode:

KRAMER: (Brainstorming) What about the homeless?

NEWMAN: Can't we worry about them later?

KRAMER: (Explaining) To pull the rickshaw.

NEWMAN: (Pondering Kramer's plan out loud) They do have an intimate knowledge of the street..

KRAMER: They're always walkin' around the city. Why not just strap something to them?!

JERRY: (Sarcastic) Now, that's the first sensible idea I've heard all day.

Last homeless character I gave some dough to was cool. He really wasn't even asking for dough, he just wanted people to sign his jacket. I figured what the hell. Guy seems to be having a good time, let's keep it rollin.