Saturday, August 23, 2008

Pay Your Fare With This, Homeless People!


From Picture the Homeless Blog

Pay Your Fare With This, Homeless People!

Fri, 07/11/2008

The New York City Department of Homeless Services is fond of saying that they give money to the shelters to provide Metrocards for homeless people to get to important appointments. But far too often, when a homeless person needs a Metrocard (because they have been placed in a shelter far away from their doctor and job and childrens' school and family and friends), they have to submit to a humiliating and arbitrary process. Which one formerly homeless person described as follows:

"In order to get a Metrocard, you have to find a caseworker who's not too busy polishing her nails. Then you have to beg, plead, scream, get on your knees and lick his or her shoes. Then... you only get a Metrocard if the caseworker is in a good mood and "approves" of your destination. Not very humanizing for the clients... and not a very efficient way to get anywhere. "

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