Folks Of Interest Hot Rods and the homeless.

I was driving my '53 Caddy to Goodguys / Nashville with a friend a couple years back and rolled thru the 'homless' area under the overpasses downtown. Half a dozen guys pointed and yelled out "Yo, Cadillac, Cadillac yo.."

After we got to the show my friend walked all around the car and said "How'd they know this was a Cadillac? You shaved all the emblems off and it doesn't say Cadillac anywhere?"

 

I've also found tfeverfred's observation to be true. But also as one who lives hand to mouth I can relate to customcory's comment.

 

Bingo!!!

 

About 6 years ago when I was driving my 59 Impala convertible on a daily basis, I also worked part time at Starbucks. This homeless guy named Bill used to come around and he stuck around, I guess, on the days he saw my 59. The first time I saw him he looked so beaten down and hungry that when I closed up the store, I took our leftover sandwiches destined for the trash (this is before we started giving to the food bank) and I gave him 3 sandwiches and a venti water. I swear, he was taking off his shoes and socks to change them or something and stopped what he was doing and scarfed down a sandwich. Later he came and thanked me. He was cool and never pushy and I always gave him what I could. One day he sits down and says "you have a 348 on that 59?" and I said yep! His eyes opened a little more and asked "Tri-power!?" and I said yes again. Then he said "I used to build those cars in Detroit back in the day..." and we had a few good conversations about Chevrolets. One day he stopped coming and never saw him again . I assume he passed on.

 

according to the coalition for homelessness intervention, there are 643,067 people that are homeless in the U.S. 67,000 are military veterans

 

One day, years ago, way before the economy crashed, I was cruising through downtown L.A. in my '32 3 window. There's ton of homeless living on streets in downtown. All the homeless would jump up and wave or whistle as I drove by.

 

i was driving my f-550 work truck downtown san diego. stopped at a red light, homeless guy walking across the street "IS THAT THING FOUR WHEEL DRIVE!?!" yup. "wow!"

 

You ever think....my wife always says bring home one more car n youll be homeless!!

 

this would be me



just because a person is without doesnt mean they arent still people and it doesnt mean drugs or drink put em there


and as someone else posted , but for the grace of GOD

 

Is is so surprising that a homeless person has a brain and a memory? Smarts and talents? They weren't always homeless, you know.

It's popular for people to think the homeless are dumb, lazy, or crazy, but the majority of them (two thirds or so nationwide) are veterans of foreign wars. Think about it.

 

I have a cousin who is severely brain damaged from drugs. He's lived in Halfway houses or institutions since his early 20's. If it wasn't for my aunt, he probably would have been living somewhere homeless years ago. He has been like this as long as I can remember. My Dad say's he was a complete gear head when he was young, and was always asking about my Dad's latest project before he OD'd. He was at my house for a family reunion this summer, and saw my coupe, and started asking questions about it. That was the first time in YEARS I had even heard him really speak!

 

Three weeks ago I helped out with our Church's local homeless program, called "Family Promise" which is a county wide non denominational program thru our County.
We took in a family with four young boys, and their parents...and housed, fed, provided transportation to and from the local day care center about 15 miles away. They lived in our church basement for a week, including overnights.
I spent most all of a Saturday and Sunday with them. Actually is was New Years Eve and New Years Day.
Very interesting, as well as humbling...
There is a big difference between being homeless and helpless...
I am glad I could help, and will again in February when it is our turn again.
Now, as to your original thread....yes it is cool when I drive my '63 Biscayne to see the older as well as some homeless around here give me the thumb's up, or holler "Nice Biscayne"
Cheers....

 

that's exactly what I was thinkin as I opened it! Those guys are ex shop owners driven out of the buisness by overdemanders... HA HA!

 

I think the point is it is surprising that many of them seem to have much more knowledge about some things (like hot rods) than the average person does.

 

I've got 2 homeless guy experiences.

The first is there is a guy in his mid 20's that tries to was your windsheild at a busy intersection (for spare change)near my neighbourhood...the water he uses is so dirty that your windsheild is probably worse after he tries to clean it for you. I wont even let him clean my shitbox 98 escort windsheild. In the summer I pulled up to the intersection in my 59 tbird and he walks right up and says "dont worry dude, I wont even get close to your car, I dont want to fuck up a classic" I laughed and gave him a couple bucks.

the second was the same intersection but a much older homeless man, who was just asking for change and was in much worse shape than the young guy. He walks right up to my car and says "nice 59 tbird". Very rarely do people get the year right, most people guess 57 and those who know the squarebird body style will usually guess 58 or 60, so I was pretty suprised. Then this guy notices the surface rust coming through the shit paint job on the roof ( I had just bought the car a few weeks prior) and goes on to tell me the proper process on how to fix it, telling me I have to strip it down to metal and repaint the whole roof before the rust starts to eat away at the roof. It was pretty awesome having a homeless guy give me car advice, unfortunately I didn't have any cash to give the guy that day.

 

I meant no disrespect. Very recently I was very close to being homeless. Sleeping on the floor of my shop, knowing there was someone right outside sleeping on the cold sidewalk. I knew I was one bad decision from being on the other side of that wall. It was a truly humbling experience. (the pay phone thing is on my iPhone sig...


Sent from a pay phone

 

Not mention the amount of homeless who are veterans. Fight for a country then come home to a country who turns their back. I always try and help them as much as i can. But to the subject, yeah its funny how many homeless give me a thumbs up and a smile as i go by...

 

We have homeless guys then we have guys panhandling on street corners that aren't connected to the regular homeless guys. One group of regular panhandlers evens gets dropped off by a guy in a pickup every morning and he picks them up in the afternoons.

But yep a lot of guys have had the bottom fall out in the last few years and are out on the street. One old boy that I haven't seen lately lives in parking lots in his pickup camper and moves around town every day. He may have left town or the truck broke down.

 

That one really hits home. The only thing I've got that keeps me where I am is a steady paycheck. My world would crumble if I didn't.

 

Nobody said they were stupid,just homeless.

 

The T is really my daily driver & those homeless really connect everyday. Maybe its because my T kind-of looks homeless.

 

I have been on the edge of being one of those guys a couple of times in the last decade.

It could be old fellas that fell on hard times or it could be that they have a tendency to ask questions and have learned from talking to people while washing their windshield or at the gas station. They all know that getting on your good side will net them more money than not.

 

man of means, by no means, king of the road...

i bought an RV last year, not to travel around in, or take fishing trips, but as a parachute against becoming absolutely homeless. it didn't cost a lot, there's some bargains out there; but at my age sleeping outdoors isn't going to cut it.... hopefully things will get better for ALL of us soon, and i'm not trying to get political, just hopeful.

it's a stone cold bitch having proven skills and talents and being unable to beg, borrow or steal a decent paying job. i've been to interviews where i'm certain that i know MORE about the business than the guy interviewing me.. and i get the glad hand and nothing more.

 

At least you get interviews.

becomming disabled late in life was not a good thing. I went back to school and finished up a degree I have been working on for a long time. Now I am too old and have too little experience to compete for a job.

I have a parachute, I went back on SSD and now I am a burden on society. Funny the folks that think I am a burden on society are the same folks that won't give me a chance to not be. Cutting their own throat I guess.

 

There it is in a nut shell. PorknBeaner thanks for sharing that, it speaks volumes. Back to the nut shell. If this does not explain how simple this thread got started. Then you don't get it.

p&b, I'm not implying your homeless by no means. Your story tells of a person with a great welth of information and how easy it is in life for a person to be put on the stairway going down.

 

It's the same here. The guys on the median with signs are always eerily knowledgeable about my car and truck. I put it down to:

1. most of them where 'lower socioeconomic' teens when my rides where originally built, and where the group targeted by these cars and the supporting media, so they know a lot about them.

 

Maybe it's different in Tucson here. The homeless who panhandle have been spotted numerous times getting in their cars and driving home after a day at the cardboard sign office.
The "will work for food" signs don't work, I'll offer some cash pay for yard clean up, always get turned down. WTF?
But if I know of a friend or family that needs help, my wife and I are right there to help out. Food, car repairs, whatever. I prefer direct help over cash donations anytime.

And no, I've never met any car-smart fellas at the intersections yet.

 

Hey Bean, you're not a burden on society. You're one of the colorful fellas on the HAMB who I respect and appreciate around here.
Keep on keepin' on Porkandbeaner!

 

no, they just ask for change...I always just tell them to get a job.

 

thats pretty cool, I think your born a car guy and your stuck with it for life