Melbourne homeless #18 - Lisa & Chocolate

Lisa on her dog Chocolate: "I love her more than anything. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her."

[@philbis2774]

It kills me to see Chocolate on the streets ... So Wrong

[@uamiable]

Jim, Your questions are pretty blunt and invasive; often very insensitive… if people had friends and family that could help it is unlikely they would be on the street. Asking someone on the street what they think their prospects are? You lucky you haven’t been clocked to help you find out what time it is. 😂

[@jimschembri1279]

Thank you, Genevieve. Often there are family and friends who can help, but the homeless person doesn’t want to impose. “I don’t want to be a burden” is a common refrain in many interviews, though the issue of abandonment is also a major factor as to why someone is on the streets. Distressingly, it’s often seen with young people.

[@jimschembri1279]

And why not ask people what their prospects are? To presume they have none plays into the cruel stereotype that homeless people are also hopeless people. This is patently untrue for many people in the interviews. To not ask a question because you think you know the answer is antithetical to good journalism. Experience has shown that asking a question that seems obvious can elicit the most unexpected and illuminating responses. As for being insensitive and intrusive, here’s some info: I always identify myself fully and ask for consent before turning on the camera. Sometimes people are happy to speak, but on audio only. I often get them to check out my site to establish trust. I go through this process each time to ensure I am not intruding. I also like to offer the person something (money, food or both) and the offer is never conditional or used as an enticement. At this point I’d guess I’ve given away hundreds of dollars, along with plenty of food, to homeless people who didn’t want to talk about their lives on camera. Recently I gave one young man a $20 note, then asked for an interview. First he said yes, we found a good quiet place to chat, then he changed his mind. I said that was OK. He went to give me back the money but I told him to keep it. He thanked me quite sincerely then, oddly, he ran off in a big hurry. I still haven’t figured out why! Whenever I ask something that might be a bit contentious I always preface it with a phrase such as “I hope you don’t mind me asking” or something similar. For the record, not once has anyone ever objected to a question for being insensitive or disrespectful or whatever. If anything, they are eager to talk about their experiences. The modest purpose behind this project is to simply draw focus on the lives of people who are too easy to treat as though they aren’t there. There are terrible anecdotes of people abusing the homeless, but I’ve also seen how generous people can be. Once, shortly after an interview, a guy walking by stopped for a second and dropped a $50 note into the cup. Thank you again for your comment, Genevieve. I hope this response is informative.

[@Aeoniik]

Bullshit, I don’t think street people have the patience, and do have the ability to see through the thick layers of bullshit present in most conversations between those of us in polite society. I can guarantee I’ve spent more time around these scenes, I would know. Being straight up is respected more than beating around the bush, ofcourse being outright rude is never good but Jim does not do that, your comment is pointless, especially considering everyone I’ve seen interviewed reacts well to him, especially at about halfway thru the convo when they get a sense for his warm heart and genuine care with good humor. Onya Jim

[@domeperruzza]

She's just in drugs

[@Aeoniik]

Most of them are and sadly being in meth makes someone impossible to like or want to help, to your average person

[@domeperruzza]

They homeless , but they can efforts to have animals Duscusting

[@carolinehartley5326]

She had the dog before she was homeless. It's her fur baby and means everything to her.