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Homeless man found dead at SLO bus stop

July 29, 2016

ambulance 4A local homeless man in his late 40s was found dead at a San Luis Obispo bus stop Thursday morning, according to the San Luis Obispo Police Department.

At about 9:45 a.m., the police department received a call for a welfare check on a man at a bus stop on Madonna Road near the Starbucks in the Madonna Plaza Shopping Center. Police officers and fire personnel found the man unresponsive, not breathing and lying face down.

Responders tried to revive the man, but they did not succeed. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators believe a medical complication caused the man’s death, but they have not pinpointed a condition.

No foul play is suspected. Authorities are withholding the man’s name as they notify relatives.


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One more thing… Why do you presume he was on welfare? Just because he was homeless? Stigma is the one thing these type of people have no relief from as you so perfectly exemplify…

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Because the good citizens of SLO don’t have the time or the wherewithal to conduct a personality and finance interview on all the homeless that wander the streets every time we pass one. So we make a snap judgment, the same way you do–because it’s human nature. It’s reality.


Up until they just recently cleared out the Amtrak station homeless encampment and the one along the creek in Pismo, the homeless were overwhelming the cities of Pismo and Grover Beach, with their disgusting and inhumane lifestyles, their stinking bodies and dirt covered faces and hair and clothes, their stumbling drunkenness, their high on meth dancing around oblivion, their schizophrenia and psychosis laden ramblings, their incessant begging, their walking around with pit bulls and large knives strapped to their waists, their pushing their shopping carts and baby strollers up and down the streets, their willingness to just lay down anywhere any time and go to sleep, the toothless women willing to perform any sex act for a baggie of drugs etc. etc.—–all of them contributing absolutely nothing in life. No purpose whatsoever. No purpose for even living.


And society is not even allowed to institutionalize them to help them— to force them to get clean or to get medical attention. Apparently, we’re just supposed to embrace them as they are. Talk about the most disgustingly inane of social systems.


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“So we make a snap judgment, the same way you do–because it’s human nature. It’s reality.”


I don’t agree at all, not at all. A snap judgment is not because of NATURAL human nature but rather a SOCIALLY taught and driven choice. You look at a person and all those things that have built your “normal person” definition sparks! It fires off down the neurons and synapses of your brain clicking on those things you’ve been taught are “acceptable” and “unacceptable”, sums up the outcome and passes judgment. I guess with some people when the “unacceptable” sum is larger than the “acceptable” it is there TAUGHT judgment they are, ummm… What did you say? Oh Yea! “…contributing absolutely nothing in life. No purpose whatsoever. No purpose for even living.” Does that include the child addicts we have living on the streets? Probably so, huh? How ’bout the children who turn those same tricks for the same reasons? Do they get a pass if they at least have all their teeth? What about our Vets? They don’t deserve a pass due to their service and sacrifices. And how ’bout if it was a member of your family out there? But I guess your version of “reality” doesn’t take anything into consideration, right?


I agree with you that it begins as a choice but as I said ‘… as time goes by it becomes less and less about that…” and more about need (whether that’s a physical or psychological need doesn’t matter, they both dominate a person ability to reason. If you doubt that you have issues with the medical and scientific communities that should be answered by them). As a “abigchocoholic” you should have some clue about that, right?


“And society is not even allowed to institutionalize them to help them…” And who’s fault is that? Partly yours, partly mine, right? The cost of one Super Carrier ( the USS George H.W. Bush, commissioned in 2009 is costing the taxpayers, you and I, $6.1 billion [and the Navy’s current “heartthrob”, the Gerald R. Ford class is a mere $13.8 Billion]) could provide enough beds in this country to address every homeless person housing and medical needs who is unable to care for themselves.The carriers yearly operating cost (about $7 million a day) could maintain both the growth and continued operating costs of those beds. No… Can’t do that. Especially when it’s the time honored American tradition to always cut from the budget of health and social programs rather than from our vastly over-inflated defense budget.


“No purpose whatsoever.” You’ve found one though, right? And its the easiest out there to find. Someone to take your anger out on and take your mind off all of your own problems and shortcomings. India had its “Untouchables” (India says that they don’t address them as such anymore and is illegal to do so but just ask an Indian about that one) we have our homeless and addicts.


In this judgemental, decisive and self serving country of ours its surprising we don’t have more of our citizens turning to drugs like heroin…


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lol at the police referring to someone as homeless……LMFAO…..if it werent for forced public welfare they would be homeless! Enjoy never owning your own home folks….


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Forced public welfare? What’s that? Sounds like a right wing political talking point straight out of the mouths of the Fox Network. And how do you know THIS individual was on welfare let alone “forced” to take it? You don’t, you just presume…


Your “LMFAO” remark just shows how far removed you’re from the reality of this gentleman’s situation and callousness towards him as a human being. But I suspect there are far more of folks like you, especially in this self absorbed and out of touch “happiest place on earth”…


I may know this person as I walked the streets of my birth place, San Luis Obispo, as a homeless person for a period of time not so long ago. I had to move to escape the stigma attached to me to in SLO, in California, so I could find a home of my own. I first moved to Northern California but after finding out I had been homeless my landlord/roommate evicted me (you don’t have to have a reason in California to evict, just the desire). I moved out of state and now reside in a small community in a small affordable apartment.


I miss SLO, it was my home and will always be where I was born; but what I don’t miss is the stigma, apathy and prejudicial presumptions of those who didn’t know my circumstance, let alone try and find them out, while judging me solely on my “homelessness”. That stigma could have cost me my life; as I was suffering from complications from my diabetes, and laying face down in a planter at a local business who would not call 911 on my behalf, I felt and experience the absolute apathy and hatred most in your community feel about anyone homeless. I was ignored, scorned and even laughed at by customers who came and went from that business. The clerks were ordered by the owner of that establishment not to call 911 for any homeless person as they were all “just drunk or high” and looking for “attention” (that’s a quote from the clerk who would not call 911 for me). I wonder how many people just walked by this gentleman, maybe even scorning him or laughing at him, ignoring that he was in crisis and let him die before someone called after he was gone. I wonder how many times he heard someone say “Ignore him, he’s just another f***ing drunk!” or “Leave him alone, he just another one of those worthless homeless pieces of sh**!” Maybe the last thing he saw was the scorn on the face of one of you judgemental, apathetic, politically and financially “upstanding” citizens of SLO. I wonder… But I bet most of you don’t, you just don’t give a rats ass!


I miss two people very much though: Karen Velie who let me stay at her home for a few days while I built a fort for her grand-kids and Josh Friedman who was always generous with his time, understanding and empathy. You two are what the community of San Luis Obispo should aspire to be. You are invaluable.


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he just tired out of paying taxes on welfare checks….


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Wow joseywales! I guess some folks “handle” truly represents who they are and the era they’re stuck in. And as far as owning your own home? Tell that to the bank or finance company you have, or had your note with… The true “tax” on a welfare check is the type of dogma and stigma attached to it from folks like you. I doubt that anyone is “proud” to have to accept “welfare”, some do get used to it, maybe take advantage of it and some do become dependent on it but I have never heard anyone claim the pride they find in it.


One more thing… Why do you presume he was on welfare? Just because he was homeless? Stigma is the one thing these type of people have no relief from as you so perfectly exemplify…


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