- [Interviewer] Rob, we're out here on Hollywood Boulevard,
you're homeless or domestically challenged.
- There you go.
- [Interviewer] Tell me about it.
- Well I guess well I mean classic sob story.
I started off was working and going to school
at Truman College in Chicago.
I was doing both, had a place to stay.
I was engaged to be married, just bought a car,
got hit by a drunk driver one night.
This is May of 2000
and kind of went through some financial strain behind that.
Matter of fact my attorney kind of ripped me off
a little bit too, but as an end result I ended up
through a progression of losing money,
losing funding and losing, going to school,
losing my job, I lost everything behind that.
I ended up in the streets and haven't been able
to recover since.
A couple of times, I've been able to rebound a little bit
but for the most part it's, it's, it's,
it's, it's wow.
- [Interviewer] Now did you first
hit the streets in Chicago?
- Years ago yeah.
- [Interviewer] And then you came here?
- Yeah I've been in California since about 2005, 2006.
- [Interviewer] Where'd you sleep last night?
- Last night slept down the street.
- [Interviewer] Outside?
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] That's no way to live, man.
- Well it's a way of life for some of us.
Unfortunately, we're forced to sleep and live this way.
It's been a crime to do so in this city and county.
As a matter of fact, recently I got a ticket
for sleeping which is a little bit absurd for a person
who is expressing his involuntary functions.
It's ludicrous to charge them by law some monetary funding
or some kind of criminal charge for doing something
that naturally we're all doing.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, so you got a ticket
for sleeping outside?
- Um-hmm.
- [Interviewer] What was the ticket?
- That's exactly it.
- [Interviewer] I mean, how much?
- I don't know, I'm still contesting it
by forcing them to try to fine me for this one.
Because I actually want to see this judge
to find out how it's possible that this became a law
anywhere in the United States when they proclaim
that this is the land of the free.
- [Interviewer] Good for you, good for you.
I always think it's crazy that, you know,
the solution to homelessness is criminalization
and ticketing 'em when they don't have income.
- Exactly.
- [Interviewer] You know, it's crazy.
So what's your future like?
- Well I don't know.
It depends on the rest of the day.
- [Interviewer] (laughs) Well you still have a smile.
- Well that's important always.
As long as I keep a positive mental attitude
and keep my spirituality in tune to the aspect
that I can eventually get away from this I'll be fine
but I hate to say I'm looking for a handout.
I'm not really looking for a handout,
I'm looking for a hand up.
You know, I'm tired of sitting on the ground,
tired of sleeping on the ground.
But at the same time I don't find it a solution
to put somebody in the subsidized housing program
and sit 'em in the middle
of the most expensive neighborhood that he can live in.
There's no way to recover.
The recidivism rate for homelessness
is a phenomenal gesture.
Now it's to the point that it's almost trendy to just
get into Social Services and start helping people out
by giving 'em socks.
- [Interviewer] Wow, wow.
- No offense.
- [Interviewer] I know. I got it, I got it.
You're cool man.
- Right on man.
- [Interviewer] You're cool.
But there's a lot of truth.
The recidivism is huge man.
People getting put into housing, and then
they're getting exited.
People aren't talking about that.
We need to get people into housing so they stay.
- Well I consider it an extremely immoral gesture
to financially gain or benefit
from someone's ability to eat, sleep, or use the bathroom.
I don't think any human being on this planet
should be enforced to live that way.
I don't care how rich or poor you are,
nobody should deny you a sandwich.
Nobody should deny you a shower.
I smell like last month, I'm getting tired of it.
But at the same time,
I know that based on
what they proclaim this economy's going through,
I mean, we're spending money in the wrong spot
when it comes down to our government
and government spending.
They're spending too much time playing war,
and war costs money.
War makes money.
I'm not into that kind of stuff.
I believe, well it's not really a belief.
It's just my way of thinking
that there should be nothing living
that should ever be in any kind of constraint
because of human activity.
For example sitting right behind you
there's this flashy BMW.
But it's spewing all these emissions out
that's killing humans, killing other lives.
You know, other lives.
We got three point eight seven trillion different types
of living beings that coexist with us.
Now in order for us to coexist, we have to do exactly that.
But we have to start getting rid of all this stone
and brick and concrete if we ever plan on living
with three point eight seven trillion different types
of living beings.
- [Interviewer] You're really educated
in all this, informed.
- I could talk for about two, three hours straight
on this subject alone.
I'm not gonna take all your time.
- [Interviewer] If you had three wishes, what would they be?
- Well just those things: eating, sleeping,
and using the bathroom should never be a charge.
And if we're gonna live in a land of freedom,
then I don't think I should have to pay for it.
Because if I'm paying for my freedom,
then I purchased a lie.
And thirdly, when it comes to human nature itself,
I would like to see, I would like to see people
take Martin Luther King and King Junior's dream
and make it a premonition for a change.
That's what I plan to do.
I want to make that a premonition, make it a reality.
I'm tired of people just dreaming
about what they wish they could have.
You know, because it's like even people that go to church...
I got, somebody gave me a flyer today
and I asked them a question.
I says, "Well how come preachers don't ever explain
"to people that if you really want to experience heaven,
"let's try to make this place heaven now
"so we don't have to wait until we're dead?"
- [Interviewer] Right, right, right.
- You know I want heaven now so I don't have to wait
until I die, so just in case I do die,
I don't know I'm dead because I ain't missed a beat.
You know I'm always in bliss.
(female laughs)
- [Interviewer] Thank you very much for talking to me man.
- Right on.
- [Interviewer] It's been an honor.