- [Male] Brenda. - Yes.
Yeah, that's my name.
- [Male] We're here in New York City.
- Yeah, I came here in January.
- [Male] You're sleeping right here.
- Right. - [Male] On the streets.
On seventh ave.
- Yeah, I feel safe here and there's always people around
and it's lit up pretty well and if it rains,
or the weather's bad, I can go into Penn Station.
- [Male] So what happened?
- Well, my life was pretty good actually, I thought.
I worked 35 years, I graduated college
but in 2011, I entered a bus
in San Diego, California and as I stepped into the bus,
someone stepped out of the bus but the driver
was looking at the man stepping out of the bus
saying goodbye to him, didn't know I stepped in the bus,
so when he moved the door to take off,
he knocked me down, I wasn't hurt yet.
It was when he floored the gas pedal,
my left leg swung across and slammed into the steel door.
It didn't have rubber on the door.
The bus was not supposed to be out of the yard.
The ambulance took me but he didn't follow the protocol,
they didn't bring a supervisor, they didn't pull the bus,
he just went on normal schedule.
- [Male] So you're seriously injured.
- Well permanent nerve damage,
I mean I've had nerve conduction tests and four MRI's,
I'm permanently damaged.
I can't bicycle, I can't run, I get what's called
pain inhibited and I can only take pee pee steps.
My legs close up like a flower almost, kind of like that.
- [Male] My gosh.
And you weren't able to have any recourse
with the bus company or anything?
- Well I filed a lawsuit myself in Superior Court
but this lawyer, young lawyer was recommended to me
and I took her and she started out good, Melissa Deleon,
and she's got two demurrer motions to strike thrown out
but then I caught her lying.
She told me she wanted to say I tripped over the kneeler
and I never tripped over anything.
I stepped straight into that bus like I normally would.
Every day I was the one, 100 steps, three times a day
at the convention center, ridin' my pink beach cruiser,
okay to Santee, I was ridin' it 10 miles a day.
I mean, if I think I'm a fall risk,
I'm not gonna do 100 steps a couple times a day.
I would have killed myself.
I didn't trip over anything.
And my injury, the location of it,
is not conclusive that I could trip
unless my leg turned like this,
which my legs are straight, my weight's even.
But anyway, she said that the judge ordered mediation,
which he never did and they really threatened me,
screamed at me, all in my face, her, her lawyer,
the mediator to settle and I said, "No,"
and so she told me she needed out, she wanted out
of the case because she would have got caught
committin' legal malpractice so I let her out
because she didn't even have any discovery
on the defendant so I let her out and then the judge said,
"I dismiss this case without prejudice,
"you have every right to sue
"but you gotta start all over again."
Well between pain, depression, pain management,
rehab, I never started again.
I just, it got me down that I lost my physical activity
because I was always hyper, active,
very moveable my whole life and I don't know
if the statute's over but if it isn't,
I really would like to start it over again.
- [Male] So how'd you get here?
- Okay, when I worked 35 years, I paid FICA,
that's my tax money, my money,
social security in San Diego denied me my money,
which they are not allowed to do but they did.
The judge ruled fully favorable decision.
That's the best decision a judge can give you,
last year, August, so I came back to Pennsylvania
to get on a senior housing building, to get in,
so I'm not homeless anymore 'cause it's
a 30 year check but it's under renovation.
They're gonna house this year from August to December.
I'm on the list prayin' I get in.
I call them, they know my number, they know where I am.
That's what I'm trying to accomplish is get into housing,
not bein' homeless anymore, goin' back to normalcy.
In the meantime, I went to San Francisco social security
and I said to them, "I want my SSD, you can't deny me,"
and he said, "Yeah, you have SSD money, apply."
Well I'd already applied in 2012,
the judge gave me back to 2010, they should have gave me
a check for seven years retro but they didn't
give me anything so I reapplied like he said.
Well, didn't know what happened all these months,
my money's not right and I'm not SSI,
which they're givin' me SSI, they lowered my check
a couple hundred dollars from California.
- [Male] So you are getting disability?
- No.
- [Male] Oh you're not getting anything?
- No, I'm getting SSI but I'm not SSI, I'm SSD,
a big difference.
So New York said to me, "We'll fix it,"
but they sent me a letter a week ago saying that
the worker in California at San Francisco,
where the judge said fully favorable
and he should have put my money through,
he X'ed it out and he said, "She's not disabled."
He's not allowed to go over the judge's head,
he's a regular worker and they're investigating
what happened, they told me so far, that's what happened.
They owe me a lot of money, if they, wait a minute,
I had talked to a woman to buy a $38,000 RV,
a beautiful, $100,000 RV this couple used,
she was handicap, it's all handicap accessible,
they moved to Hawaii, they were selling it,
I would have not been homeless,
I would have had my retro money,
they owe me, like, $80,000 and they didn't give me shit,
they didn't give me my money and he told me,
I said to him, "You work 35 years and pay FICA, I'm SSD."
He goes, "If you don't sign this paper for SSI,
"you're not gettin' any money,"
so I signed it under duress because I went seven years
with no money, I needed money.
- [Male] So do you have any income now?
- I get SSI but I'm not SSI.
$750.
- [Male] Right but $750 isn't enough.
- You can't live anywhere in New York for it.
- [Male] Or San Diego. - And food's very expensive.
No, San Diego waiting list is five or 10 years
just to get a studio, they don't have any there.
It's all for millionaires, you know.
- [Male] 720 isn't gonna give you a place to stay.
- No and San Diego paid 980 which is what SSD would pay.
- [Male] So you sleep out here on the sidewalk?
- I'm 60 years old, I worked 35 years,
I'm a college graduate, I have no record,
I have never been arrested or accused of anything
and I sleep on the sidewalk
and that's what America's doing to senior citizens.
- [Male] Now why here?
I know you said you feel safe
but why does this make you feel safe?
- Well because Modell's is open 'til late,
Penn Station's open 24 hours a day,
if it rains, I can go inside, if I need a bathroom,
I can go inside, there's always someone,
that restaurant's, McDonald's open 24 hours,
that restaurant's open very late
so there's always people through here, around here.
- [Male] You feel...
- I sleep very well.
Well I live on my faith in Jesus, I sleep very well.
- [Male] Do you feel safe with the people
around all the time?
- Yeah, I do, yeah.
- [Male] 'Cause I've often wondered,
sometimes homeless people pick places
to sleep that are very public and I think
it's 'cause that gives 'em security.
- Yeah, I mean, no I know some that prefer seclusion
that would go in a dark alley where there's no one
but I prefer it's lit up and it's a popular place
and there's people goin' to the train station
all night long and eating, shopping and, you know,
it's a busy area, I like it here.
- [Male] What's your future like?
- Well I'm hoping to get my housing
and just go back to normal life
but I'm sort of torn a little bit.
I'm havin' a difficult time where I rolled
with the punches and I let a lot of people wrong me,
the government wrong me, they cheated me
out of my money and I'm gettin' a little bitter now
and I'm prayin' that I don't do that,
go the wrong way, ya know.
- [Male] It's easy to get cynical and bitter out here.
- Well I shoulda never been homeless
and everyone in San Diego said that and knew that
and, you know, I should have had justice in the court room.
I heard the lawyer was the bus driver's cousin
and she probably was.
That would be so San Diego.
- [Male] It's everywhere. - Oh okay.
- [Male] I had a law case once that,
ya know, the deals are made behind the scenes and...
- Well the judge did the right thing though,
he dismissed it without prejudice
and said, "I see your injuries,
"you have every right to sue."
He's the only one that did the right thing
but I have to give him that, he did,
he knew the truth and he did the right thing.
- [Male] What would you want people
to know about homeless people
that they probably don't know?
- Well I can tell ya that they look at me everyday,
they make assumptions, they make,
they're the jury and the trial and they judge you
everyday, all day long, they make assumptions,
I've had women say I wear lipstick,
I do wear lipstick, you know, if you're that petty
in New York and you're the capital
and you're all that and you care
that a homeless woman wears lipstick,
I feel sorry for you, I mean it's really pathetic
and I've had it said several times.
My lipstick's under three dollars but do they know that?
No because it's my color.
- [Male] Ya know...
(laughing) - I mean come on.
- [Male] I'm so glad you brought that up
because every time I interview a homeless woman
who, you know, is taking care of herself
- Yeah. - And has makeup,
people all, well she's wearin' makeup,
how does she afford the makeup?
She's homeless, she can't, ya know.
- And second of all, someone bought me the eyeshadow
and I joined Planet Fitness over here.
It's a one time start up fee,
16 dollars, 10 dollars a month and 40 one time fee
and I take a shower everyday so I can take care of myself.
I don't wanna offend people, I wanna take care of myself.
Someone else messed me up, I didn't mess myself up.
I just was shocked how petty women can be in New York.
I was very surprised by that.
I thought they were classier than that, but they're not.
Ya know, if you're gonna judge me 'cause I have lipstick on,
I'll put it on more and more everyday.
(laughing) That's how I am.
- [Male] You gotta take care of yourself,
you gotta have some semblance of normal.
- Yeah I went to work everyday.
You know what, I was where you are for 35 years,
maybe you're gonna one day be where I am,
you can't never say never 'cause you don't know.
An accident could turn you into a paraplegic,
quadriplegic, you don't know, you don't know,
your life can change in a split second, never say never.
But the judgment of these people,
and I, a lot of times honestly, I laugh,
I have a sign, they said I had the best sign
in New York City 'cause it says,
"I'm 60 and up for adoption,"
and, I mean, people usually crack up.
- [Male] I love it, I love it. - They crack up.
And it's a crack up but it makes 'em have fun
and, you know, they're not really smilers.
- [Male] Do you have the sign with ya?
- Not in front of, no. - [Male] Okay.
- Usually, I've had a lot of people stop
and take pictures of it and...
- [Male] Oh yeah, that's a great sign.
- They'll laugh and they'll even try not to
and they'll catch theirself laughin'
so it makes me have a good day when I work
with the people like that, you know.
- [Male] If you had three wishes, what would they be?
- Well, I'm grateful for a lot of things
and my relationship with Jesus is the most important one.
I'd like to get the apartment that I put in for,
I will have money to buy furniture for it,
get a good night's sleep in a bed and I pray that,
Richard Gere did a movie in New York City
called Time Out of Mind where he played a homeless man,
I would like everyone to watch that movie.
I think they should watch it and, you know,
maybe not lookin' at us, maybe lookin' at him,
they'll understand things more,
be more empathetic and understanding
but you be kind, you know, just, like you said,
a smile of kindness, a man all day long brought me
cold water, food to eat and he said,
"I'm no one, this is nothing," he said,
"This is comin' from higher up,"
and it was such a beautiful thing, you know,
it was so kind and it just makes you feel good.
It just makes you feel normal maybe.
- [Male] Well thank you very much for talkin' to me.
- Yeah and thank you very much, appreciate it.
Hope I wasn't too harsh but I was very honest.
(gentle music)