Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Homeless in danger


I know you probably expected a photo of Paris Plage today, but no... I cannot be that predictable all the time, can I ?! No today, I'd like to tell you about a fact that I was not aware of; it appears that homeless people are much more at risk because of the heat than the cold, in winter. The Paris town hall has even put in place several shelters where the homeless can get water and some fresh air. When it gets very hot, the public baths are even accessible for free. I photographed this guy, on the Quai Saint Exupéry, by the Seine, in the 16th arrondissement. And tomorrow the temperature are going to drop by... 10 degres (C)! So I guess the problem will be solved...

16 comments:

  1. This photo could have been taken anywhere, I guess. This Parisian homeless man and his cart look just like a San Francisco homeless person. Glad their getting them out of the heat, though.

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  2. Are your winters generally mild? I was surprised to read about the risk from heat being higher.

    I'm glad there are some people who take care of them.

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  3. its the same in London - far more people die from the heat than the cold - guessing we are just not used to it!

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  4. Glad to hear they're being helped—and that the temperature is dropping. A bit less of a problem here in NYC, I think, since there are so many public places that are air-conditioned. And I never would call you predictable!

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  5. I agree that this photo could have been taken anywhere, and that in itself is a very, very sad statement. I never thought I would live to see the great cities of the world look like trash heaps where humans are little more than litter or debris. Sad, sad...sad.

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  6. Eric,
    Your post is so timely. You are right. The heat is the hardest for those in need of shelter. Recently a minister here told me that the extreme cold wasn't the most difficult for the homeless...... the heat was the worst. This is a situation that we all struggle with. Thank you for putting your focus on this.
    V

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  7. A heat wave in Chicago in 1995 killed over 500 people. I believe it was around the same time that heat killed many people in Paris too. Whenever the heat is extremely high here, cooling centers are opened and there is a "well-being" check made on the elderly.

    I agree how sad it is to know that the picture could have been taken anywhere. I've seen a similar sight in Chicago and in New York.

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  8. Sadly, a sign of the times and yes it could be anywhere.

    They're here in New Zealand with shopping trolley mode as well.

    Maybe your homeless man has a slightly better bottle of wine than ours....

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  9. It's my birthday today and I was looking for something positive in this picture....I hope and wish he can turn his life around...

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  10. Well Martin, first of all "bon anniversaire" and let me tell you that I admire you for looking for something positive in there! (And I'm not kidding). Are you American? That is one thing that Americans are well trained to do I think: always look at the positive aspects of things. It comes from the education.

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  11. I am glad to hear Paris does much to help the homeless in these conditions, Eric. I am pretty sure public baths are not open to the homeless in the UK, but am willing to be corrected.

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  12. I too would never have guessed that the heat is more lethal than the cold. And I am fairly certain that there are no public baths open to the homeless here in the US. I think France probably provides more services to their homeless population than we do. These people are quite neglected here, and with the economy the way it is their numbers are growing. It is a very sad state of affairs.

    Thank you for this dose of reality today, Eric, as life isn't always a plage.

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  13. I never even think about the heat being more lethal than cold. Where we live, this is not the case, but thankfully there are people that are concerned and helping those in need.

    Thanks for the reminder to help someone in need today, Eric!

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  14. It's one of those difficult photos that you post from time to time where I'm not quite sure what to say but feel strangely uneasy if I stay silent.
    Which is another of the reasons I like PDP.

    However, it is encouraging to hear that the homeless are being considered by the authorities in Paris.

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  15. This photo is very poignant.
    I wonder what can be kept in all his bags. Possibly an amount of small treasures that means something for this man or simply most of the things he found and thought that they might be useful one day...
    How many are useful against the heat? Not a thing of course.
    Possibly some are against the cold.
    I spent last week in a very hot country and I'm glad I don't have to live with this heat all the year. Unless to be very used to, I'd feel like regressing with the heat.
    The rain has come over Paris, so maybe, maybe, this man is "happier" tonight. Can it be possible???

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  16. Thank you for always featuring the glamorous and the not so glamorous aspects of Paris. Homeless people are a tragedy, particularly in affluent countries.

    Terrific blog. Silvia

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