Pedestrian Thoughts

      Alright, so if you read the last post, you heard about my new friend Zach, the aspiring musician. Here is a quick recap: I went to Chattanooga on Monday and talked to about 12 homeless people, all of which call downtown Chattanooga their home. They all shared their stories and opinions with me and my friend who accompanied me. 

     Ok! So, before I struck up conversations with these homeless residents, I sat on Broad Street for about 45 minutes and interviewed pedestrians who walked by (and would actually stop and talk to me).   This is the list of my questions:

1. Are you in downtown Chattanooga a lot? 
2. Give me an estimate of the number of homeless people you see when you go through downtown.
3. Do you interact with homeless people a lot?
4. How do you think a majority of homeless people become homeless? 
5. Do you think pedestrians should help homeless people?
6. How do you think they should help?
7. Why do you think most pedestrians won't help homeless people? 
8. What is your religion?
9. Do you see other people within your religion helping the homeless?
10. What religion do you think the majority of the people who help the homeless belong to?

      Of the 27 pedestrians I asked to interview, 15 stopped. I tallied the answers I received into percentages:

1. Are you in downtown Chattanooga a lot? 

    90%-Yes

    10%-No

2. Give me an estimate of the number of homeless people you see when you go through downtown.

     20%- >20

     35%- 10-19

     35%- 5-9

     10%- <4

3. Have you ever interacted with a homeless person on the streets?

     40%-Yes

     60%-No

4. How do you think a majority of homeless people become homeless?

     40%- Want to be homeless (no responsibilities)

     25%- Economy

     20%- Drugs

     15%- No choice
5. Do you think pedestrians should help homeless people?

     65%- Yes

     35%- No

6. How do you think they should help?

     80%- Food

     10%- Conversation

     10%- Money

7. Why do you think most pedestrians won't help homeless people? 

     6%- Scared

     6%- They don't have anything to give

     6%- In a hurry

     30%- They stereotype (Drugs)

     50%- Why should I give my hard-earned money to people who don't even try to work hard?

8. What is your religion?

      70%- Christian

      15%- Islam

      15%- No religion
9. Do you see other people within your religion helping the homeless?

     Christians: 50%- Yes

                       50%- No

      Islam: 60%- Yes

                 40%- No

10. What religion do you think the majority of the people who help the homeless belong to?

       50%- Christians

       35%- Islam

       15%- Mormons

       

While reflecting upon this data, I am astonished by most of the answers. However, 1 stands out:

4. How do you think a majority of homeless people become homeless?

     40%- Want to be homeless (no responsibilities)

     25%- Economy

     20%- Drugs

     15%- No choice

I assumed that the most popular answer would be drugs. As you see, I was wrong. 6 out of the 15 people said it was because they wanted to be "bums". Do I agree with this? Well, from my conversation with Zach the musician, no. Some may choose to be homeless, but some don't.