Is it normal for people who aren't homeless to eat out of the garbage?

17% Normal
14 Comments

I went to Portland last week and the first thing I saw getting off the bus was a man dressed in normal clothes digging through the garbage and grabbing a sandwich out of it. I watched him take bites out of the sandwich as he walked away thinking this guy looked like he could afford one from the Jimmy Johns down the street.

As I walked through town I saw other similar incidents. I have seen people eat out of the garbage but it has always been an obviously homeless person. When I met with my friends I told them about it and they said people eat out of the trash there because they think they are too cool to pay for things.

I was playing guitar with a girl I met at the bus stop while I was there and brought up that I thought it was weird that well dressed people ate from the garbage and she replied that she eats out of the garbage too, almost as she was offended.

Do people do this where you live too?

Voting Results
17% Normal
Based on 23 votes (4 yes)
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Comments ( 14 )
  • thegypsysailor
    9 years ago

    If you lived in one of the mast depressing areas of the country, you might soon develop some pretty odd habits as well.
    When I was overseeing the construction of a megayacht in Vancouver, just across the river from Portland, we saw the sun maybe 5 days out of 5 months. It rained constantly and it seemed everything was covered in a layer of mildew. I do not understand how human beings could live in such a depressing climate.
    Sun, sun, my kingdom for some sun.....

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    • [Old Memory]
      9 years ago

      I'm near Seattle which has the same climate and plenty of strange activity, but have yet to see people dressed nicely eat from the trash, although the obviously homeless ones do. I have developed my own odd habits but trash eating is not one of them.

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      • thegypsysailor
        9 years ago

        I assume you are doing your best to get out before the mildew takes over? Perhaps that's what people mean by 'well dressed'? It's mildew that looks like clothing.

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    • howaminotmyself
      9 years ago

      It isn't that depressing here. And when the sun does shine, it is amazing. But no, no, it's horrible , stay away. No one else come here.

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  • howaminotmyself
    9 years ago

    What the fuck? The bus station is a haven of homeless and has very few restaurants nearby.

    You are exaggerating the reality of Portland. This does not happen in broad daylight nearly as much as you claim it does. Sure, people dumpster dive, no biggie. They also glean and arrange for food pick up before it goes to the dumpster. Especially since most places lock their dumpsters.

    Also, there are a lot of homeless in P-town and many of them look like normal people.

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    • [Old Memory]
      9 years ago

      It was where I was. I saw this while in town square where all the trains meet and there were plenty of restaurants. I was also in Gresham where a man with an electronic shaver approached me at 2am in the 7-11 parking lot wanting to give me a hair cut for $5.

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      • howaminotmyself
        9 years ago

        Ah, Pioneer Square is not the bus station. And there are far more businessmen there than homeless. But I guess you see what you want.

        And never confuse Portland with Gresham.

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        • [Old Memory]
          9 years ago

          I dont know where the actual bus station is. Thats just where I got off the bus. The only other places I went besides the square was Gresham area and Hillsboro/Forest Grove. All the garbage eating I saw was in the square and Gresham had more late night crackhead activity.

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          • howaminotmyself
            9 years ago

            What bus? Maybe the Bolt bus. And why compare all of Portland to a transfer station and the city suburbs? Also, in this part of downtown all dumpsters are locked and mostly inaccessible to the public.

            Again, I think you are choosing to see this more than the reality of it happening.

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            • [Old Memory]
              9 years ago

              I did take the bolt bus. Maybe the rest of town isnt like that but like I said I was only in town square and near the ends of where the red train goes.

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  • RoseIsabella
    9 years ago

    They're freegans, I think it's gross too.

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  • Cuntsiclestick
    9 years ago

    I see this a lot at Walmart, so I'll say normal.

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    • wistfulmaiden
      9 years ago

      Normal for Walmart People !

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  • Acs1574018
    9 years ago

    maggots

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