Can't Get Rid of Squatter

Lmrluke on 05/07/2016 - 01:16

So this drug addict in an unregisted car with no number plates, a totally flat tyre and car that does not start, somehow rolled it into my apartment complex carpark and has put it in the corner and is living out of it. He is littering everywhere, just loitering around and sleeping in the car, right outside my apartment. I feel very uncomfortable about this and I am worried for my safety, the safety of my belongings in my house and also my vehicle. I called the cops and they say they will not do anything, he is not breaking any laws, the carpark is council property and he can stay there as long as he wants!

How do I get rid of this scumbag?

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Pizzafiend on 06/07/2016 - 23:49

    i work for the council on housing estates… good luck getting anyone to do anything… maybe when he leaves snap match sticks in the keyholes and then squirt some super glue in … obviously will probably break a window to get in but then leaves the car open to other discrepancies…

    • mrluke on 06/07/2016 - 23:59

      Haha that's a bit rough. He reckons he and his mates are going to roll it to the police station tonight which is about 2km away, and you have to go across the train line or over a really big bridge. They won't be able to push it up the bridge so they will have to go the long way. Geez I'm almost going to miss the guy now…

      • lysp on 07/07/2016 - 12:05
        +1

        Wonder how quickly they'll move him along if he's in their carpark - or if they'll keep claiming their own carpark is council property.

      • ankor on 08/07/2016 - 17:54
        +3

        By mates he means you..

  • Godric on 07/07/2016 - 00:46

    Pics or its not happening

    • mrluke on 07/07/2016 - 01:17
      +1

      He hasn't moved, there are no mates here. When I got home he was stuck in the middle of the car park trying to push it so I helped him push it to the other side but now he is underneath the spotlight. It's not going anywhere without a tow truck, he wouldnt even be able to get it over the speed bumps in the driveway.

      • dm01 on 07/07/2016 - 01:21
        +2

        Geez if he's willing to move on I'd be grabbing a couple of your neighbours and helping get him that first km up the road!

        • mrluke on 07/07/2016 - 01:31
          +1

          Thats not a bad idea… good thing is I know he wants out now. I think some of the neighbours have had a few words to him so he is feeling very unwelcome now.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2016 - 11:07

          @sirlothie: How can anyone welcome him anywhere?

          I guess on the plus side, he might be extra security from the real thief……….. by a long shot, or become an accomplice.

      • Name on 10/07/2016 - 09:01
        +1

        I'd be offering to pay for a tow truck to help him move his car to wherever he wants it to go. Cheap way to get him out of your life and as far away as possible

  • phoenixx on 07/07/2016 - 07:45
    +7

    Poor guy. This must have been frustrating for you but mental illness is a hell of a thing. :(

  • mrluke on 07/07/2016 - 07:46
    +2

    He is busy at work trying to disable the satellite chip at the moment. Is that a real thing?

    • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2016 - 11:27
      +3

      Have you seen A Beautiful mind, starring Russell Crowd? That might give you an inkling of what is going on in that poor man's head: confused thinking, hallucinations, delusions…

      The friends he was talking about are clearly imaginary friends. He has no one. You are in a position where you can help, why not do it? Call CATT. They'll get your squatter admitted to hospital. You get rid of him, he gets the help he needs and you become a hero on ozbargain. Win-win-win!!!

      • mrluke on 07/07/2016 - 12:44
        +2

        I'm going straight from my day job to my night job and won't be home until 11pm but if he is still there I'll do it, I think they are 24 hour.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2016 - 13:41
          +3

          The Mental Health Telephone Triage on 1300 792 977 is 24 hours,7 days a week.

          Good on you , mate! :)

    • Cave Fire on 07/07/2016 - 12:58

      You can hack a car through the CAN bus system, no chip required: Video

  • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2016 - 10:25
    -5

    ALL JOKES ASIDE
    use cockroach pesticide

    • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2016 - 11:09

      Well if fart bombs won't work, this might?

      Or superglue the handle on his car, or something…

      Put thumbtack and stuck it inside the handle…

      Watch Home Alone, and see what you can learn.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2016 - 11:05
    -4

    I have difficulties in understanding this homeless, why are they homeless? How do they become homeless?
    Why cant the government clean them up, capture them and put them somewhere, and educate them or something?
    Some other countries do much worse than that.

    You have my sympathy, annoyed with homeless on the street is one thing, but having one living next to your yard is completely another level.

    • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2016 - 14:58
      +4

      Read up on it

      Also the phrase "capture them" is offensive. They are people like you and me, not savage animals.

      • [Deactivated] on 09/07/2016 - 10:56
        +6

        Thanks for the link mate, I have now have better understanding about this, I always thought it was a choice, not anymore.

        Apologies for anyone offended by my comment.

    • phoenixx on 07/07/2016 - 22:41
      +1

      What is wrong with you?

    • Crownie on 08/07/2016 - 18:32

      This is the real world not Pokemon Go!
      A homeless person cannot be captured in a Pokeball for someone to use in bumfight battles

  • Mrlai2 on 07/07/2016 - 11:53
    +2

    What is his name?

  • macca22 on 07/07/2016 - 12:06
    +1

    I too will need a place to park car(home) please send address

  • alxr0101 on 07/07/2016 - 12:09

    Sounds like he's lawyered up and knows what can and cannot be done.

    Maybe it's Cleaver Greene, now that he's lost his perch at the Bar.

    Episode 7:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rake_(Australian_TV_series)#Season_4_.282016.29

    But no seriously.. he could be a homeless ex barrister!

    • mrluke on 07/07/2016 - 12:45
      +2

      Nah now that I've had a proper conversation I know he's on another planet but long term homeless do know all the tricks and loopholes, they have to to survive.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2016 - 12:44

    It seems like it would be easy to get away with illegal immigration by pretending to be a mentally unwell squatter. Seems like nobody bothers about this guy at at all. Probably much easier if one were white, but even so, I wouldn't be surprised if everybody just washed their hands off this guy.

  • kevsta on 07/07/2016 - 14:08
    +1

    If squatter was to remain for x number of years and no one did anything to move him on. Could said squatter claim squatter rights and own that car park spot outside your place?

    • greatlamp on 07/07/2016 - 17:20
      -1

      I didn't think we had squatters rights law in Australia

  • mrluke on 07/07/2016 - 16:58

    Update: has got his car out of the carpark and onto the road out the front. Should I still get him put in the but house? Still trying to get his car started but I think he is more knowledgeable than my mechanic…

    • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2016 - 17:29

      Yes!

    • maximum on 07/07/2016 - 19:00
      +2

      You could ring the CAT team but in my experience unless he willingly wants to go or is a danger to self or others there is nothing they can do. Civil liberty laws mean that unfortunately the only way people with mental health issues can get the help they need (but may not want due to said mental health issues) is to hit rock bottom.

      • mrluke on 07/07/2016 - 21:54
        -1

        Nah they will have a chat to him and see in 5 minutes he is not the full quid at the moment then he will be marked as an involuntary mental patient and if he doesn't go willingly the cops will arrest him and take him there. Past experience.

      • [Deactivated] on 08/07/2016 - 12:52
        -1

        He's a danger to himself and the community. They will intervene.

        • Tasmaniac on 10/07/2016 - 19:19
          +1

          He doesn't sound like a danger to himself or the community. He would also have to have a history of refusing medication before a community treatment order was issued. The medications they use aren't fully tested either, I wouldn't wish slow release olanzapine on anyone.

  • velcrochicken on 07/07/2016 - 17:00

    This guy will be well known to the Police, they have probably dealt with him hundreds of times thus they don't want anything to do with him anymore (pathetic I know)
    Good luck getting him help, I hope it doesn't turn into one of those things where if he refuses it they cant/wont do anything for him.
    For some reason I always feel like i'm only a few bad decision or events away from being in the same kind of situation.

    Edit: oh his out the front now - looks like problem solved.

  • R3XNebular on 07/07/2016 - 17:18

    Complaint of tresspass by the complex owner? Police come and direct him to leave? He doesn't he gets arrested and charged? That's if it's private property.

  • ribze1 on 07/07/2016 - 20:17

    The Liberal party moved him into the area so that he could vote for their local member last weekend.

  • mrluke on 07/07/2016 - 21:56

    Car is still there but he is not. His luck is unreal.

  • rodinthink on 08/07/2016 - 00:13
    -2

    Druggo druggo everywhere

  • abh_gup on 08/07/2016 - 01:39
    +1

    Serious issues but honest taxpayers and underprivileged model citizens copping it all…
    Sad to see Australia slowly becoming a junkie scumland… eventually, they turn to burglary to meet their addiction, increasing crime rates.
    Anyways, hope that drugee reforms someday and finds a job too.

    • greatlamp on 09/07/2016 - 16:51
      +1

      Perspective? I can't think of many countries that are much better than Australia, but many that are worse

      Public healthcare and mental health services help, but are not completely free.

      For some it is still a barrier.

  • Hirolol on 08/07/2016 - 09:12

    call a tow truck

  • poochi on 08/07/2016 - 11:02

    Have you got this resolved yet?

    Sounds like the police have no idea wtf they are doing. Call the body corporate, tell them of the situation, mention syringes on the ground and children living in the complex, and your strata manager will organise to have the car towed away.

    You have the legal rights and the means.

    • mrluke on 08/07/2016 - 15:10

      Partially. He is no longer in the carpark he is on the road out the front. I just saw him walking the main street.

    • ankor on 08/07/2016 - 17:59
      +2

      Do you beat homeless people and put it on YouTube as well!? Omg :/

      • hackseed on 10/07/2016 - 23:58

        I always warn a person and inform them of what they need to do to avoid a beating. im pretty fair ;)

    • LustStarrr on 10/07/2016 - 12:11
      +1

      Arsonist/stand-over man for hire? Classy. Bet you advertise on CraigsList.

  • [Deactivated] on 08/07/2016 - 13:05
    +6

    No one would ever say that someone with a broken arm or a broken leg is less than a whole person, but so many of you have said it or implied it about this man. Why? Is it because his wounds are not visible and therefore you find it easier to deny his pain?

  • Wakasonu on 08/07/2016 - 14:38
    +2

    I would go and talk to him , see if you can help him as long as was not his choice, he is human being not scum! We might all be able to help.

  • lunartemis on 08/07/2016 - 16:11
    -1

    You said it is an apartment complex, how are other occupants reacting? Can you contact the body corporate and maybe arrange some form of job for him like cleaning the communal areas or taking out people's wheelie bins?

    • mrluke on 08/07/2016 - 20:40
      +1

      Everyone is furious. We don't want to encourage him to stay.

  • ninetyNineCents on 08/07/2016 - 16:31

    Get a few fish and place them near or under the car. When they start to rot, the smell will be unbareable and he might just move.

  • doubleclutching on 08/07/2016 - 17:27

    Just get his car towed lol

  • bluesky on 08/07/2016 - 17:59
    +3

    I can relate to different viewpoints here (not the extreme ones that wished harm or misfortune to the man). So I won’t want to add to this.

    But I would like to share this article which might increase understanding about mental illness. Crucially, mental illness is very influenced by the arrow of misfortune.
    The good news:

    Research suggests that a surprising number of people manage to make full or partial recoveries [5], even when not taking medication.
    … patients more often emphasise the importance of self-esteem, hope for the future, and a valued role in society

    However, fortune is fickle. Mental illness can still befall those of us who are not yet afflicted, or are recovered.

    Stephen Fry tried to demystify and destigmatise mental illness in his programmes The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, and 'The Not So Secret Life of the Manic Depressive' 10 years later (released not so long ago).

    This writer, a researcher who spent 30 years researching severe mental illness, was concerned that these programmes, while laudable, portrays psychiatric disorders as discrete brain conditions that are largely genetically determined and barely influenced by the slings and arrows of misfortune.

    He made the point:

    recent epidemiological studies have pointed to a wide range of social and environmental factors that increase the risk of mental ill health [10] …
    These include poverty in childhood [11] and early exposure to urban environments [12]; migration [13] and belonging to an ethnic minority [14] (probably not problems encountered by most public school boys in the early 1970s) but also early separation from parents; childhood sexual, physical and emotional abuse; and bullying in schools [15]. In each of these cases, the evidence of link with future psychiatric disorder is very strong indeed — at least as strong as the genetic evidence. Moreover, there is now good evidence that these kinds of experiences can affect brain structure, explaining the abnormal neuroimaging findings that have been reported for psychiatric patients [16], and that they lead to stress sensitivity and extreme mood fluctuations in adulthood [17]. And of course, there are a myriad of adult adversities that also contribute to mental ill health (debt [18], unhappy marriages [19], excessively demanding work environments [20] and the threat of unemployment [21], to name but a few). Arguably, the biggest cause of human misery is miserable relationships with other people, conducted in miserable circumstances.

  • ankor on 08/07/2016 - 18:01
    +3

    @sirlothie good on you for taking the time to talk to the guy and the willingness to call CATT. I don't think people have acknowledged it, but it sounds like you've become more compassionate to this person's circumstances.

    Good luck.

  • mrluke on 09/07/2016 - 01:07

    Must say I am quietly chuffed my thread is so popular it is creating spin off threads. The personal attacks make it all the more glorious. I haven't called the CATT team yet because when I got back his car was all fogged up and Im not game enough to get close enough to see if he is in there. But if this keeps up I will get the junkie to join me for a LIVE Q and A session so all your questions can be answered. And all you do gooders sitting on your high horse will be free to donate to the junkies cause to get him off the street.*

    *cannot guarantee where funds will go

    • greatlamp on 09/07/2016 - 16:53

      Got to cover them administration costs eh?

  • mrluke on 09/07/2016 - 01:09
    +1

    It was funny though today he put a little note behind his windscreen saying "Do not tow". As if that will stop them haha.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/07/2016 - 06:11
    +1

    I don't understand. He is parked in an apartment complex but there is no one you can notify about a space being taken up by a non-resident of said complex? If this has already been asked & answered, my bad. I'm not going to read 4 pages to find out.

    Dude has been there 4 days and hasn't killed, raped, or robbed anyone. All sounds like a bit of pearl-clutching to me.

  • Davo1111 on 09/07/2016 - 07:40

    I would have just dragged/pushed the car out onto the road when he wasnt inside

  • The Gent on 09/07/2016 - 10:49
    -3

    I'm reading a lot of arsehole solutions here.

    Why not try contacting a local shelter and try and get them to come out and see if they can come and help him out?

    Jesus, try compassion sometimes, he is being cheeky, but he's a human being.

    In case you were unaware, OP you are sounding like such an elitist snob. Yes, I do see that it's potentially dangerous and could be unsettling, but there would be nice ways to go about this that don't involve towing away the man's home.

    Have you even talked to him yet?

    • mrluke on 09/07/2016 - 15:00
      +5

      Have you even read the thread?

      • The Gent on 09/07/2016 - 17:04
        -2

        What I could stomach, yeah. TL;DR?

        • StewBalls on 09/07/2016 - 17:33
          +2

          Comprehension issues much???

        • The Gent on 10/07/2016 - 12:41
          +5

          @StewBalls: is there much to comprehend about a person that laughs about the idea of towing away someone's home on the first page of the thread?

          Edit: in fact let's look at some great highlights from the OP of this thread:

          "How do I get rid of this scumbag?"

          "I would prefer to beat the shit out of him and send him on his way with a kick up the arse"

          "you can tell a drug addict by the haggard, drawn out look on their face"

          "Call the tow guys." - "He deserves it"

          "I have had to deal with these type of people before."

          "he is not worried about going to jail, he has probably been in and out his whole life"

          And that was just the first of 4 pages. Do I need to go into why I didn't dig deeper into this man's clearly very violent and elitist ramblings?

          If you don't understand how wrong all those sentiments are, I'm not going to pay attention to your response, but I will give you a hint: not all "types" of people are the same (go along any unifying characteristic of a person - skin colour, gender, profession, background, whatever and tell me that there is not one of them that is different from the stereotype).

          A homeless person is not automatically a scumbag, nor is a drug addict, believe it or not!

          I don't really think that physical violence is 100% necessary because you're scared of what he might do…call me insane.

          Yes, all cancer patients and elderly people are clearly drug addicts. Them damn haggered faces!

          Eh, why am I bothering, the mindset is clearly there. I imagine you say the same about indigenous Aussies, refugees and people who went to rough schools. Enjoy your very limited view of the world, guys!

        • StewBalls on 11/07/2016 - 12:22
          +2

          @The Gent: Yeah, specious analogies aside, I suppose the hypocrisy of you calling the OP an elitist snob for simply wanting to feel safe in his own home is lost on you, the self-righteous mindset is clearly there.

          Like I go on to say below, like many others here happy to berate the OP for simply protecting the sanctity of his home or the safety of his family, you clearly have no idea of the complexities & pitfalls of dealing with dual diagnosis clients. I do, 50% of my previous caseload was Substance/DD…so from my perspective it is YOU that is grossly ignorant of the facts & the potential ramifications of your sanctimonious attitude. Sure, some of my former clients were just decent people having a rough trot for a plethora of reasons; but I can assure you, some of them were also selfish malingering scumbags who had no regard for the consequences of their actions, the impact on other people, or the cost to society…the worst part was that you couldn't tell the difference by looking at them…that's why we have professionals to deal with them on a fair & impartial basis.

          OP called the cops, the council & the mental health team…what more do you want…why should it be his problem if the authorities fail to act???

          To all reading: IME, if you find yourself in the same situation as the OP, I know it can be like butting your head against a brick wall at times with statutory bodies, but I would strongly advise you to persist with attempts to seek redress through proper authorities. This will help ensure your own safety, that of those around you and the community in general, and also the person whom you are reporting; whilst it is true that you can't automatically assume that they are malicious, you also can't take the risk of assuming that they are not.

        • The Gent on 11/07/2016 - 18:21

          I suggest OP contact a shelter to see if they can help the guy out.

          I get derision for this "HERPYOUNOTEVENREADDATHREAD!?"

          I explain, not after the first page, explain why that is (comments such as laughing at the idea of towing the car a man lives in when he is out of the area - I found that quite distasteful - apparently, more people agree with me on that than disagree so thank god actual human decency has prevailed).

          You then talk about how you are in some vague way involved with substance abusers and then discuss your biases against them. May I suggest you consider another line of work?

          I'm not saying the cops and/or council dealt with this in the way they should have, but is that this man's fault?

          Shoot me, I consider homeless drug addicts people, deserving of being treated as such :/

        • StewBalls on 11/07/2016 - 18:31
          +2

          @The Gent: What you call bias I call pragmatism & experience…you have neither. You've clearly never worked in the field, so you don't know what you're talking about, ergo your opinion is worthless.

          You also need to look up the meaning of the word 'previous' and how exactly tenses work…I have a straight adult disability caseload NOW, thank goodness. As for the rest of your comment, those comprehension issues are still evident.

          Thanks for you valuable input though, I'll table it with constant reminders not to pull peoples fingers.

        • The Gent on 11/07/2016 - 18:35

          @StewBalls: many people would consider their being racist a matter of experience to give you an idea as to how highly I regard that sentiment.

          I'm not too sure you belong within a vague profession you haven't stated yet with any type of vunerable person from the sounds it, I'm afraid.

          Cheers for your perspective. Very…enlightening.

        • StewBalls on 11/07/2016 - 18:37
          +1

          @The Gent: Wow, we're at racism now, pulling out all the irrelevant emotive stops, eh?

        • The Gent on 11/07/2016 - 18:37

          @StewBalls: I wasn't saying you were racist. As…the words in my post will attest.

        • StewBalls on 11/07/2016 - 18:42
          +1

          @The Gent: Umm, right.

          Look, ordinarily I'd ask where you were headed with it then, but I don't think you really know, it's just another really poor analogy and honestly this is shaping up as one of those fruitless OzB debates with someone who means well but has no relevant experience, so you have a lovely life, eh! ;)

        • The Gent on 11/07/2016 - 18:51

          @StewBalls: Okie doke.

  • kbk on 10/07/2016 - 00:18
    +2

    OP please call the CATT or relevant team in the area as others have advised. You can remain as an anonymous referrer (to the patient) if required. Clearly he needs help. You might be the person who might change his future. Or it might make no difference. But that's not under your control.
    However, It will take you a lot less time compared to the time spent on this thread. Ringing local TRIAGE would not harm you in anyway. It's doesn't matter whether he is on your premises or on the street or a nearby park.

    • mrluke on 10/07/2016 - 00:23

      I've been meaning to but when I am home he is out and when I get home its late like now (midnight) and I feel guilty springing that on both him and them at this hour…

      • kbk on 10/07/2016 - 00:26

        They won't come and see him straight away. In this situation it is likely within the next 72 hrs. They will try a few times and even before that they can work out when to visit once they have details. You only need to give them an idea of when he might be available. If it's risky they will come with police.

        • mrluke on 10/07/2016 - 01:10
          +1

          OK I'll call up tomorrow, too tired now.

        • kbk on 10/07/2016 - 12:25
          +2

          @sirlothie:
          By the way, make sure you highlight the imminent and/or potential risk to you or others and himself. Discarded needles alone will not help unless the psychosis is very obvious.

  • StewBalls on 10/07/2016 - 11:23
    +12

    I just love the usual wave of clueless bleeding-heart socialist PC hypocrites happy to berate the OP for not being "humanitarian" enough here. The OP has done nothing but the right thing here, and it's the same thing we all would have done in his shoes, and probably a damn sight better than many of us, if faced with the same scenario.

    Anyone out there with even the slightest bit of experience dealing with people who have serious chronic mental health issues (I'm not just talking about a bit of anxiety or depression here), substance abuse or dual diagnosis clientele would be cringing at some of the stupid suggestions right alongside self-righteous accusations of mistreatment leveled at the OP.

    If you want to apply the same level of empathy to the OP & his family, how would you feel if they were assaulted when they approached the squatter if they just happened to catch him during a psychotic episode or drug induced derealisation/dissociation??? You don't think it can happen…talk to a few health professionals or cops, or read/watch the news sometime. Sure, the person may not intend to do it, and they may well be sorry afterward, but that won't stop it from happening or make it magically go away afterward.

    FFS, use some bloody commonsense before you give out stupid advice like this, before your ignorance gets somebody seriously hurt or killed.

    • tonka on 10/07/2016 - 14:37
      +5

      Hey Stewballs, I do know some people very well who have the same symptoms OP described, paranoid schizophrenia .
      I would say treating the guy in any of the less tolerant ways suggested by the OP and others would be the thing to cause a dangerous situation.
      And really wanting to beat the shit out of someone for being homeless is the mark of a thug and coward and not acceptable. Sorry OP I get that you were probably just posing after being egged on.
      We also have conflicting info about whether the guy is a druggy/homeless or just having a mental breakdown.
      Wouldn't you like to think that if you or someone in your family had a breakdown you would be helped instead of beat up.
      As far as doing the same thing, the last time I had a homeless person near my home I had a lovely chat with them for around an hour and as had just had a bit of luck myself passed on $100 so they had some cash to spend the night at an internet cafe, I never saw them again.

      • mrluke on 10/07/2016 - 15:02
        +9

        What is so hard to understand about somebody being at their wit's end about a transient invading their personal living space? How is he the victim and I'm the bad guy?

        I am incredulous that some people think I should bring him tea and biscuits every morning, maybe I should leave my door open he can help himself to the fridge and bathroom.

        A lot of people live in a fantasy land around here it seems and have no grasp of reality and what people are actually like.

        • tonka on 10/07/2016 - 15:34
          +6

          So are you saying you still wish you could beat the shit out of him? Because wanting to do that makes you the wanna be criminal and scumbag not him.

          Nothing to do with biscuits.

          Own it, do you want to beat him up? Did he really leave syringes everywhere? After you spoke to him you said he was not so bad but then started back on your posturing.

          I saw my ex brother in law once king hit a dude in the back of the head just because he was on drugs, his mates cheered him on and all thought they were manly. Never seen a more cowardly half-man act myself.

          If you want him gone that's fine. If you want to beat him up you are a thug simple.

        • mrluke on 10/07/2016 - 20:15
          -6

          @tonka:

          If he messed with me, my car or my house yes I would beat him up because nobody else obviously is going to do anything…

      • mrluke on 10/07/2016 - 15:06
        +1

        And it would cost nowhere near $100 to use a computer for a night in an internet cafe so you basically got played as a fool. Anyone who is serious would get their dole money, purchase a week's accommodation in a backpacker dorm, get a good night's rest, buy a big box of weetbix and go to all the services available until they find permanent accommodation and then go from there.
        You can't feel sorry for someone who does jack shit to help their own situation and instead just holds his hand out.

        • tonka on 10/07/2016 - 15:40
          +6

          No mate. I just won $5k , it was pouring rain and I didn't want to see someone sleeping in the mud. They tried to refuse the money. I know what I gave them the cash for if you want to call me a fool then that is fine, it is obvious from this thread your first stop is usually name calling, there are more eloquent ways to express yourself.

        • The Gent on 11/07/2016 - 18:32
          +2

          Tonka, you're a gent, mate. Keep it up.

      • StewBalls on 11/07/2016 - 09:45
        +2

        I would say treating the guy in any of the less tolerant ways suggested by the OP and others would be the thing to cause a dangerous situation.

        I agree 110%, some of the polar opposite viewpoints have been even more dangerous. That said, the OP's first course of action, to contact the relevant statutory authorities, was right on the money.

        Whilst I don't agree with the extreme viewpoints suggested later, I can understand why he's venting a bit over the inaction of law enforcement in this case. I would like to hope it's just that, mouthing off in frustration, rather than actual threats…

    • [Deactivated] on 21/07/2016 - 15:22

      @ STEWBALLS

      THANK YOU !

  • mrluke on 10/07/2016 - 14:54
    +3

    There is no answer on the mental triage line. It is quite frightening when you realise how useless services really are…

    • snook on 10/07/2016 - 16:32

      Yep, get yourself into a situation and go looking for help, the only triagging they will do is how to get rid of the problem onto someone else.

    • kbk on 10/07/2016 - 22:15
      +2

      Please don't take this as a personal attack. Maybe the TRIAGE was flooded with phone calls at the time. Please try again. Am sure you have already spent hours reading and responding on this thread. Instead try ringing the TRIAGE a couple of times and speak to someone. I can see your frustration but if you have identified he is mentally unwell - more like schizophrenia - you have already have an answer - ring TRIAGE. I am not asking you to give him biscuits and coffee. Just facilitate access to mental health care. It's educated people like you who have to help reduce the stigma and hostility attached to mental illness. If you don't have any empathy at all- go ahead and try any number of things you or the others have mentioned many times in the thread - beat him up etc. But honestly don't see any other magic solution. Pm me if you need more assistance in contacting TRIAGE.

      • mrluke on 11/07/2016 - 11:23

        I just tried again. Directed to message bank. I have spent way too much time on this and I am not the one who gets paid to deal with these issues, everyone I have seen are the ones who are and they haven't done anything… So infuriating.

    • StewBalls on 11/07/2016 - 10:01

      The cops have really dropped the ball on this one, they should be checking the guy out from a public safety perspective, and they absolutely have the powers & the mandate to do a preliminary assessment, then either move him on, schedule him, or refer him on to appropriate services in the best interests of ALL CONCERNED.

      Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that these kind of people often slip through the cracks because the cops frequently have a lot more serious stuff to deal with, so they weasel out of these kind of tedious, seemingly insignificant events.

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