On a Serious Note

Everyday on our way to the gym we pass by a nook where a homeless man lives. He sleeps in a door frame. He stock piles unwanted fruits and vegetables, wine bottles and home accessories. Chris has even seen him catch pigeons - most likely for dinner. It's sad but a way of life for quite a few in Paris.

Amazingly, the police don't interfere. You see many like the one described above throughout the city - and suprisingly with high concentrations around tourist attractions. They sleep above street grates where warm air blows continuously throughout the night. Many have tents. It looks like summer camp but obviously not as fun.

I know the situation exists back home in New York, Chicago and other large and small cities across America. Yet, I don't remember the homeless settling in destination zones - especially near landmarks with high foot traffic. They nestle themselves in lower Wacker where the police still ask them to leave. I suppose it says something about the state of affairs in Paris. They don't try to hide the problem because everyone knows it exists. Does that mean in America we try to avoid reality by cloaking the issue?