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| Walkers from across the United States and Canada enjoyed a marked trail through downtown Portland (or did they?) |
Organizers had mapped out routes taking the recreational
walkers to major points of interest in Portland. They routed the 12K walkers
through downtown to the Rose Garden and back through Old Town. The shorter
route, 6K, just routed walkers through The Pearl and Old Town (mostly Old
Town).
The route was map guided and marked with arrows. Walkers were on their
own to walk at their preferred pace and see the sights. Organizers did their
best to provide walkers with a positive experience. They gave them a list of
points of interest. It was well organized. I know because I walked the 6K
myself.
But what remained with many of these visitors, especially
the 6K walkers, were visions of the homeless population of Portland, the
littered streets and the stench. Sunday morning comes after Saturday night.
Revelers left remnants of their late night snacks on the streets. The homeless
were bedded down on corners and in doorways. Many had their worldly possessions
with them in shopping carts, plastic bags and crates. It was early morning so
they were still trying to sleep. It was a mess. It was sad. And it didn’t smell
very good.
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| Some homeless are creative in the way they request money. This man makes small sculptures out of cans. |
As a local, I was well aware of the issue of homelessness in
Portland. I knew that there were shelters, transitional programs and many
resources to help. I also knew that these services were overloaded and many
homeless came to Portland in the warmer months because the city was known as
tolerant and sometimes welcoming to those with social problems. The seasonal
homeless are called “travelers.” My walking friends are called “tourists.”
As we walked… past the iconic Voodoo Donuts, past the Lan Su
Chinese Gardens, shouting erupted. Two women were arguing. Their profanity
echoed in the empty streets.
One woman from Virginia walked alone. She was approached by
a panhandler. He was aggressive and she, a retired Air Force Officer, was
intimidated. The walk left her with an unsettled feeling.
On went the walk route toward the historic train station,
passing the Greyhound Station where many more disheveled people loitered in the
sun.
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| Portland has beautiful architecture to enjoy. |
This wasn’t the first time I had walked in central Portland
early in the morning. But it was the first time I was hit so hard by
homelessness. I saw things through the eyes of visitors… from small Midwest
towns, large eastern cities and pristine mountain villages. They felt that this
was the worst they had seen in their travels. All towns and cities have social
problems. But are Portland’s the worst?
I thought of how Portland’s social problems must impact
tourism. Certainly tourists want to go to Powell’s Bookstore, walk along the
waterfront, visit the Lan Su Chinese Garden and take home a coveted pink box of
Voodoo Donuts. For them, there is no escaping visions of the homeless. There is
no avoiding being asked for money by panhandlers. Not unless you skip Portland!
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| Summer attracts out of town travelers with no funds who add to the homeless population. |
Do I have the answer? Certainly not. But I now know that
street issues can do nothing good for tourism. And, apparently, all the
resources in place now are not making a visible impact.
The walkers who stepped
over garbage and felt twinges of compassion as they passed the homeless men and
women huddled in their sleeping bags that beautiful Sunday morning were left
with a rather haunting memory of Portland.
Here is
what the City of Portland is doing for the homeless. They see the problem. But
are their interventions soon enough?
Many junkies, alcoholics and people with untreated mental issues. The city tries to walk a fine line between keeping up appearances for tourists while also not appearing heavy handed in dealing with these folk. It will be interesting how 2016 turns out.
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