Nothing. Do absolutely nothing. Don’t take a picture of someone at their most vulnerable. Don’t post it online for the world to see. Don’t tag the CTA in a post of faux-compassion that reveals your panic and discomfort at having to share a public space with someone who is desperately poor. Don’t be a snitch. Don’t complain loudly about the person sleeping as you stand next to them, and for the love of god, do not touch them or try and wake them up, unless you genuinely worry they might need medical help. This is not violence; no one is hurting you. Let your fellow Chicagoan sleep in peace.
However, if you absolutely can’t mind your own business, here are some things you can do. If the train car is full and someone boards whose physical health or abilities mean they need to sit, and you are able to stand? Stand up and give them your seat. Learn about why the shelter system in Chicago is overcrowded. Read, in their own words, why some people choose to shelter on the CTA. Research initiatives like Bring Chicago Home, which could help support and house Chicago’s 65,000 unhoused folks, including 17,773 CPS students. Ask your alderperson what they’re doing to make the lives of your unhoused neighbors safer and better, and if you don’t like their answer, join a group working to change it. Understand that, unless you are a billionaire, all of our fates are entwined.
Best of Chicago 2022 is presented by
