https://www.quora.com/If homeless people are broke, how come so many have smartphones?
First, not all homeless are ‘broke’ or ‘poor’. In some cases, they merely do not earn enough money working to handle the monthly expenses of regular housing for the community they are in. Perhaps they have a fixed income such as disability or retirement payments. Prior to (or perhaps after) losing their housing, they may have purchased an expensive smartphone, and converting the phone to any of the various pay-as-you-go plans is often fairly easy, and quite inexpensive. Maintaining a phone as a line of communication with employers, family, doctors, and caseworkers is a necessity.
They could be subscribing to a pay-as-you go service straight up. TracFone smartphones can be bought for as little as $20, and maintaining the minutes and airtime is as cheap as $15 a month. If they have a low enough income to qualify for LifeLine benefits, they might be subscribed to a service such as SafeLink or Assurance, which gives 1000 minutes of talk time, unlimited texting, and 1GB of data free every month and an additional 1GB data and 1000 minutes of talk time can be bought as cheap as $10 (for SafeLink). The government provides the phone and basic phone service.
If you are expecting someone who is using SafeLink or Assurance (or even TracFone if they are ‘broke’) for their phone service to not have a smart phone, think again. You cannot even buy standard featureless bar phones anymore in the US. Most of them run on 2G or 3G systems which have already been shut down by the major carriers, and may not even exist for the minor carriers (none of which participate in LifeLine) if they operate by piggybacking off a major carrier’s service (which is how TracFone, Safelink, and Assurance all operate).
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Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
I don't mean to brag, but I just put a puzzle together in 1 day and the box said 2-4 years.
Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
A cell phone is the single most important tool someone who is experiencing homelessness on the street can own. They can't access family support or jobs without one.
“Blessed are those who are righteous in his name.”
― Matt
Posting Content © 2024 TC Talks Holdings LP.
― Matt
Posting Content © 2024 TC Talks Holdings LP.
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Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
Some homeless shelters give out phone cards. I know of one that asks folks to donate them.
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Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
I would argue money is the most important tool. You can use it to aquire food
I no longer directly engage trolls
Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
If homeless people have a smartphone, are they middle class?
Voting for Trump is dumber than playing Russian Roulette with fully loaded chambers.
Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
"The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred."
Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
Could well be. A lot of the homeless are middle class people who got into trouble with alcohol, gambling, or drugs. Some of them just had bad luck and lost their job and then lost everything.
I don't mean to brag, but I just put a puzzle together in 1 day and the box said 2-4 years.
Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
We have food security in the U.S. fortunately.craig11152 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 11:52 amI would argue money is the most important tool. You can use it to aquire food
“Blessed are those who are righteous in his name.”
― Matt
Posting Content © 2024 TC Talks Holdings LP.
― Matt
Posting Content © 2024 TC Talks Holdings LP.
Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
They're no longer middle class if they are homeless.
Voting for Trump is dumber than playing Russian Roulette with fully loaded chambers.
Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
Many people in the United States who are experiencing homelessness lost everything to a medical expense.
I would say 15% of the people in the shelter that I am involved with are dealing with that circumstance. Another five to seven percent are there as a result of a divorce that left them without anywhere to live because we don't have affordable housing in Traverse City.
“Blessed are those who are righteous in his name.”
― Matt
Posting Content © 2024 TC Talks Holdings LP.
― Matt
Posting Content © 2024 TC Talks Holdings LP.
Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
Oh, right. I forgot. The middle class kicks people out if their luck turns bad and they fall below an arbitrary income threshold.
The working class is the only class without an income floor or ceiling. All are welcome.
I keep hearing whining about the "shrinking middle class." No wonder it's shrinking. They keep expelling their own members.
I don't mean to brag, but I just put a puzzle together in 1 day and the box said 2-4 years.
Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
Classes aren't clubs. There isn't a working class.Turkeytop wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 8:49 pm
Oh, right. I forgot. The middle class kicks people out if their luck turns bad and they fall below an arbitrary income threshold.
The working class is the only class without an income floor or ceiling. All are welcome.
I keep hearing whining about the "shrinking middle class." No wonder it's shrinking. They keep expelling their own members.
Voting for Trump is dumber than playing Russian Roulette with fully loaded chambers.
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Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
Years ago our church participated in a 'rotating shelter' during the winter months to the overflow of the local homeless shelter. All the participants had to meet minimum standards as to not present a problem. One young guy had a beat-up laptop computer and some books. He asked if there was a quieter place to sit because he had a big test coming up in his class at EMU. He said it came down to spending money for an apartment or tuition so he could finish his degree and get a good job.
He chose education to better himself vs the possibility of a hand to mouth existence for the foreseeable future.
He chose education to better himself vs the possibility of a hand to mouth existence for the foreseeable future.
Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
There isn't a working class? It's you liberal elitists who always define working class in terms of income.
I don't mean to brag, but I just put a puzzle together in 1 day and the box said 2-4 years.
Re: Why Would a Homeless Person Have a Cellphone?
TT, I for one (knowing your background) have respect for what you have done in your life.
“Blessed are those who are righteous in his name.”
― Matt
Posting Content © 2024 TC Talks Holdings LP.
― Matt
Posting Content © 2024 TC Talks Holdings LP.