Spiked

There’s been a veritable explosion of outrage accross twatter and feckbook concerning anti-homeless spikes in a doorway in London: people have compared them to anti-pigeon spikes, and that we’re demonising homeless people like we would pigeons or other vermin.

The Outrage Bus has been struggling to cope.

And now, the anti “disciplinary architecture” nutters begin to appear– they seem to consider that any structures that are designed as to stop potentially undesireable activity, like this anti-skate-boarding studding, designed to protect publicly-funded street furniture from damage:

An example of studding on a public bench to prevent damage from skateboards

An example of studding on a public bench to prevent damage from skateboards

is an affront to their rights, conveniently forgetting that the public space is, well, public, and has to be shared with people of all viewpoints.

It got worse, with one tweeter identifying this as anti-homeless:

This is designed to stop pedestrians and vehicles crossing in an unsafe way.

This is designed to stop pedestrians and vehicles crossing in an unsafe way.

When it’s clearly designed to stop vehicles and/or pedestrians crossing that space, probably for road safety, but let’s not let the facts get in the way, eh?

Just a couple of thoughts: Firstly yes, the spikes aren’t nice, but then having people sleep in your doorway probably isn’t either. Don’t we all think the outrage would be better targetted at the very fact that we have people so desperate they have nowhere to sleep but a doorway or under a bridge? It’s like the facebook “like this to stop cancer” posts: pointless. If you’re really concerned and want to help, Crisis is this way, and Shelter is over here.

Secondly, if anyone is seriously suggesting we should design the urban environment to accomodate desperate homeless people because there’s nowhere else, then we have failed as a society.

That’s worth getting angry about.

4 Responses to “Spiked”

  1. Phil Says:

    Well written but for me the idea that someone gave serious consideration to the problem of rough sleepers in overpriced London and came up with the solution of spikes offends me.
    When we start treating people failed by the system as part of the problem then as a society we are screwed.
    The whole homeless problem is a national disgrace. No one with an ounce of sense is calling for purpose built doorways for the homeless either.
    There is help and support for the homeless in major urban centres, that’s one of the reasons they gravitate there, these spikes sweep them away, out of sight out of mind. We are gentrifying London at the expense of the most vulnerable.

  2. BrownhillsBob Says:

    But they’ve been doing this for years with security shutters, gates and grilles. The outrage is utterly manufactured, as people were homeless last week, before the spikes, but few seemed to care then.

    We need to address a homelessness problem that shames us. Not because of spike in doorways, but because when people are in doorways, people pass by and ignore the victims like they have been doing for decades.

    Bob

  3. species5618 Says:

    I wonder what sort of response would have been generated by enclosing the doorway in a simple glazing panel, and locked door,

    but then Many homeless are not dirty down and outs, some have metal health issues which prevents them from integrating into society as a whole.

    Yes the people how are hiding from an abusive home or in some case the law, will frequent shelters, but some are just hiding from society.

    it is very difficult to help everyone, but there are better ways to secure some spaces from undesirable occupancy…

  4. stymaster Says:

    Indeed. The answer if it had been a locked door is “no-one would notice or care”. The outrage is stirred up here over the wrong problem. If those spikes are removed, then the homeless problem will still exist. There’s a great article here by someone with direct professional experience.

    There’s any number of ways people might end up homeless, as you suggest, quite often through no fault of their own, and also, as you say, if the space was totally inaccesible, rather than just uncomfortable, the enraged hordes wouldn’t give a shit. I’m not suggesting that I’m a great deal better than anyone else on caring for the homeless, but I’m frankly amazed anyone can find so much energy to rant about a few metal spikes, but would probably walk past someone sleeping rough under a bridge, provided it hadn’t got spikes…