Squeegee folk
I'm one of the few squeegee people here in Victoria, I've been washing car windows on and off for the past ten years. I've experienced every form of aggression, hospitality and corruption through out my years moving around Canada. I was in toronto when mayor Mel Lastmen banned the act of washing windows on street corners. At the time, I knew 30 to 50 people that made all their money through washing car windows. After the cops started to arrest people for this act, many of these people (mostly kids) started to do other things for money like prostitution, drug dealing and stealing. Some of the squeegee folk came to the mind set that "If I'm going to go to jail, then I'm going to go for something more worth while and less risky" This is what no one seems to understand, you can get rid of the squeegee people but you can't get rid of the people.
I was put in jail for washing a window for thirty days and that's the same amount of time I would get if I was caught shop lifting. When I got out of jail my wife and I had to leave Toronto because I was a target for the police and received several beatings just for being a former squeegee punk. I've had no formal education and so when I was put on the street I couldn't handle a real job so I started to squeegee and never really stopped . I rarely wash a car window unless someone asks, if a driver says "Sorry I don't have any money" I'll wash his or her window for free in hopes that they'll look for money while I'm cleaning their window and if they don't give me any money I tell them to have a great day. When I see a car window with bird crap all over it, I feel that I should wash it. And most people seem to be genuinely grateful.
I always use fresh water, soap and I clean my squeegee all the time. I know I'm breaking the bylaws here in Victoria that says "I'm conducting business on a highway" Or "conducting business without a license" I try to stay out of the cops radar because
police treat us squeegee people worse then drug dealers. From this year alone I've acquired around 1500$ in fines and I've had the police take over 500$ from my pocket, they say "it's
proceeds of crime" but I never get a receipt, I assume they keep my hard
earned money for themselves.
I use my squeegee as a way to make extra money for my wife and I to eat and pay bills. I'm an ex-Heroin addict, ex-drug dealer and ex-thief. I need a cane
when I walk because of a bad knee that was permanently injured when I was ran down by a police car. I have very few options right now because my wife is in collage and she is studying all the time. I'm making the money we need to survive. This is the best I've ever lived, I always have food, heat, clean clothes, my own computer, T.V. and a clean apartment. I go to food banks but they can hardly help. Food banks are not as
good as most people would think. The food that most food banks give us are expired or it's
not very nutritious. And it only lasts three days and one can only go to each food bank one time per month.
I know many of you will think "why wont this guy just get a real job? First off I'm on welfare and that pays for my rent, some food and my staggering medical bills. It's such a hard cycle because when I wanted to get off Heroin, after being a junkie since I was fourteen. I tried many times to go cold turkey, which never lasted longer then a few days. I found the only way to stay clean was to get on the Methadone program and this was when I got stuck in this rut. Welfare pays for the clinic fee's which is 60$ a month and the pharmacy bills which can be any where from 10 to 30 dollars a day for the drink of Methadone that I need every day. So, if I was to get a job all my money would go into paying for my Methadone and clinic fee's.
Some thing I was never told when I got on Methadone was that Methadone is way more addictive then Heroin. It takes 2 or 3 weeks to physically get off Heroin and it takes 2 or 3 months
to get off Methadone. I had a friend that quit Methadone cold turkey and he could'nt sleep more then an hour a day for the first three weeks and felt like he had the worst flu you could imagine for 3 months after that. Methadone was created by the Nazi's because the British stopped all Morphine from going into German hands, no wonder the stuff is so evil. It eats away at the human bodies calcium like a Cancer, I had pretty good teeth until I started Methadone and now at the age of 23 I've lost all my teeth and I need to wear dentures.
It's very hard for someone who has lived this life style for over ten years to just
let it go. I've grown accustom to the ways of the street and I am trying to
change but it'll take time and support. Which I am seeking through counseling, support groups and from my wife. I realize that the way my life is now is because of my own choices and I can't blame any one but myself. Sure I had a hard childhood but so did my brother and he's doing pretty good.
I do have dreams of being a writer and being clean from all drugs but I'm just not ready at this point in my life to make those changes. Next time you see a squeegee person remember it's only soap and water and not all of us are bad people.
P.S. I've never tried to tell people the truth about what it's like to live like this. If you have any pointers on how I could get my message to the public I would really appreciate it. My step father Marc Emery faces the same kind of injustice that I do. Even though we are very different people, Marc and I both seem to be the subjects of oppression.
Squeegee Nuisance
Thank you for taking the time to share with us your story. What I liked the most was that you are holding yourself accountable for your actions. Sure, you may have had issues from child-hood and other areas as you mentioned, but being accountable and accepting responsibility for your own actions is admirable. And very few people, for a variety of reasons, are capable of doing so. We all blame someone else, whether it be the law, the government, our family & friends, that stray dog, what-have-you. And that's really too bad.
Personally, I groan when I am approached by a 'squeegee' kid. Why? Because whether I give them some money, or look away and don't, I am still 'held hostage' by this action. For example, I'm driving in my car, at a stop light, and I shouldn't have to be fearful, craning my neck around in anticipation that a squeegee is going to hit my windshield. And, in my experiences throughout downtown Vancouver and Victoria, I have little (or no) choice in the matter. Although I give them a smile and protest, saying "No thanks!", that squeegee starts working away on my windshield. Of course (and this is the way the 'game' works, I assume), once that cleaning (or, having old dirty water rolled across my windshield leaving it dirty and grimy, rather) one feels 'obligated' to search around for loose change. That is why they will force it upon you. Not because they are being kind and really want to see your windshield clean (gas-stations are always hiring, by the way), but because in their simple act, you are 'held hostage' (figure of speech) and will feel guilty if you don't give them some change (either consciously or subconsciously). And they know this. That's the whole part of it.
Personally, I would like to be able to sit at a stoplight without having an individual maze in and out of cars, forcing the windshield-cleaning on someone who is simply trying to get from Point A to Point B. And I shouldn't even have to think about this. And, I don't even have change on me, most of the time. Not to mention the potential minor (or even major) traffic accidents that could/would ensue as the light turns green and my windshield is not yet finished, and I am scrambling around to find change.
The entire 'concept' of the "squeegee kid" is lost to me. Try as I may to understand it from another viewpoint, it still comes down to safety, security, and common sense. It is not safe to run in and out of vehicles at stoplights. I should feel secure in my car and not have to worry about being yelled/fingered at by an individual who looks at me in anger as I explain that I have no change, and he has just finished covering my windshield with water from gatorade bottle (and subsequently left it messy). Lastly, no one should feel obligated at any point to throw change out their window to someone who has 'washed' their window.
Feeling generous? There are plenty of charities and organizations who DO use their money to aid and assist their causes, and not pocket the majority for themselves, nor pass it off as administrative/operational costs. Why not tithe and give to them? Save that spare change (if you have it) and put it to good use. Giving a few quarters or dollars here or there to those who basically confront you with little option, is not the way to go. Perhaps, in some cases like the individual's post above, the money really does go to food and family expenses. But let's also retain a little common sense here, and really think about that.
Bottom line, there are ways around "squeegeeing", just as there are ways around prostitution, and resources to assist you.
Squeegee Awareness Day!
Hey!
Well, I must thank Squeegee Man for posting his story. It certainly taught me some things I didn't know. And, really, the more we learn about folks from various walks of life, the better we are at dealing with the realities that place us all where we are. It's called "awareness raising", and it's what we here in the Education department at AIDS Vancouver Island spend our time doing (only we focus on HIV/AIDS, Hep C, and sexual health issues). Regardless of where you stand on any issue - it is a key piece in fighting all forms of discrimination, stigma, and social injustice. That includes the kinds faced by our Squeegee community!
So, I just want to say thanks for being gutsy, honest, and nice enough to share a slice of your life with us, Squeegee. Sharing one's story is never a waste, because someone out there always gets something out of it.
Heidi Exner
Manager, Health Promotion and Community Development
AIDS Vancouver Island.