Gutterpunks: New Orleans Homeless Street Youth - PRE Katrina

[xNervousxBrainx]

Hey-decent piece Tim. Takes me back to MY memories of 1997.

It's great to see something thats not just a pure exploitive news story. Thanks for being a responsible Journalist. Thats rare in and of itself.

[FilmFanTV]

... THANK YOU so much.

Words and comments like that mean the world to me.

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

God bless.

Tim

[MiztressWinter]

Sorry about the double posting error! :) Thanks for forwarding my info to Tommy. Those people at the drop in center did so much for us back then. To some people...washing your clothes...taking a shower...having a snack...it might all sound like an average thing to the average person...but when you have nothing a little is alot! Take care of you.

[FilmFanTV]

It is what impressed me then... and continues to impress me today.

Thank God you are well and around. Take care of yourself... and much love sent your way.

[MiztressWinter]

Wow does this bring back some memories! I'm the girl starting at 1:26 shown only for a few minutes. I've been living in Columbus Ga for the past year and working...although I've been on and off the road most of my life. Anyone know what happened to any of these people? Good times man. I loved the Drop In Center...that's back when Chris and Alexis were there. peace and safe travels....WINTER

[FilmFanTV]

HI Winter.

This is the reporter who was there who did this story back then. Good to hear you are OK. I've forwarded your contact info to Tommy.

Take care and God bless.

Stay well.

[victimizedsociety]

im 13 and i tried to get out atleast for like a day or two so i ran away and its tuff. especially when u walk so far u cant walk anymore i have mad respect for these people and someday im gonna end up like this not even trying to sound like a poser but i really would like to prove somthing and have good life experiences

[VaginalJuices]

The Guy At 2:07 Is Called Road Rat.

He Had His Hip Badly Broken After Being Jumped.

Then Had His Jaw Crushed I Have Not seen Him Since Hurricane Katrina

[FilmFanTV]

Thank you for the update... if you learn more - PLEASE let me know.

I am the reporter in the story... and those people affected me greatly. My heart goes out to "Road Rat"... though I would prefer his real name.

I agree... some of these people choose to be in their state... others have no choice. Count your blessings... if you have a simple roof over your head.

God bless.

[metalcarina]

they make it seem like squatting and street life are such horrible heart wrenching things. its kind of funny. there needs to be more documentaries by people on the streets.

[RonSharpsDeluxeTV]

Hey Check out my gutter punk video

[ILIKEGOREYSTUFF]

The cops DO target gutter punks. I've met many that are incredibly polite when they spange.

[Honorsucks]

Squattin isn't that bad, you really meet some great people man.

[delong757]

RE: Wanderer1031's comment: That is exactly correct. The suburban life is a fucking waste of life. I should know, I've been living my whole life trapped in a cycle of seeking a perfect comfort zone, material things, and more money, but have been unhappy for many years now. I've met a lot of people that hop trains and squat and I always had more respect for these people who could preserve their own integrity better than I have, in all of my years chasing bullshit.

[bradattax]

man i'm glad i stopped being a "punk" when i went to college.

[SuicideSeattle]

You stopped being a punk when you went to college? Was that because there was no other punks there? so you did the very thing punks are against conforming and being a fake poser.

[douchebag21]

if you live out on the streets , your gonna miss out on crust music which you can download from Soulseek , lol

[tteb72]

For people that are homeless they sure do have access to haridye and shaving tools.

[Honorsucks]

Do you throw your disposable shaving tools away? Have you ever seen the low price of hair dye? Your question is answered moron

[incrediblejessen]

Wow! you can dye your hair with koolaid and shave it with a bic razor.

[thekingboyz]

the thing is, is that people always go after the sububians and such but its not all of them if your not greedy then your good but if your a snuff then fuck you. like the rich people that will spit on us and shit cuz we ask for a little change....

WHEELING WV SQUATTER

-JRO

[mitchrix31]

5:38 inmendham

[saidthemute]

I was a gutterpunk, and was actually in New Orleans about a year before this report was filmed. You really do adapt to things - if you think about, the vast majority of our ancestors lived in conditions we would consider squalid and miserable but they lived and found happiness in their lives. The experience is liberating because you learn what really matters. So many people attach themselves to things and property these days, and take their comfort and existence for granted...

[yescandles]

I can't help but worry about them...even if they don't worry about themselves sometimes. Most of them are kids...children......hardly old enough or wise enough to make good decisions. I think the one kid hit the nail on the head when he said once you are on the street it is hard to get off. I believe that. How can you get AND KEEP a job when you can't stay clean and have transportation and rest?

[wanderer1031]

hmmmm...who's really creating problems? homeless, shiftless, lazy kids? or rich productive energy and resource consuming "citizens" polluting the air the ground the water with yer fucking worthless suburban lifestyle. the average american citizen are some of the most worthless outcome of what a human can be. filthy fucking hypocrites. a world without borders. soon...you overfed pigs will pay.....

[blooddonor70]

Easy there, Manson!

[Iwannariot77]

bring the punks back to nola!!!!!!!!

[Iwannariot77]

if the kids are united,we will never be divided!

[VicRules666]

You cant get married at 13 what a load of shit.

[blobperson]

with parental concent in some states you can

[ImSHELLLL]

fashion!!!!

real life is more tough than this fantasy world

[brockhammerstein]

that lazy bastard who abandons his mom who has ms, I really dont have much sympathy for these ones as it is their choice to live this life

got news for them the 60's street subculture was a wash

get a life get a job and join the real world

hard as hell to get off the street BULLSHIT

[bostonteabagger71739]

you can hear by the way that they talk that not one of them is from there.

[Iwannariot77]

im from nola and i dont talk like "them" you watch to much tv.we are not all swamp rats catching gators.leave em alone,everyone has their own veiws on freedom.blah blah i work,but ill drink a space bag with tha nolaguttaz any time.

[skankinbritnee]

If they have no money...where do they get all the leather? how do they keep up with their crazy hair color and styles? Sure, it's 'donations'. Whatever. No one cares about how they look except for them. Stop trying to make a fashion statement

[seasicksweetheart]

Very true, you always wonder how they can buy hair dye and chains and pins for their jackets. Its a lifestyle choice for most

[anarchist3]

you dont buy it stupid. ever heard of shoplifting? and new orleans with all the tourists, i could make 200$ a day spangin!

[rodge2001]

these people think they figured out some way to avoid the machine of society and live a "free" life. bullshit. in order to exist they must grate off the edges of the workers. they are parasitic. stop giving them things for free. take your leftovers home or don't order so much food. they are enabled. kudos to the cops for harassing them. they deserve it because they are harassing the workers.

[rodge2001]

i saw a gutter punk yesterday on decatur brazenly interupt everyone enjoying their drinks and converations to bumb a cigarette. i would have happily said no while obviously smoking myself, but too quickly someone perpetuated this infestation withtheir knee jerk reaction of giving in. hopefully it was just to save everyone the awakwardness and disturbance and to get the kid to go away. until he wants another free cigarette. shit. i wish cigarettes were free. but they're not.

[rodge2001]

they're not tough. they're like any gang. they rely on their numbers and their collective intimidation.

[rodge2001]

they do choose to be hungry. you're only hungry if you can't acquire food. there's more efficient ways of acquiring food than begging.

[alterlatino78]

how can these bums have dyed hair and be clean shaven???

[rodge2001]

because they're not bumbs. they're posers. they are walking talking contradictions. they are disillusioned and think they are special. they don't want to work but they are too self-absorbed to see that they do work and their job is to be a beggar.

[ColostomyCannibal]

You're wrong, they're just as shitty as the next bum. They just do more heroin and listen to crust punk.

[coonassblondie]

I see that you are wanting updates on these gutterpunks. I know the guy talking at 5:22, he's a friend of my cousin's, although I don't know him personally. He's fine, I guess, I recognized him from a picture my cuz showed me while he was at my house evacuated for hurricane Ivan.

[FilmFanTV]

Thanks for the update. God bless.

[dee468]

lol. i agree!

[paddythelion]

idiots.

[MasterSysop]

These kids should be drafted! They talk about trying but seem to have enough time on their hands. "Begging from poeple is how we live" and then some kid says " no were not like that , and he has no job or place to live so its obvious there lying. we support these poeple outta the kindness of our hearts and they do nothing but steal, assualt and drag us down. Beligerant drug addicts that are so messed up as to say that 3 free hots and a cot is a bad way of living; compared to being homeless.POO!

[skeletora]

my god, learn to spell!

[walletCRACKED]

most ignorant statement ever, especially to assume whos a drug addict or not

[rodge2001]

you say ignorant, i say intuitive. most junkies look like junkies.

[FilmFanTV]

Thanks for the update - my prayers are with him... and all of those I covered in putting this story together years ago.

[WhitneyGetz]

So, why do they come here and pretend to be bums again? Do they get, like, a scout badge or something? I'm from here so I guess I don't really understand.

Is Iowa, Michigan, Boston...etc, really that bad?

[slammer9020]

Iwas doing what they were doing 30 years ago and Imoved on

[isaacnd]

been there many times....no sympathy,

only empathy

[painmethod]

Huh, I remember Road Rat too(2:08). Yeah, I got out of being a gutter punk too, after getting a job at the Balcony Bar on Magazine st.But, I remember the Drop-In, seeing Tommy in the interview brought back memories.We used to go there after leaving the "pink fortress" squat in the morning,with that little orange store around the corner. As for the police I can remember them coming up to the moonwalk in droves and rounding us up to go to OPP.Wish I had the money to go back and help everyone else.

[FilmFanTV]

Can anyone tell me how Road Rat ... and any of the other people I interviewed in this piece are? Is Tommy still running the drop-in... or does it even exist anymore ?

This was not "just another story" for me - may God bless you all.

[Tommybr22]

Hi Tim, How are you? This is Tommy Ross. WOW, talk about bringing back some wonderful memories for me. I left the center in 1998, I cherish the time I worked there! It was one of the best experiences in my life! I know our being there really did make a difference. I wish I had the chance to run across the kids again, I really miss them. It truly was a family. I live in Austin now, but I still believe the center is open, I hope so.

[liz911]

I was homeless in NOLA around 2003 and at that time the drop in was still open(as was the lil orange store across the street) A woman named rachel was the director or whatever at that time. I don't recognize any of the people in the interview though and I *heard* that after katrina funding dried up and also the neighbors didn't like the drop in there so I dunno if it's still there now.

[stripeysoxx]

I have 4 kids, they are all gutterpunks. One died at 20 from a heroin overdose. They chose that life, they went out of their way to live that life. Does that mean I'm a piece of shit for a Mom? or a person in general?

[FilmFanTV]

You are definitely someone who I'm assuming did the best she could. As you say - the gutterpunks, in many cases - chose that life. My sympathies for your loss.

[xslayerx202]

if you gave it your best and you loved them than no you did nothing wrong! iwas a gutter punk i chows to be i had friends that where abandoned at young ages an others who choice to be my brother is going to die soon he has hepatitis c an he is a heroin addict.like i sed if you gave it your best and you loved them than i don't think there's any then else you could have done. for a lot its a choice.

[FilmFanTV]

I am so very happy you escaped the streets. God bless you!

[FilmFanTV]

So... how are you doing now? I hope you're doing better. Let us know.

[VaginalJuices]

The Guy At 2:08 is called road rat i havnt seen him lately hope he is doing alright he was jumped and had his hip badly broken and then was jumped again and seriously hurt.

yeah road rat is a cool little guy

[FilmFanTV]

THANK YOU for that update. I truly have wondered what has happened to the folks I interviewed for this story. To me - they were MORE than just "a story"... I really felt for them - and wondered how their lives evolved. If anyone has updates - please post them here. God bless.

[sunclov]

DRUGS...glue...admit it.

[brkncntry]

Welfare capital of America,get a job rebuilding the city?Quit waiting for a handout!

[utubefavorsdems]

You might want to do some research,brkncntry!

I'm from New Orleans.

[bamboo555]

weird how some cities have "gutter punks" and some don't.

[psychogirlie]

I used to be homeless in "pre-Katrina" New Orleans. What one fails to realize is the 'gutterpunks' ARE targeted by the police. They have the Nepoleanic codes which gives cops the right to arrest an individual for bullshit charges. friends were arrested for obstructing the flight of a pigeon, molesting a cheeseburger.A homeless girl was detained by the cops 3 weeks before I got there, and her friends found her decapitated by the river. The NOPD have been under investigation by the FBI for decades

[natesot]

broken home asshole i have MS and i still manage to go to work EVERYDAY,  its not easy but ive been doing it 17 years now, its called makeing it work. Why dose your mothers sickness cause you to leave what you couldnt help her. so you left a hole.

[Vissago22]

I have basicaly lived the last 5 years of my life homeless..living from friends house to friends house. Temporary employment, having to move from city to city. Its hard to escape though, you just wake up one day and your there, you dont even see it comming. Hard to explain if you havent lived it. Not all gutterpunks are retards asshole!!

[antiwonggalonggalo]

people dont 'choose' to be homless, its something they fall into, and once your down, its hard to get a job, get ontop of things etc.. its not easy.

for the ones that did choose to be there, they are total retards.

[blastingcaps]

this is retarded.

[incestjeff]

damn, watching this video just made me realize how smart  i am with the way my life is and how stupid gutter punks are. it must be really hard to live in a middle class family if it makes you want to be a retard gutter punk

[crazzynuck]

isn't it sad that society discards our children.what a shitty world we live in!

[mbatang]

Excellent video. Thanks for posting this.