Homeless in Columbia: Prostitution

Lightfoot, a homeless man, talks about the prostitution he has seen taking place at night in Columbia, S.C. The story he tells me lines up with others I have heard told by the homeless of Columbia: Upper-middle-class men cruise the main strips in their cars downtown, slowing when they approach clusters of homeless men. They roll down their windows and offer money for sex, and, if one of the homeless men is desperate enough — often for a drug fix — he gets in the car. To read more about homelessness in Columbia and to follow my week living on the streets, visit http://homelessincolumbia.com.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• homeless
• homelessness
• Columbia
• SC
• S.C.
• South Carolina
• prostitution
• prostitute
• Lightfoot
• downtown
• bus stop
• Finlay Park
• night

[stevesmitty79]

You're talking with a man who claims to be homeless, yet he has a street nick like "Lightfoot," wears gold jewelry and has nicer duds than I do. I think some street pimp just played you, dude.

[pbowers88]

You bring up a good point, Steve. I do think some people will dupe you into thinking they are homeless, but I don't think that's the case with Lightfoot. Here are my reasons:

1. I've known Lightfoot for a little while now, and I've seen nothing but kindness and gentleness in his demeanor.

2. His real street name is not Lightfoot.

[pbowers88]

3. While he does dress nicely, that is not unheard-of among the homeless. For some, a clean shirt or an unpawned wedding band are the only material traces of dignity. People expressed similar objections when they saw a homeless person using a cell phone at a soup kitchen where Michelle Obama was volunteering, but most experts on homelessness will tell you that those concerns are off-base.

[Darterri]

@pbowers88 some areas provide free or discount telephones. I volunteered in several men and women shelters, soup kitchen and group home for teenage moms with nowhere to go and there are programs that help.