YDO and his cameraman/brother point out vehicles in the Wal-Mart parking lot that are occupied by the homeless who park their cars to sleep in on a nightly basis. Some of these homeless “sleepers,” as they are called (even by security), have been doing this for years every night after sundown in front of a store called Party City. It’s kind of ironic that the “sleepers” park their cars in this area of the parking lot; but due to the economic downturn, lack of jobs, and lack of affordable rentals, the numbers of these so-called sleepers are growing–not just locally, but across the entire nation and the entire world for that matter. This evening YDO take us on a short tour of the parking lot, pointing out vehicles known to him to be populated by homeless sleepers … and in some of these vehicles, there are entire families! What amazes YDO and his brother is that not only are they not alone, but that the numbers of “sleepers” are growing at an alarming rate despite claims by the news media and government that the economy is improving.
YDO in this short video shows us some proof of that. Most of these sleepers are camera shy and don’t want to be interviewed. Some have legal issues such as wants and warrants, outstanding child support, and still others are mentally ill–not to mention that the Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Department regularly harasses the homeless in this area, including of course YDO and his brother/cameraman, KE6RJI. So knowing this, YDO decided to not approach anyone to interview. Besides, it was 12:00 a.m. when this video was shot!
Robert Martin, KE6YDO
Robert Martin, born sometime in 1961, began working at the age of 15 as a truck driver when his dad got too drunk to drive. He was in a motorcycle accident at 17, resulting in a coma. After recovering, Martin worked as a security guard and also worked in an appliance warehouse/distributor/repair business for awhile. Martin is currently living in homeless obscurity on the streets of Los Angeles with his brother, Richard, who is an amateur radio operator (KE6RJI) and Robert’s camera man. Robert exists on a meager social security income, hoping to find somewhere to live again.
Robert is a 50-year-old amateur radio operator (KE6YDO), who has fun making crazy YouTube videos—mostly because of homeless boredom and a desire to be “discovered” by … who knows? Robert is considering writing a book about his experiences on Earth and beyond. Stay Tuned!
Robert Martin is Secret Laboratory’s West Coast Correspondent; email him at ydo@secretlaboratory.org and visit him at http://www.youtube.com/user/cske6ydo.
