Sper and me

Life takes turns all the time. Good ones and bad.

I called the Call Centre job and very very politely said I love doing the job but I can't sit for long and things like I'm a good worker and won't let you down. They said to come in and talk and we can work something out. YES I got my job back and to start it's only about 16 hours a week so a few hours here and there. They are going to get me a chair that's good for bad backs and so that I could work that night they gave me one of there cushions from the office to put behind my back. Really what great people. I worked the 4 hour shift and beamed a smile knowing I was working again.

Sore when I finished but still beamed a smile walking home. I kept thinking about all the talks I had had with the managers there and then I remembered they do surveys at the Airport and Football matches. Bing that's standing and talking to people face to face I kept thinking why don't I ask to do that. Then I looked down and noticed what I was wearing. You see in the morning I had been working selling my magazines and I looked like a Big Issue Vendor not someone that I would send to represent my company. So if I wouldn't send me then I know other's wouldn't.

I got to my room and pulled out my nice clothes that I bought for doing job interviews and cleaned them up. Thinking I’m going to wear them tomorrow and show I can look the part and they already know I can talk well to people in person.

I got a call on my mobile from a guy I had helped a few weeks back after he smashed his phone at my feet because he was fighting with his girlfriend. He was dumped by his girlfriend again and started talking about him ending it, that life wasn't worth going on. I tell him not to be dumb and I'll catch a train to Cleveland and see him. I quickly put my nice clothes on and headed out there. Oh I looked good. Ha ha.

So there I was in Cleveland talking to this guy about how things will be okay and we sat by the water and then talked and I kept thinking this is a nice and romantic place, I have nice clothes on and I'm with this guy. Oh something wrong here. Ha ha I kept looking at the time and saying I will have to go about 1pm because I want to get into the city early to show and impress them with me being dressed up and to give me the Airport work.

Using the last of my money to buy drinks I said I have to go to the bank to get money which I knew I had $220 in there from saving a bit here and there for a bond to get a unit and out of my room. I got to the ATM and went to withdraw the money. It said not available. I tried again and it still didn't work. I did a balance and yes my money was there but it wouldn't let me take it out. I went into the bank and asked what was wrong.

The nice lady there checked her computer and pulled her phone over and started dial SPER. You see sleeping out it's easy to get fines and when your homeless and you get a fine, well you don't care because your already down enough it don't matter. Plus the guys giving out the fines keep there quota up and look good. Moving around a lot means they have no-where to send mail. But now I have a room and a job.

I talked to the nice lady on the phone and she says that the total is $5,000 plus ( I never got that many fines but if you don't pay them they add fees and if you don't pay them they add fees and so on. Ha ha) and they couldn't contact me so they put a hold on my account. I gave her my room address and said I need the hold lifted on my money to get to work. After talking and agreeing to make $100 per fortnight payments then she said they need one month up front. Fear racing in my mind now. That's $200 then I thought it's okay because I had $220 so that left me $20 to get to work and then I could sell my magazines in the morning. So I agreed. The lady says she'll send a fax to free the hold on my money and to have a nice day.

The lady in the bank gets the fax and tells me she is going to fax it to head office and get the hold off so I can get the $20. she comes back saying the head office may take up to 24 hours to lift the hold and there was nothing she could do. I will say she was nice about it.

The guy I came to help had no money and left quickly soon after. I thought it's okay I know a lot of people that would lend me money until tomorrow, but it'd do no good because I had money but the hold on my bank was still on and it didn't matter how much was in there I couldn’t touch it. I couldn't sell my magazines because I didn't have them with me.

I thought about asking people for the money to get to the city but I couldn't. I know I sell magazines on the streets and I do get tips but to me there's a difference because in a way I'm working and not begging. I called the Call Centre and said over and over that I'm a guy that wants a job more an anything but I can't get to work. They said they understood and I could work tonight instead.

I can say I felt like crap sitting around and waiting for the hold to come off my account and thinking about having a debt on $100 a fortnight. I remember some fines I got and them saying “it don’t matter they’ll put on it your homeless and you won’t hear about it again” while they were writing out the ticket. Ha ha. If only I knew now.

Don’t get me wrong I looked really look and no-one to impress. Ha ha. Well to finish my story I asked a customer to meet me after he finished work and he gave me a ride home. The next morning I could get my money out and I look forward to going to work tonight and showing them how good I can look if given the out-door work.

I thank you for reading my stories and if you like them please tell others. I hope to see you all at my Birthday Party at The Central Hotel on Ann St in the city on the 28th next week.

On the 4th of May before 9am I’m still asking people to bring clothes they don’t wear anymore so I can take them all to the Homeless Centre.

Thank you again for reading my blog. I hope you have a great day.
Grant the Polite Guy.

P.S To any and all homeless people that read this, Forget there Quota and get off the bench and leave say no ticket. Otherwise when you do get on your feet it comes back and bites you.