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Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central....[W:118]

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Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro store after activists threaten days of protests over measure

Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro store after activists threaten days of protests over measure - Home News - UK - The Independent

Tesco has agreed to remove the 'anti-homeless spikes' from outside of one of its stores after activists threatened days of protests.

A row of one-inch-high studs, which protesters claimed were designed to prevent people sleeping rough, were spotted outside a Tesco Metro on London's Regent Street just days after a similar strip of spikes were photographed outside a luxury block of flats in Southwark.

The supermarket denied the spikes were an anti-homeless measure and said the studs on a ledge outside the convenience store in central London were installed to deter anti-social behaviour like smoking and drinking - which the firm said intimidated customers.

The images of both sets of studs prompted a furious Twitter row earlier this week with activists claiming that the spikes were an attack on the most vulnerable people in society.

v2-homeless-spikes.jpg

Two thoughts

1. Tesco screwed up, they should have put a planter or a nice display there to make it both visually attractive (thus increasing their store value) and achieving their goal.
2. Good, until society can figure out how to better deal with the homeless issue, putting obstacles that may result in injury in the way is barbaric. I hope protests continue until spikes are gone from all locations.
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro s

Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro store after activists threaten days of protests over measure

Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro store after activists threaten days of protests over measure - Home News - UK - The Independent



Two thoughts

1. Tesco screwed up, they should have put a planter or a nice display there to make it both visually attractive (thus increasing their store value) and achieving their goal.
2. Good, until society can figure out how to better deal with the homeless issue, putting obstacles that may result in injury in the way is barbaric. I hope protests continue until spikes are gone from all locations.

They should have some of those spikes in my downtown area.Right now they arm rests in the middle of benches in order to discourage the homeless from sleeping on them.
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro s

They should have some of those spikes in my downtown area.Right now they arm rests in the middle of benches in order to discourage the homeless from sleeping on them.

The value of something like arm rests on a bench is that they have a function other than determent. Just as this tesco outfit could have put up some plants or even an advertisement which would have a legitimate function, yet still keep people from loitering in that area.
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro s

Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro store after activists threaten days of protests over measure

Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro store after activists threaten days of protests over measure - Home News - UK - The Independent



Two thoughts

1. Tesco screwed up, they should have put a planter or a nice display there to make it both visually attractive (thus increasing their store value) and achieving their goal.
2. Good, until society can figure out how to better deal with the homeless issue, putting obstacles that may result in injury in the way is barbaric. I hope protests continue until spikes are gone from all locations.

Good point. Disguising the barriers as Art and nobody would have noticed the intent (until the email surfaced).

But do explain, what a store should do, if there is an unwashed drunk defending it from custom? Pay the guy to go away?
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro s

1. Tesco screwed up, they should have put a planter or a nice display there to make it both visually attractive (thus increasing their store value) and achieving their goal.
I don't see how that counts as Tesco screwing up. They were just unlucky enough to get caught on the sharp end of this week's internet trend. They could have used a different (more expensive and more prone to vandalism and theft) method to stop people loitering by their windows but they didn't.

2. Good, until society can figure out how to better deal with the homeless issue, putting obstacles that may result in injury in the way is barbaric. I hope protests continue until spikes are gone from all locations.
And then the protesters can all go to the warm comfortable homes, content that they've won homeless people the right to sleep on steps, window ledges and porches (though not their own of course). Wouldn't it be better if this effort in a sudden popularist protest was directed to actually achieving something to actually help get homeless people off the streets? There's no quick-fix gratification from that though.
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro s

Good point. Disguising the barriers as Art and nobody would have noticed the intent (until the email surfaced).

But do explain, what a store should do, if there is an unwashed drunk defending it from custom? Pay the guy to go away?

I fully agree that they are within their rights to discourage loitering by causing discomfort to the loiterers. However, I disagree with this method and the message being that it's ok to potentially cause harm to people with dangerous landscaping features. That thing is a serious tripping and injury hazard. Also it sends a message that a fellow human can be subject to lesser animal style herding techniques, which I have a problem with as well
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro s

I fully agree that they are within their rights to discourage loitering by causing discomfort to the loiterers. However, I disagree with this method and the message being that it's ok to potentially cause harm to people with dangerous landscaping features. That thing is a serious tripping and injury hazard. Also it sends a message that a fellow human can be subject to lesser animal style herding techniques, which I have a problem with as well

How is it a tripping hazard?
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro s

However, I disagree with this method and the message being that it's ok to potentially cause harm to people with dangerous landscaping features.
That's not the message. Nobody is saying it's OK to cause anyone harm and frankly it'd be quite difficult to cause yourself serious harm on these things. Compared to the spiked fences, barbed wire and glass-topped walls people have been happy to have for so many years, they're pretty harmless.

That thing is a serious tripping and injury hazard.
The on the Tesco store (not pictured) certainly isn't - it is (was!) on a window frame about a meter off the ground. The one in the porch of the private apartment building (which is in mist the pictures), possibly though that's a slight stretch.

Also it sends a message that a fellow human can be subject to lesser animal style herding techniques, which I have a problem with as well
Like fences, gates and doors you mean? I'm practically sat in a cage right now.
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro s

I fully agree that they are within their rights to discourage loitering by causing discomfort to the loiterers. However, I disagree with this method and the message being that it's ok to potentially cause harm to people with dangerous landscaping features. That thing is a serious tripping and injury hazard. Also it sends a message that a fellow human can be subject to lesser animal style herding techniques, which I have a problem with as well

I tend to agree with that. But what do you do, where you cannot be unobtrusive with the herding techniques?
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro s

I tend to agree with that. But what do you do, where you cannot be unobtrusive with the herding techniques?

It's a fine line. Of course determining what is and is not acceptable use for an area is just fine. However we must also respect the dignity of the least among us. This is why I prefer cosmetic changes. It may seem superficial but the world runs on the superficial
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Metro s

I fully agree that they are within their rights to discourage loitering by causing discomfort to the loiterers. However, I disagree with this method and the message being that it's ok to potentially cause harm to people with dangerous landscaping features. That thing is a serious tripping and injury hazard. Also it sends a message that a fellow human can be subject to lesser animal style herding techniques, which I have a problem with as well

Did Tesco install these on public property or am I missing something?
 
Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

Did Tesco install these on public property or am I missing something?

Private property, but it's an irrelevant detail in my opinion. How we treat humanity can often be more important than property concerns from a moral perspective. While the homeless are often the subject of personal problems and can present a danger to others, there is no reason to dehumanize them further.
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

Private property, but it's an irrelevant detail in my opinion. How we treat humanity can often be more important than property concerns from a moral perspective.

What do you mean "How we treat"?

Do you think the store has some kind of responsibility to provide a sleeping place for homeless people in front of their stores?
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

Private property, but it's an irrelevant detail in my opinion. How we treat humanity can often be more important than property concerns from a moral perspective. While the homeless are often the subject of personal problems and can present a danger to others, there is no reason to dehumanize them further.

Do you have a bed and bath in your front yard to better treat humanity?
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

What do you mean "How we treat"?

Do you think the store has some kind of responsibility to provide a sleeping place for homeless people in front of their stores?

You obviously have not read my discussion up to this point as I already answered your question
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

You obviously have not read my discussion up to this point as I already answered your question

Well answer it again please, but more directly this time.
 
Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

Do you have a bed and bath in your front yard to better treat humanity?

There's a difference between inviting someone and creating hostile landscape. An equivelent question would be whether I set up bear traps
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

Well answer it again please, but more directly this time.

No the store does not and there is nothing wrong with discouraging loitering either. The how is important.
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

There's a difference between inviting something and creating hostile landscape. A not equivelent question would be whether I set up bear traps

If they put a cactus there, would that be considered a hostile landscape as well?
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

If they put a cactus there, would that be considered a hostile landscape as well?

A cactus has a function other than determent. So no
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

There's a difference between inviting someone and creating hostile landscape. An equivelent question would be whether I set up bear traps
The point here is that the store in question did not want to "invite" homeless people to sleep outside their door. The spikes were there to make sure they did not, I guess you could call it making that spot "hostile" to that demographic. Frankly I think the store screwed up, should have kept the spikes there as they were obviously doing their job. I suspect that here in the very near future we will see something placed in that spot that will achieve the same results as the spikes. Likewise I predict that a group of vocal hand wringing teeth gnashing howls of protest will follow that decision too.
 
Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

The point here is that the store in question did not want to "invite" homeless people to sleep outside their door. The spikes were there to make sure they did not, I guess you could call it making that spot "hostile" to that demographic. Frankly I think the store screwed up, should have kept the spikes there as they were obviously doing their job. I suspect that here in the very near future we will see something placed in that spot that will achieve the same results as the spikes. Likewise I predict that a group of vocal hand wringing teeth gnashing howls of protest will follow that decision too.

That's pretty much how I feel except without the silly attitude about the protestors who are right to point this out.

In the social realm, perception is reality and this is why something like a cactus would be better, due to it's connotation and underlying message that these people deserve animal level devices. Which in turn promotes better overall humane behaviors society wide
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

A cactus has a function other than determent. So no

Not really. Cactus are butt ugly.
 
Re: Tesco removes one-inch 'anti-homeless' spikes from outside central London Met...

Not really. Cactus are butt ugly.

Eye of the beholder
 
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