TONY
“I just about froze to death last night. Man it was cold. Also there was a problem where I can sleep most of the time, which at least doesn’t let the wind in. Anyway, I couldn’t get into a room, so I ended up just nearby the train overpass there. Something didn’t seem safe so I made sure folks could see me. The next thing I know, I’m waking up being hugged by these two Indian women; they were street people too. They only found me by luck because they were going to ask me for cigarettes, but they saw I was asleep and that my feet were blue, so they put my ass on a piece of cardboard and dragged me almost up to Bloor, you know where they’ve got that black Baptist church up there?
“So you might want to know how they warmed up my feet after that. One foot between their legs, nice and snug between their legs. No joke, that’s the way I woke up this morning.
“If they hadn’t found me back there, I could’ve froze to death.”
Homeless Man Speaks 
January 17, 2007 at 2:57 am
I was wondering how you made out in that terrible cold. Glad those gals helped you out! Better buy them smokes.
Why is it safer to be where people can see you? Where I live people who are out at night and can be seen have been robbed and killed (5 last year and 1 so far this year).
Can you please give me some tips on good places and bad places to be at night for sleeping? I was in the army once but that is a different kind of survival and they gave me a rifle.
January 17, 2007 at 4:26 am
Tony: The betwn-the-leg trick is also used by mountaineers when they have frost bites and the only heat available is body heat. But it sure works provided the body cells have not frozen !! The danger is when you can’t feel your body and don’t even know the parts are frozen. Defrosting is most painful, especially for males. I hope you don’t have to go through that !!! Glad to hear you’ve got lots of six packs 🙂
January 18, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Dear Jim,
That’s a good question but it depends on what kind of danger it is. If there’s some dangerous folks around, you want to be where the other homeless folks can keep an eye out for you.
There’s another ting. Sometimes when there’s been a crime near where you are, you better stay visible so they don’t get suspected of anything.
Regards,
Tony
January 19, 2007 at 3:20 am
The cold has taken over a big share of North America and its interesting how many of us who are homeless are keeping warm.
Scott
January 19, 2007 at 4:20 am
Tony, is it better to be on the sidewalk on a main street or in an alley under some cover (out of the wind/rain etc) at night? Which is safer?
Jim
November 16, 2007 at 12:16 am
I know this is an old post but there are some sleeping bags rated for well below zero temperatures and combined with warm clothes including some good wool socks I would imagine you could be tolerable warm, at least not freezing to death! Tony, what kind of sleeping bag do you have for those nights you spend outdoors?
Amy