« British Airways strike averted | Main | US Airways reports profits, PHL progress »

Homeless at the airport

We posted a comment today about homeless people at PHL, the second one on the topic since we started last week. The questions raised need a response.

First, to clarify, no one needs a ticket or to show identification to be in the portion of airport before security checkpoints. That includes throughout the parking garages, ticketing areas, baggage claim areas, the SEPTA rail platform, and the corridors, roads and sidewalks in between. That's where some homeless people can be found, especially in the winter. They are allowed to be there because the airport is a public facilitiy, owned by the City of Philadelphia. Starting Jan. 8, the airport started an outreach program, with the help of other city agencies and the police, to try to help some of these people move to city-funded shelters; in the last two weeks, two homeless people have been moved to shelters, airport officials say. During very cold weather, like today. the city declares a "Code Blue," and by law, cannot remove people from public facilities.

Perhaps this question should be directed to the mayor, City Council, the governor, the state legislature, Congress or the President, or all of them ?

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/mt-tb-trythis.cgi/171.

Comments (4)

Uh:

Is this what we're supposed to see when we return from a trip and what visitors are supposed to see when they arrive to Philadelphia? Well, I guess it prepares them for the rest of this place that is going downhill daily...................

SM:

I have noticed homeless people in the baggage area of US Airways winter, summer and spring. How do I know? I fly often enough.

If the cops can harass drivers at the arrival side, they can rid the terminals of the homeless. Sooner or later, you will have a criminal element (thugs, punks and druggies) harassing passengers.

Bk:

seeing the homeless upsets you and that is understood as for the thugs, punks and druggies they are all over not in the airport you can see plenty of the above all over any city that criminal element is not in that airport be more aware it is after you leave the airport or the well dressed man next to you on a plane. As for seeing the homeless when you arrive to Philadelphia I have seen homeless all over this country when I arrive in many different cities this is not a problem just for philadelphia.

SM:

Perhaps you need to read my note again. I am not upset by the homeless. I'm quite aware that they are everywhere. They don't belong at the airport. If this goes unchecked, eventually it brings trouble. The able-bodied homeless men will eventually bring crime to the airport.

Post a comment

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

Philly.com discussions are intended to be civil, friendly conversations. Please treat other participants with respect and in a way that you would want to be treated. You are responsible for what you say. And please, stay on topic.

These boards are monitored by Philly.com staff. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us in our sole discretion and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. Personal attacks, especially on other board participants, are not permitted. We reserve the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions.

Copyright © 2006-2008 Philadelphia Newspapers L.L.C. All Rights Reserved.

Author

Tom Belden, a former Inquirer business writer, has written about Philadelphia International Airport, airlines, the travel industry, the conventions and meetings business for 25 years. He has traveled to all 50 states and extensively in Europe and Mexico.


About

This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on January 29, 2007 12:05 PM.

The previous post in this blog was British Airways strike averted.

The next post in this blog is US Airways reports profits, PHL progress.

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Powered by
Movable Type 3.35