Tents in the city

Denver Colorado. Democrat governor, Jared Polis, Democrat mayor, Michael Hancock.

The middle of July a friend and I took Lyft to the Woods restaurant in RiNo, a tasteful outdoor thing going on at the edge of town looking back onto the town and outwardly to the mountains. It's neato-mosquito and all the super cool kids go. You get out of their goofy elevators and walk a l-o-n-g hallway lined with kegs stacked on thick heavy keg-holders. You get the impression that they serve an awful lot of various beer. 

     "I bet you ten dollars they're empty."

Tap tap tap. Hollow. 

On the way back we took stock of damage of protests, not that bad really, but right before we get to my apartment we must pass by Civic Park and the other park on the other side of Broadway and Lincoln to the capitol all completely covered with tents. 

This is a first for us lifelong Denver residents. 

Think about your tent. Using it in the city. They are doing this.

We discussed this so far as possible in a cab two blocks from my home. Too bad. So sad. So much to think. So much to say. So much to analyze. So much to prioritize. So very much to sort.

Then within the next two days they were gone. 

Entirely.

From the capitol parks. 

It's a really cool area. Very well taken care of. Site of very many civic activities through the summer, all seasons actually, all held up now because of Covid-19 and because of political upheaval, and these tents. 

Within the next two days all the tents had been cleared out.

Just like that.

Within the next few days the tent-people moved two blocks south and set up on the thin strip of grass that line the sidewalks to the Denver Art Museum. I suppose they did this in other directions as well.

This thin strip of grass is the spot in the area where dog owners throughout walk their pets. To poop. I can guarantee that every single square inch of grass was at one time topped with dog poo. Now the tents are covering all the dog poop spots. 

See, the Covid thing is a health hazard. Presumably. The Tent-people are creating another health hazard on top of that. Definitely. On top of the dogs, and adding their own.

And Denver takes care of its indigent and its homeless. We are extremely liberal people. We take care of one another with impressive kindness and understanding. We talk about this kind of crap all the time. All the time. Constantly. Food drives. Clothing drives. Coat drives. Canned goods drive. Stupid shit you have in your pantry drives, Mistakes you made that you'd like to inflict on others drive. Ski equipment drives, hang glider drives, mountain climbing equipment drives. We are insanely good-hearted people. Interested in your wellbeing.

Boom. Tents. Just like that. First one. Next day two more. Next day the whole row is filled. Next day the row is filled tighter.

Okay, so what is the deal? 

Is this some kind of political statement? 

Are you thinking, a summer rent free?

Politicians, why are you allowing this disruption?  The museum is already closed down for the summer so there went all that civic activity. All of the summer museum activities are closed down. And now the entire civic area is taken over by vagrants. 

I am putting myself in this position. I am seeing what it takes in terms of choices. Even as a lad, this irrational activity doesn't add up. It is too loose. Too careless. Just a bit too anarchist for Denver liberals. Just one little bit too much. 

Denver will by its own authority, through its aching internal discussions, by reasonable assessment of political damage, will put an end to this, but do it very kindly and graciously and in the light of day. Supervised by citizens' eyeballs, but without media. 

 

Goodbye Tent-people. 

Should have invited media. This was a good display of civic aptitude. Observing throughout in glances I am impressed with the éclat all around. 

Now the Dog-people have their grass-way to let their dogs outside for a walk and to poop.

Come on, it's expensive around here. Golden Triangle, dontchaknow. They need these tight strips of grass.

But first Denver must sanitize Tent-people poop. They do make a giant mess all over the place wherever they accumulate. For others to clean up. We have to pay to clean up their shit. Their rent is not free.

I must say, they did all this quickly. 

They are, in the end, Denver is, impressively efficient.

Where did the Tent-people go?

I do not know.