"Behind the Red Wall"

It's getting scary.

The police department is cracking down on homeless people. I didn't realize how bizarre things had gotten until last night.

I was out late with a group of college students visiting from Greenville, Illinois, a village about 90 minutes from St. Louis, out in the cornfields. We walked a bit downtown, and saw several weird things, to me:

First, there were no people sleeping under Yesler street at 4th Avenue. This has been a homeless camping area for 20 years.

Second, there was not a single soul in City Hall Park at 8:30 at night.

Third, there was a chaotic queue of homeless people along the Jefferson Street side of the King County Administrative Building, waiting for the opening of the County-funded winter shelter for men run by Salvation Army. Why they think lining up, first come/first served is a good idea, I don't know.

We walked up 4th Avenue. Across the street homeless people waited for the opening of the severe weather shelter at City Hall (Behind the Red Wall -- sounds like a great book title).

It was 9:00 p.m. The doors were still locked.

Cold sleet and wind. But maybe not cold enough?

City of Seattle workers didn't think so.

I think any night that the severe weather shelters are closed, the following day they should shut off the heat in all City offices. It's only fair.

It was a miserable night watching homeless people milling around with no place to go.