Item

William P. Oral History, 2022/02/11

Media

Title (Dublin Core)

William P. Oral History, 2022/02/11

Description (Dublin Core)

Self Description: "I've been on the streets here like two years now waiting for security but COVID Actually, they stopped it. And they actually stopped it for like a year. So now I gotta go see the doctors over again and everything. So now I'm going to shelter xe at least now I but I stayed in the shelter and five months."
Some of the things we spoke about included:
Being on the streets for 2 years, waiting for social security, which was interrupted by COVID
Wanting to work, having worked in construction: Building the Fillmore, the Coat Factory, a grocery store on 69th St.
Having a social worker and a lawyer, long court dates; making an appointment 3 months out when you have nowhere to go in between
Being in and out of shelters, fear of murder in west philly
Having a seizure disorder from an assault/head injury in 2002, not able to drive
Getting vaccinated; comparisons between getting COVID and the negative effects of vaccination, and of having the flu
Global population management and COVID
Immigration
Never had the flu shot, comparisons between the deaths from COVID and from the flu
Worries about COVID treatments, people dying from ventilators and laying on their backs; medicine as dangerous
Not being allowed to stay in the shelter during the day, jail as a place to sleep and eat
Thefts in shelters
Getting more money when panhandling from Black people than white people; having regulars give money
Technology from UFOs
The environmental crisis: humans have ruined the planet with lead and toxins, searches for other suitable and habitable planets
“If you die you die. It’s gonna be.”
People are like cars, some Chevys built to last vs. FORD (Found On Road Dead); “Only the strong survive”
Harsh winters and snow storms
The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Homeless Services’ Street Outreach (http://philadelphiaofficeofhomelessservices.org/shared-public-spaces-old/street-outreach/)

Recording Date (Dublin Core)

February 11, 2022

Creator (Dublin Core)

Kit Heintzman
William P.

Contributor (Dublin Core)

Kit Heintzman

Type (Dublin Core)

audio

Link (Bibliographic Ontology)

Controlled Vocabulary (Dublin Core)

English Community Service
English Health & Wellness
English Neighborhoods
English Public Health & Hospitals
English Pandemic Skeptics
English Social Issues

Curator's Tags (Omeka Classic)

assault
climate change
COVID+
environment
fear
flu
head injury
homeless
hospitals
medicine
panhandling
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
population control
seizures
shelters
snowstorm
social security
social worker
race
UFOs
vaccination
ventilators
winter

Contributor's Tags (a true folksonomy) (Friend of a Friend)

homeless
vaccination
shelter
panhandling
environment
race

Date Submitted (Dublin Core)

02/18/2022

Date Modified (Dublin Core)

02/23/2022
05/04/2022
05/23/2022
01/15/2023

Date Created (Dublin Core)

02/11/2022

Interviewer (Bibliographic Ontology)

Kit Heintzman

Interviewee (Bibliographic Ontology)

William P

Location (Omeka Classic)

Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
United States of America

Format (Dublin Core)

Audio

Language (Dublin Core)

english

Duration (Omeka Classic)

00:20:22

abstract (Bibliographic Ontology)

Some of the things we spoke about included
Being on the streets for 2 years, waiting for social security, which was interrupted by COVID
Wanting to work, having worked in construction: Building the Fillmore, the Coat Factory, a grocery store on 69th St.
Having a social worker and a lawyer, long court dates; making an appointment 3 months out when you have nowhere to go in between
Being in and out of shelters, fear of murder in west philly
Having a seizure disorder from an assault/head injury in 2002, not able to drive
Getting vaccinated; comparisons between getting COVID and the negative effects of vaccination, and of having the flu
Global population management and COVID
Immigration
Never had the flu shot, comparisons between the deaths from COVID and from the flu
Worries about COVID treatments, people dying from ventilators and laying on their backs; medicine as dangerous
Not being allowed to stay in the shelter during the day, jail as a place to sleep and eat
Thefts in shelters
Getting more money when panhandling from Black people than white people; having regulars give money
Technology from UFOs
The environmental crisis: humans have ruined the planet with lead and toxins, searches for other suitable and habitable planets
“If you die you die. It’s gonna be.”
People are like cars, some Chevys built to last vs. FORD (Found On Road Dead); “Only the strong survive”
Harsh winters and snow storms

Transcription (Omeka Classic)

Kit Heintzman 00:00
Hi, you can hold it because it's more important to hear you than me.

William P 00:03
Okay? So it's just the video.

Kit Heintzman 00:06
It's just audio.

William P 00:07
Audio recording.

Kit Heintzman 00:10
Well, you tell me your name, the date, the time and our location. Where are we right now?

William P 00:14
William Paligno? No. It's 2 11 22, two 2022, chestnut, 13th and chestnut.

Kit Heintzman 00:24
And Philadelphia. And you consent to have this interview recorded, digitally uploaded and publicly released on an archive? Yes. Tell me a bit about yourself.

William P 00:39
I've been on the streets here like two years now waiting for security but COVID Actually, they stopped it. And they actually stopped it for like a year. So now I gotta go see the doctors over again and everything. So now I'm going to shelter xe at least now I but I stayed in the shelter and five months. And while I was there five months actually had a seizure and went to the hospital for like three days when I came out of there. They discharged me from there because I was in a hospital and I showed them paperwork and everything and I was in a hospital and all and they were like, Oh, we got to come back Monday. It was a Friday when I got released in the hospital which was temple so when I came back on Monday they want to send me out the Western West Philly 69th street to another shelter and to stay on the street three days after meeting there five months on the streets you know, I mean, out off the streets so when I went back did he want to send me on West Phily I told him no I'm not going to go to West Philly and walk 10 blocks and shelter right get robbed standards on Yummy yummy probably no shot by accident. So not going out there and everything that's why the guy was just yearning to see them come by right now but um yeah that's basically my story waiting on security right now I get seizures actually add medicine right here actually

Kit Heintzman 02:01
yeah I'll hold that for a second

William P 02:11
kept to the state medicine but that's not too much really. Like being out here really sitting out here not really great actually true.

Kit Heintzman 02:27
And you're telling me you got vaccinated?

William P 02:30
No, see I got vaccinated but the thing is like I didn't know that it was going they're giving you covid badly give you the shot. So I didn't know the axe you know basically give you a shot to go spread the shot around I'll be giving you it you got the covid but you know me I was already headed X you already without getting a shot like two times actually had that because I felt that same way my arm was hurt my head like a ton of bricks heavy. And that was actually the feeling the same thing when I got that shot. It was the same thing so I was already sick by it already really? To other times and that was like probably the third time now that I had it but I had the shot so that actually gives you the shot and then I got papers right here you were like I should have been giving you a shot now you can you could spread that around and they do with giving you shot which is I think is dirt. I think that's their I think that's what's their their plan is to anyway eliminate the population anyhow, that's why it all occurred out anywhere. Yeah, I mean that COVID populations are very overcrowded. You know, how tiny is China? Can you have more than two kids?

William P 03:42
And then the other one, you know, do you see still goodwill? So that's why I want to come to America that's free I

William P 03:48
guess yummy, like free living I guess. And he completed so bad here then. Right? You have a lot of different issues, different stuff. Different things that I don't agree with. was like I never had the flu shot. I'm 46 years I just turned 46 January 28 And I never had the flu shot ever. Never add very bad in and I had it actually but you know, you know 160 168,000 People die from the flu shot and 2020 Yeah 2020 168 They'll die they never close doors up and everything but that yeah, like 100 Some 1000 dive into COVID All that closed down the city and everything places

Kit Heintzman 04:35
like that it's closer yeah what was it like when you had COVID

William P 04:44
I mean, it feels like the flu. It is like the flu like it feels your body hurts and everything like your left side hurts though. It's like something like when when your arm it feels like it didn't like a ton of bricks. You're like a hit your head up like that. That's bad really your head It's like the worst. Like, like you feel like nonstop headache. I get them already with seizures already. The no one drink coffee anymore not because that's why I'll drink coffee no more. But yeah, other than that you had it here. Yeah. Sweet, sexy. That was the only time I actually went there to the hospital because I had thing on my arm and everything. And that's when I went to the hospital and then they offered me to shop there and every day but I wanted to get it but I didn't know that was already ahead twice already. Because when I gave it to me I was he bowed out that year because that was the same amount of feelings and everything that I had from getting the shotgun. Down. Yeah.

Kit Heintzman 05:51
We're talking about COVID We're talking about COVID

William P 05:57
I got I got all three shot. Yeah. I get no more they get anymore. I mean, the one can't do it. I mean, I actually had it without having the shots. You know? And I didn't know I'm not I don't consider young you know, 46 years old, but I don't consider younger anything active. Athlete active or anything? Yeah. But um, I mean, like really old or anything to to die from it. I think most likely things die, people die is from the evaporators they're not clean. And then they got that thing smuggling and smuggled. And you're laying on their backs at that to see when you have seizures. You're not laying you're not supposed to lay on your back, you're gonna get put on your side. So I don't know how they lay on their backs when they had that Coven or anything you know, I don't understand that. But or is them you know, dying is most likely I think it's from that me it's smuggled from the oxygen tanks they got on their faces. Right a lot of different things going on off release.

Kit Heintzman 07:05
Where were you last week when there was a really heavy snow?

William P 07:09
I was out here. Well, I just got I got gotten to shelter xe like a week ago. So it was like around, right like the day afterwards afterwards. day afterwards, I got it. From outreach outreach. I got me there it's just kind of dolphins. And

Kit Heintzman 07:26
Whats it like being in the shelter's here

William P 07:29
it's actually I leave all day I just come back at night to sleep there Yeah, yeah, I mean cuz it's like a lot of people don't leave some of the places make you leave all day. You know, I mean, some of you can't stay there all day. I never was a combined person to sit home and everything Yeah. So I didn't like sitting around doing anything yeah that's that's this meet a lot of people this Oh, I got to play sit around so I got to jails overcrowded they don't care to go to jail you got to play see sleep all day

Kit Heintzman 08:00
have the shelters been different since covid started?

William P 08:12
are well it's about the still seem really it's not no different analysts consider it any different Yeah, I don't think it's any different you got to go get your food and all that someplace they got places to eat you know that you go eat at but it's just basically keep your stuff back you still get your stuff stolen and all that you don't lock it up and everything Yeah, you leave it out on your bed and also get stolen and shit so just like being on the streets really to just help me get a place help you get a place to them I'll be getting placed basically that's all that is

Kit Heintzman 08:45
What does the word health mean to you?

William P 08:53
nice really sure about the health like I guess better be in better health and it's better to be in good health than being in bad health is really worse at in my life. I had like eight medications to take my only take the ones just to seizure medicine not dying from the 100 medications you got to give me now you know I mean just take the one medicine procedures to have to because if you don't take that medicine, you will get seizures still to mean I gotta get them combined and taking it can't drive anymore at all. So that's like 17 years I still tried to go back to work and everything and all too but had had problems with jobs and everything to that like pulling up ladders and so

Kit Heintzman 09:39
that's really scary. Yeah.

William P 09:41
I had to tough to break my teeth down. The last two I broken that pool over there. I busted my teeth that Polaroid did last year. That was he said yeah, they're still there. I never got taken out yet but eligible right here all broke my face. Got What's on my top my head No

William P 10:02
I mean I'm still waiting I'm here to get house and you know that it's been like nine months I probably get six security for housing and if anything it's but geez I get that place anyway all back money they'll be anyway happy I did email please anyway then mother back money they owe me anyway almost two years almost now it's been well over two years actually I don't see how they take that long to give you security and understand how long I got a social worker and everything a lawyer and everything I mean Oh stay out of court dates are that far apart so you had to go actually you had to make an appointment I had three months away just working my appointment had to go back and see him you can't just walk in there you have to make an appointment and it was like three months 90 days later

Kit Heintzman 11:04
people so the people walking around when you're panhandling have did their responses change at all.

William P 11:11
They don't help you really not much not that many people have you know like Jada Trudeau actually let's just put it like this color people black people to help you more I'm just to say that out loud like that. They help me more than my own race house I'm white Italian Irish. They help you more yeah that you would think that be backwards actually been done. It's not you don't get that many you got maybe a very few that will help you out and I've been here for a while so that people like regular people come by see me all the time years they kind of help you you know the ones that really help

Kit Heintzman 11:50
Whats the word safety mean to you?

William P 11:58
safety and they really take it day by day whatever happens in that day is gonna happen anyway. He can't stop what's gonna happen you could go across to get by bus by then you never know it just take it day by day and use the word live every day come by everyday two o'clock every day theres usually two of them

Kit Heintzman 12:34
what would you want a historian of the future to remember about this?

William P 12:41
I wouldnt recommend coming on the streets and living on the streets I tell you that it's not that easy as people think it is. Until they're out here you know people think it's so easy though when it gets cold though then on long standing and then go all go into hibernation you will see none of them out here today when it's cold unless they have to be out here then you see him out here at killing Wednesday live on the street that's how you can tell because other than that you don't see me there's nice nice nice days you see him come out you'll see anyways cold out here are all inside like mice Baxter Yes.

Kit Heintzman 13:20
You remember when you first heard about COVID Yeah What what do you hear? What was it like?

William P 13:28
It was just like on the news it's just it's really like they're like the blue same thing basically hey this made it a little stronger actually blaming it on another country they came from and all that knows you never know the real truth many things they never tell you they will do anything same to me UFO is and all that out to get technology you know I think they got technology from the area 51 And on that as I got flat screen TV telephones and all that

Kit Heintzman 14:04
How are you feeling about the immediate future

William P 14:08
I don't know if I'll be here but it but I mean I'm sure it's wider does China discover another planet knowing that because to basically ruin this one with the toxins and everything and leaded everything in the atmosphere, atmospheres and all that here pretty much ruin that pretty much out here. So they're looking for a new planet. That's why they keep discovering other planets and all that got water on it. Like Jupiter. You never knew Jupiter have what are known as like, like, like regular Planet, Mars and all Yeah, and that's not good. But Jupiter has the moon and the sun and everything there too and all that it's got water on the earth and all that they just discovered that. Yeah, they see that they had down there and watch the documentary stuff yourself about it. Some of that stuff I cant anyway

Kit Heintzman 15:05
so it sounds like in the last few years COVID has not been that important to you.

William P 15:11
Really if you get it you get it. Basically when you die you die you're gonna die it's meant to be you're gonna die. Yeah, it's not just it's not something that happens to you in life that it's meant to be you can't stop nothing that's been going on. You could be walking down the ladder up there that brick and fall down busting your head and you'd be dead from it. You never know you you have young kids run around don't bricks and everything. Yeah, actually, I got seizures I get hit. With ended I got hit in the head but ends of a broom. That tie up sees you got to crack stuff on that 16 staples in my head. So that's how I got seizures now and to play with some money getting into a broom busting my head with it. So yeah, that's how I got seizure now since 2002. I still tried to go back to work and everything. I mean, I guess I'm like I don't know how they I guess like you know Chevy Volt last I guess. You got four dates a two word forward, down the road dead. So different cars, different things for different things to you know at stronger survive and that's really true jokes.

Kit Heintzman 16:26
What do you think that means?

William P 16:28
Maybe stay strong, most likely you'll live you get through it you'll make you'll make it through if you most likely weaker they give up and you're going to ask them about them give it up

Kit Heintzman 16:46
the last two years feel different than say the year or so before that.

William P 16:51
Actually, I was working in everything though. I have a daughter actually 16 years old CFC that's long story. I won't get into that story and everything knows but I don't get into that story himself. But yeah, it was definitely different for me ever that read Ratibor work they go and get some security mine Wait my shit every month. Yeah, me too. I tried to like 20 years I had this shit and couldn't drive for 20 years and had to take buses to work and all that stuff. Bring bills I get Bremen she rocking it on that she like that. I mean, I built the Burlington xe a bill more in a bowling alley and Gomorrah is regarding the new one I got over there I rebuilt model that joy Are you mad remodel that joint and over here in Frankfort rolling the coop factory we did that round to go back through to see Raven she rockin and all that back linen oh oh 69 st Dreama the grocery store they got built there the reed did that too. I tried to work with my kids you know but am I being seizures you can't work sometimes I go and work like a little bit when I was carrying and stuff in and you know I got actually build the whole house doing other everything in the house separately. Air conditioning basically and I'm in the water basically but I've never gotten to know that stuff I've done welding and everything but at solder with the water and also it's no different but um yeah I mean I could build the whole house myself and then everything's I mean it's not too hard to buy Benson and all that and yeah and water really but never got into that stuff nobody's done right or not

William P 18:46
I think I see everything I hear every day you see more every day surprises yeah here every day we majors Yeah Here boy. I think I see it all every time I come by I see something new every day amazes me like what just different things this different stuff you know people out here too and just stuff that goes on iron is a lot of different things especially down into ghetto areas. They're even worse

Kit Heintzman 19:16
what's different there

William P 19:19
well it's nothing really any any different but just it's not really anything different really by you know you just know different areas that you don't go to an everything you know he just don't bother you know around there areas. You're not wanting to know you can tell different areas you not go but any areas that could happen to you yeah, it'll make a difference really good just the people around you in your areas.

Kit Heintzman 19:53
Questions unless there's something you want the world to know. of you. That's basically it. All right yeah, that's pretty much it thanks

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