Meet the Man Who Lives on Zero Dollars (Modern Day Cave Man)

[Dawgboy]

I have to say a couple things about this, first off, and respectfully: Who are we to judge this man and the choices he has made? What give us the right to call him a bum???

Also, We all need to consider that the writer "spun" this story into what he wanted to convey, and since we were not there, we do not know if the subject's words were taken out of context.

I don't believe the subject of the article is some parasite, and I do think the title was fairly wrong as he is getting supplies somewhere besides the local trash cans.

I actually have some respect for his chosen lifestyle and how he has reduced his impact through the recycling of others trash, not contributing to the waste stream much, and not subscribing to the modern instant gratification culture. I personally would not make the choice he has made, but then again, I have also recently voluntarily made the choice to make half as much as I used to, and work half the time I used to. In the process I am finding many other ways to get what I need to live without just going out and plunking down money.

We all can take something away from this story, but it's your choice to choose whether you see the positive or negative in his life. And I bet he could give a Rats ass what we think...

[URBAN ASSAULT]

All I can add to this is here's something that might be useful after the toilet paper he most likely steals from the library runs out...



Glad to help.

-urban

[Ad'lan]

I have to say a couple things about this, first off, and respectfully: Who are we to judge this man and the choices he has made? What give us the right to call him a bum???

He called himself a Bum.

To be a vagabond in America, a bum, and make an art of it—the idea enchanted me."

[maldon007]

Love this site... I read the story, go back & forth on how I feel about it, think this/think that... Then read the thread and everything I thought is already posted

Not a fan of dropping out, but maybe it's best for him (and others). I guess my cousin is a modern day cave man too, he lives in a u-store unit... But I have always thought of him as a bum.

[Towanda]

If you're going to be a bum, at least do it in style.

[AKFTW]

He's only a "cave-man" because he happens to live in a cave- otherwise, stick the guy in a cardboard box or under an overpass, and there would not be some reporter going up to write a story about him- he lives no differently than the billions of other homeless and displaced persons in the world- only this is by choice, not because economic or political violence has made him a refugee.

It is almost offensive, the people see being homeless as a lifestyle, something hip, cool, or new age- not so cool if you don't have a choice, and why not live simply, but have a job, make money, and use it to help those who are actually in need? Or at least TRAVEL with your house on your back, don't just live in a cave. But hey, he's not harming anyone with his "lifestyle", so I have absolutely zero right to say whether or not he should be doing that. Certainly makes more sense than going into massive amounts of debt just to have cooler toys than the neighbors.

[Pilsung]

This guy may be a bum, albeit a benign one. But I look more favorably on him than materialistic suburbanites who go deeply into debt to fund a McMansion, SUVs, and all manner of consumerist goodies they can't afford, then one day decide to walk away from their mortgage and leave the bank holding the bag - which then gets bailed out by TARP or other schemes to have taxpayer (read: my) money bail out the reckless and irresponsible.

Anyway, my point in posting this wasn't to promote or condemn the guy's lifestyle, but rather to note how basic our survival requirements really are.

[Czechnology]

Anyway, my point in posting this wasn't to promote or condemn the guy's lifestyle, but rather to note how basic our survival requirements really are.

Lol, yes this guy has proved that all we need to survive is a cave, and a nearby 1st world city filled with materialistic suburbanites who go deeply into debt to fund a McMansion, SUVs, and all manner of consumerist goodies they can't afford.

[Rev]

Anyway, my point in posting this wasn't to promote or condemn the guy's lifestyle, but rather to note how basic our survival requirements really are.

Lol, yes this guy has proved that all we need to survive is a cave, and a nearby 1st world city filled with materialistic suburbanites who go deeply into debt to fund a McMansion, SUVs, and all manner of consumerist goodies they can't afford.

That's what I take from this as well.

It is almost offensive, the people see being homeless as a lifestyle, something hip, cool, or new age

Hobos. Doing homelessness before it was cool.

[Gyrfalcon]

I can't condemn this guy. He's hardly a parasite, because besides a bit of toilet paper and internet bandwidth that would have been vacant otherwise, he does not eat out of the substance of others. He lives off their waste. He's far more honorable than anyone who chooses to live on welfare. You know what city parasites live in. They take a lot more than toilet paper. This man is far more honorable than any of them, bar none. Defending him against the "leech" claims based on tax dollars is no more political than calling him one because he remotely and minutely benefits from them.

That said, this guy would be a better role model for a "bum." http://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/o ... 03286.html

Made cave-homes on a mountainside, rented them out to people dirt cheap, lived a long, decent life.

[crypto]

I have a nice graph that shows where the parasites live but I cant post it here due to politics.
(hint: they're in the south)

[the_alias]

I have a nice graph that shows where the parasites live but I cant post it here due to politics.
(hint: they're in the south)

But yet you thought it ok to post the hint?


These kind of posts are pointless - next time consider not posting something instead of wasting space.

[Rev]

I have a nice graph that shows where the parasites live but I cant post it here due to politics.
(hint: they're in the south)

Wouldn't that be because of the warmer climate?

[Arkane]

I have a nice graph that shows where the parasites live but I cant post it here due to politics.
(hint: they're in the south)

Wouldn't that be because of the warmer climate?

Nope it's predominantly because of the higher concentration of retirees drawing Social Security and medicare along with the higher concentration of military retirees . All of those are factored into those numbers. Crypto, are those your parasites?

[Pilsung]

Back to our cave dweller...I can foresee the day when "bums" like him who know a thing or two about scavenging and makeshift shelters, just might be the salvation of former yuppie types in a PAW scenario.

[TDW586]

No, because he knows about surviving off the leavings of an affluent society, and nothing at all about surviving in a devastated society where there is competition for the basic essentials.

Sent from my SGH-T839 using Tapatalk 2

[Arkane]

Back to our cave dweller...I can foresee the day when "bums" like him who know a thing or two about scavenging and makeshift shelters, just might be the salvation of former yuppie types in a PAW scenario.

That is a good point. Think about it - the crowd that live with a cell phone to their ear hustling down the street to their jobs with a latte in hand and never see dirt unless it's the grass between the parking strips after getting out of the Prius are going to view this guy as a Jedi master. And if he can't deliver they'll probably eat him.

[Rev]

No, because he knows about surviving off the leavings of an affluent society, and nothing at all about surviving in a devastated society where there is competition for the basic essentials.

Sent from my SGH-T839 using Tapatalk 2

Who wants to take a field trip to Somalia?

[TDW586]

I'm gonna go with no thanks on that.

However, exactly my point; in a true long term SHTF situation, people who have lived poor in third world places like Somalia, most parts of India, rural South and Central America, Africa, Afghanistan, and so on and so forth would be very likely to have an advantage and be vital in teaching others how to survive.

Modern American homeless are not even close to that lifestyle. Scrounging food? Sure, from the massive amounts of perfectly edible foods that are tossed from grocery stores and restaurants. Think that'll still happen so much if people are starving? Not to mention all the soup kitchens and money gained from panhandling, which would also dry up. Improvising shelter? Give me a break. More like setting up the modern tents that are donated by the thousands for the homeless, or sitting in bus stations, libraries and public buildings until they close then going back to the shelters or their tent.

EDIT: I'm getting a little off the topic of this guy specifically here. I don't hate him; he isn't hurting anyone, he's happy, go for it. What I disagree with is his attitude that what he does in inherently superior to "consumerism" or "capitalism" or "the modern world" or whatever the buzzword is. His philosophy is flawed and in my opinion ignorant, at least when applied to society in general. If humankind wasn't so "shallow" and "consumerist", we'd still be...well, living in caves.
Sent from my SGH-T839 using Tapatalk 2

[Dave_M]

I think he choose to live like this in America over some other nations for a reason.

[URBAN ASSAULT]

I think he choose to live like this in America over some other nations for a reason.

Bingo.

-urban

[Doctorr Fabulous]

Yeah, the real masters of surviving aren't bums/hobos/urban street dwellers, or whatever you call them, they're people who prepare and survive now, rather than choosing airy "ideals" that just so happen to minimize their work output.

I'd probably kick this guy to the curb in favor of a guy who worked construction for fourteen years. At least construction guy has a basic knowledge of labor, work ethic, value, and physics.

[dizie]

When shtf those "bums" are gonna have a leg up on joe and jane citizen.

Could you eat something out of a dumpster?

[Rev]

When shtf those "bums" are gonna have a leg up on joe and jane citizen.

Could you eat something out of a dumpster?

Yes.