Man Criticized For Telling A Homeless Person Sleeping In Childrens' Playground To Leave

A man who believed that he was protecting his neighborhood children was labeled a jerk by many people on the Internet after documenting what he thought to be a noble deed.

Many Internet users argued that the man had no business doing what he did, and was unfairly infringing on an innocent person’s peace. Although, others believe that he did the right thing.

The man demanded a homeless person who was sleeping in a children’s playground to find somewhere else to go.

In a TikTok video that has gained over 1 million views, a man documents himself approaching a homeless woman who is sleeping with a blanket and pillow in what he claims is a children’s playground in Los Angeles.

Although the woman appears to be doing nothing more than sleeping, the man is clearly concerned about her presence.

“Kids have to come and play here, this is a kid’s playground,” he says to the woman, who still looks as if she is half asleep. “You’re sleeping in a kid’s playground!” he scolds her.

“So what?!” the woman says groggily, still trying to snap herself out of sleep. The man then asks the woman to move, to which she replies “No!” and telling the man to go away as she rests her head back onto the pillow.

“What would you do?” the man asks viewers in the caption of his video. The man received mixed responses for his course of action.

Some people agreed with the man that a children’s playground was an inappropriate place to sleep for homeless people. “Call the police or something we can’t keep allowing this behavior it gets out of control,” one TikTok user commented. “Do we really want our children playing around homeless people?” another user wrote.

However, the majority of people criticized the man for disturbing the sleeping woman who likely had nowhere else to sleep. “She’s not hurting anyone. Leave her alone,” one user noted. “If it bothers you so much then offer to get her a hotel room,” another user recommended. “I was homeless when I was 18, I just left foster care so I may be biased but I say let them sleep. It’s bad enough that they don’t have anywhere to go,” a third user shared.

Other people pointed out that the man appeared to have no children with him as he confronted the woman and that it was not his place to tell her to find someplace elsewhere to sleep.

Some even emphasized the heartbreaking reality that sleeping on sand in a playground area was likely more comfortable and safer than sleeping on pavement streets.

Homelessness is on the rise in Los Angeles — and it's a humanitarian crisis.

According to the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, there are an estimated 75,518 homeless individuals in the city. Many of them are forced to sleep in tents, on the sidewalks, and in parks.

“The homeless count results tell us what we already know — that we have a crisis on our streets, and it’s getting worse,” says Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum, the Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). “The important thing to take away from today is that for the first time, the city, county, and LAHSA are moving with urgency to house the people living on our streets.”

Kellum added that she and other LA officials are dedicated to diminishing the rate of unsheltered homelessness by introducing more homeless shelters in the area and addressing the “humanitarian crisis” that has affected so many people who find themselves without a roof over their heads.

Man Criticized For Telling A Homeless Person Sleeping In Childrens' Playground To Leave

She was just trying to sleep in a comfortable area, but the man feared that she posed a danger to children.

The man demanded a homeless person who was sleeping in a children’s playground to find somewhere else to go.

Homelessness is on the rise in Los Angeles — and it's a humanitarian crisis.

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