Street Stories NYC

This is contributor Jessica Hall's weekly column, in which she interviews the homeless and street people she meets around the city. This week she spoke with Bailey, 18.

I’m Bailey, like Irish Cream. My dad named me after his first AA group, in the Bronx. I’m from here. I’m eventually trying to get to my friend in Pennsylvania—after that we have to go to Baltimore and buy a school bus. I grew up in Queens. I have a 7-year-old brother and a 22-year-old sister. My parents, they’re in Queens still, I see my dad sometimes. I really don’t like my mom.

Did you finish high school?

I got my GED. I dropped out of high school when I was 17.

How long have you been on the streets?

I started hanging out when I was 15. I started staying out a couple nights a week, and after than I was like, screw this. I just left home altogether. My parents didn’t abuse me, they kind of neglected me as a person. I had a bad uncle, and my mother didn’t call the cops on him. She wouldn’t call the cops on her brother, but you’re supposed to take care of your child before anything. When you have a child it’s supposed to be the most important thing in your life. That’s why I don’t want kids!

Where do you live now?

Nowhere. Anywhere. I sleep at a school a couple blocks away sometimes, or over by the river. In the winter it sucks. When it rained the other day we woke up and we were soaked right through the sleeping bags. I hardly have a voice right now.

It’s not bad ‘cause I’m a girl, people just give you money cause you’re a chick.

What do you do in a day?

Not much, go to the drop-in center or stay in the park and drink beer, or we do this, which is not hard. I’m saving money for my camera. Since I just turned 18 I have savings from when I was younger and I was a model, and I’m gonna take that to tune up the bus. It’s a pretty good investment cause I can live in it and travel in it and I’m going to make a room with a lock and a safe.

What is your life philosophy?

I try and be a good person to be asking for change and shit, I don’t really feel bad about it. I can’t really give people money, so I give them smiles. I might still go to college, but even if I do I’ll still have to pay like, half my money for rent so I might as well live like this when I’m young.

What does your mom think of your lifestyle?

My mother and I do not get along. With my mother she worries about me and I try to reassure her, but she’s still very judgmental and I really can’t change that so I stopped trying to prove myself to other people because it’s really not worth it. I know I’m a good person and I try hard and that’s all I can do. She put me in a psych ward twice cause it was the only way she could keep a leash on me. The psych ward people couldn’t even hold me, they were like,  obviously this girl is not crazy.

Do you feel safe out here?

I’ve had some close calls but I have a really good group of friends and they kind of protect me. I mean, it’s really not fun getting cold and everything, but I’m a trooper.

What would you study if you went to college?

Philosophy, English or animal behavior.

Do you write?

Yeah, poems, prose and ramblings. I have a bunch of notebooks in my bag. A lot of kids write out here cause it’s something to do it’s a good outlet if you feel like nobody’s listening at least your notebook will.

What does your sister do?

She’s a burlesque dancer right now. It’s better than being a stripper I guess. She’s coming to New York in a couple days and I’m going to see her. We used to beat each other up when we were younger but it’s better now that we’re older.

I don’t know if she (mom) knows. My mom is very judgmental—that’s why I left, she made me hate myself. I’d rather sleep on the streets.

It’s verbal. Like, no matter what you do, even if it’s not wrong, it’s never good enough—like, I don’t dress like a girly girl, and that’s nothing to rag your daughter about. You should accept the way she wants to be no matter what, you’re supposed to be supportive of your kid, not bring them down. 

A kid has to learn for themselves, but you have to let them learn and they have to make mistakes and you can’t judge them for their mistakes.

What does your mom do for work?

She works like a hostess in some fancy restaurant. It doesn’t pay well. Not well enough for her to move out of my dad’s house. He’s a customer service manager.

And your brother?

He’s in school. He’s 7, he’s a really cool kid and I still see him—the only reason I stay in contact with my parents is my little brother. It’s not his fault.

Most people that you see on the street asking for money—doing that doesn’t make them a bad person. They’re obviously lost and if you have the means to help them you should. I come from a middle-class family and I know how to read, but being on the streets means you’re obviously going through something, and some kids are just kids and you should let them go through that. They’ll see the world and be better for it.

[As we were talking I would estimate that Bailey made $7.] You’re making good money, right now, better than minimum wage.

Even if I had a job I wouldn’t have an apartment at this wage. Once I got a hundred dollar bill and that’s the day I made the most, $150. I don’t sit here all day, cause money’s just not that important to me.