I'm fortunate to have a locker. People who don't have to carry their things around with them all day. Guests have to leave the Pine Street Inn by 8:30 every morning; the shelter opens again at 3:30 p.m. The exceptions to that schedule are Sunday, some holidays, and days of extreme weather.
People wait for months to get lockers; there aren't enough of them for everyone. Women who are working can get permission to leave a bag of their things behind the front desk, but of course there's no lock or security for their things then except the integrity of whoever is working at the front desk. There are also signs around the building saying that the Pine Street Inn is not responsible for lost or stolen things.
The locks on the lockers are all Pine Street Inn locks. The staff have the key that opens all of them. That's helpful when, like me, you sometimes accidentally lock your key in the locker. However, it also is another way in which your life is out of your control.
Copyright L. Kochman, November 25, 2015 @ 8:35 a.m.
