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Same man in 12/2009, 3/2010 and 11/2010. Rob, 63, is from Kensington, though when that neighborhood went bad, his family moved to Lawndale, in Northeast Philadelphia. Rob was a diesel mechanic all his adult life, but when he was 48, he suffered a work accident that required four operations on his back. Itching to get back to work, Rob returned to his job after 1 1/2 year, but he wrecked his back again, this time for good. Homeless for 13 years now, he still can't convince the government that he's disabled. Several people have advised him to fake a mental illness, so he could finally collect disability. "But I can't do that! I'm not mad!" Rob said. "I don't even drink, since I don't want to end up in the gutter. I don't take drugs. I care how people see me. I want to make sense when I talk to people."

Shelters are too dangerous, especially for someone as vulnerable as Rob, so he sleeps outside, "But I can't take another winter. It will kill me!" To take a hot shower and sleep in a proper bed, Rob tries to stay in a hotel once a week, and the cheapest in Center City is the Parker Spruce, at $57 a night, but this place is also too dangerous, "People will rob you right in the hallway!" I've written about the Parker Spruce in this piece, and here's one shot inside of it.

Since the Parker Spruce is a horrible choice, Rob often stays at the North American Motor Inns, a bit out of the way on City Avenue. Though they usually charge $80 a room, Rob only pays $70 or $60. About the high hotel prices in Philly, Rob said, "They raised prices for the Republican National Convention, but when it was over, they didn't bring them back down."

This was in 2000.



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