Apparently the Junkies and Bowery Bums are Annoying Patrons at Whole Foods

Inside Whole Foods, June 2013

For years, the second floor of the Bowery Whole Foods has been a veritable hangout for all walks of life, from the upper crust to the homeless and downtrodden. Specifically the area around the corner from the artisanal cafe counters – on the Chrystie Street front – which houses a gaggle of tables and chairs.

The New York Post, city tabloid that makes headlines (and money) targeting the homeless as nuisance, finally discovered the trend and was quick to skewer.

It published another such hit piece yesterday.

Substance abusers, drug dealers and homeless people are turning the sunny cafe area, where shoppers can dine on pulled pork or Vietnamese sandwiches, into their own private social club for the cost of a cup of coffee or nothing at all.

During five visits to the store in recent weeks, a reporter saw a modern-day Bowery bum sleeping in the fetal position, another nodding out in an obvious drug-induced haze, a few who appeared to be drunk, and one smearing toothpaste on his face and mumbling to himself.

The vagrants take full advantage of free wireless and a microwave at Whole Foods and relieve themselves in sparkling restroom facilities. They pool their change to buy a beverage at the coffee bar in order to get a receipt with the day’s keypad code to the locked restrooms.

Oh, the humanity!

What the pundits at the Post fail to mention, however, is that there are plenty of other squatters hanging out in this area for hours. Keeping to themselves.