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[Dalek]

NYC nixes kiosk browsers after homeless commandeer their use

NYC debuted its gigabit LinkNYC program in January of this year to great fanfare. These kiosks, 400 in total dot the city, offered free wi-fi for passing residents as well as dedicated tablets that anyone could use. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out quite as planned. On Wednesday, the LinkNYC program announced that it would be temporarily borking its tablets until officials can figure out how to ensure that they aren't bogarted by the city's homeless residents.

Turns out homeless residents were hijacking the kiosks and using the tablets as their personal computers/porn hubs -- reportedly preventing others from using them and causing a nuisance for nearby businesses. In response, LinkNYC announced that it will remove the web browser and is considering implementing time limits.

http://pix11.com/2016/09/14/web-bro...ports-of-homeless-men-masturbating-at-kiosks/

MANHATTAN – Those gleaming Wi-Fi towers dotting the sidewalks of New York City won’t be offering web browsing for the foreseeable future, according to those who run LinkNYC.

The decision comes “in response to some users monopolizing the Link kiosks,” officials who run the program said. It also comes amid yet another report that homeless individuals, usually men, are setting up shop at the kiosks and watching porn on the sidewalk.

Web browsing will not be available at the Wi-Fi kiosks, which also serve as charging stations, until LinkNYC can work “with the City and community to explore potential solutions, like time limits,” officials said.

The first-of-its-kind program launched eight months ago and includes 400 kiosks in three boroughs. Those kiosks have been used more than 21 million times since they appeared on sidewalks throughout the city, LinkNYC said.

But some of those uses have been unsavory, spurring residents and local leaders to demand changes to the futuristic towers. This week, a Murray Hill resident said she’s spotted a homeless man pleasuring himself at one of the booths. Similar reports have been emerging for months.

Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. said in a statement action needs to be taken. He suggested installing porn filters and limiting the time any one user can spend at a kiosk.

LinkNYC acknowledged Wednesday that some users have been violating the kiosks’ original purpose.

“…some users have been monopolizing the Link tablets and using them inappropriately, preventing others from being able to use them while frustrating the residents and businesses around them,” LinkNYC said in a statement. “The kiosks were never intended for anyone’s extended, personal use and we want to ensure that Links are accessible and a welcome addition to New York City neighborhoods.”

 

[Sylverstone14]

Not sure what they were expecting.

 

[supergiz]

TBH if I was homeless in NYC I would be doing the same thing. Gotta have free internet.

 

[Pandora012]

Couldn't they block some of the less than savory sites?

 

[Dabanton]

Browsing porn at an internet cafe is bad enough in the street as well? Haha

Thought they would have had it filtered. Although can you imagine the germs and stuff on those kiosks...

 

[Oppo]

back to the library with you vagabonds!

 

[Old Gimlet Eyes]

Burn all the stations and especially those tablets. The amount of jizz those things must have seen at this point....let alone other bodily fluids.

 

[Smiley90]

"Turns out homeless residents were hijacking the kiosks and using the tablets as their personal computers/porn hubs"

Author of the article must be proud of himself

 

[nampad]

I am surprised their wasn't a porn filter before. Those tablets must be so nasty...

 

[EatinOlives]

The WiFi and chargers are kind of a good idea. The built-in tablets was awful, however.

 

[sangreal]

the porn/jerking off is one thing, but other than that I'm not sure the homeless should be denied any amenities available to the rest of the city residents

 

[PSqueak]

But what if the homeless people were using them to find jobs?

 

[Penguin]

Couldn't they block some of the less than savory sites?

You ever really try to block porn?

Near impossible and folks will find a way around it.

But yeah, who else was really gonna use these things?

Like even for an emergency charge, not gonna stick around more than 5-10 mins

 

[C.Mongler]

Yeah, I really don't know why they thought this wouldn't be an issue, especially since this is already a problem at most city public libraries where there's usually at least some barrier to entry (a library card).

Not that a 100% open and free internet wouldn't be preferred, but for this have any chance of succeeding/not being a jerk-off-station they need to implement some sort of web filter and probably some sort of timer that kicks the user off (at least on the provided tablets), closing all websites/applications and resetting to a default state, after like 10-15 minutes with like a minute of downtime before the next person can use it, to deter someone from sitting at the kiosk all day.

 

[Infinite]

Saw a homeless dude take the thing the newspaper be in, brought it next to the kiosk, flipped it sideways and sat on it while using the kiosk. My man was comfortable

 

[Lkr]

Man those pesky homeless people getting in the way!

 

[Zoe]

Couldn't they block some of the less than savory sites?

They'd need more like a whitelist if they want it to be at all effective.

 

[JordanN]

But what if the homeless people were using them to find jobs?

They were.

Blowjobs.

 

[emag]

The problem and the resolution both seem quite predictible. Perhaps it's because I live in an urban area, but I feel that the #1 issue that needs to be addressed in this country is our homelessness problem.

We have numerous studies and trials that show that providing "free" housing to homeless people actually reduces taxpayer costs significantly (particularly in terms of law enforcement and medical care) and leads to a safer and cleaner community for everyone (e.g., https://economicrt.org/publication/home-not-found/ ). Additional Internet/tablet costs are minor in context.

 

[wildfire]

Couldn't they block some of the less than savory sites?

The silly thing about this question is that our public libraries do exactly that. I don't understand how the city has to learn something another department did decades ago.

I don't even understand why they thought putting tablets there was a good idea unless they cost $20.

But what if the homeless people were using them to find jobs?

The city has workforce1 for that.

 

[Escape Goat]

If only someone had thought of this earlier.

 

[Infinite]

The silly thing about this question is that our public libraries do exactly that. I don't understand how the city has to learn something another department did decades ago.

I don't even understand why they thought putting tablets there was a good idea unless they cost $20.




The city has workforce1 for that.

Yeah I rather have public wifi than this shit

 

[The Beard]

Man those pesky homeless people getting in the way!

You act like they're being treated poorly in this situation. They're watching hardcore porn and jacking off in the middle of the sidewalk. Poor homeless people, can't even cum all over community tablets in peace.

 

[dskillzhtown]

"Turns out homeless residents were hijacking the kiosks and using the tablets as their personal computers/porn hubs"

Author of the article must be proud of himself

It made me chuckle.

 

[The Beard]

They were.

Blowjobs.

Also, those of the Hand and Rim varieties.

 

[CrackaF3tt]

I sometimes get homeless kids/adults coming into the T-Mobile store I work at to use the tablets/phones for calls and porn surfing.

 

[jaypah]

They were.

Blowjobs.

Aye! 😂

 

[sangreal]

You act like they're being treated poorly in this situation. They're watching hardcore porn and jacking off in the middle of the sidewalk. Poor homeless people, can't even cum all over community tablets in peace.

That's only half of the complaint. They don't want the homeless spending so much time "monopolizing" (using) them even if they weren't jerking off

 

[megalowho]

I have seen stuff like this here and there. Not necessarily porn and public masturbation, but folks that appear to be homeless/mentally unstable treating these units as personal kiosks with no intention of letting anyone else near, using them inappropriately or not actually using them at all. Still think it's a great initiative for the city and tourists and the inevitable problems can be reduced with some tweaks.

 

[UncleSporky]

You ever really try to block porn?

Near impossible and folks will find a way around it.

Yeah they'll google image search for Legend of Korra fan art or something and go at it anyway.

 

[The Beard]

That's only half of the complaint. They don't want the homeless spending so much time "monopolizing" (using) them even if they weren't jerking off

That's a pretty big "half" if you ask me.

Also, the tablets were supposed to be for everyone to use i.e. look something up, and move the fuck on. Not for you to set up shop, and treat it as your own personal desk.

 

[Slayer-33]

Was walking around the other night with GF, saw a good amount of people using them/charging their phone.

IMO.. Just make them a charging hub with no screens, just a standing 360 degree fast charging port hub.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Seems like you could do 15 minute time limits with retinal scanners or something.

 

[Permanently A]

Damn, good idea ruined by misuse. Perhaps nix the tablets and just make free wifi hotspots?

 

[Dude Guy]

Yeah everytime I pass by one of these in the city, there's a homeless person camped in front of it.

 

[Vilix]

Burn all the stations and especially those tablets. The amount of jizz those things must have seen at this point....let alone other bodily fluids.

This. The thought of touching one... 😖

 

[richiek]

I can see the value of having free WiFi in NYC streets. Why the NYC government thought that including internet access directly through the kiosks was a good idea though is anyone's guess.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

and is considering implementing time limits.

I'm surprised this wasn't already there. This and porn blockers should have been a given

 

[Somnid]

Rather than looking at it as a nuisance, clearly there is a need for internet usage among the homeless and if usage is high you have got to imagine that you are on to something. Perhaps better address that need? Digital communication should be a right in 2016.

 

[Greddleok]

Rather than looking at it as a nuisance, clearly there is a need for internet usage among the homeless and if usage is high you have got to imagine that you are on to something. Perhaps better address that need? Digital communication should be a right in 2016.

lol the right to watch porn. Even the homeless gotta jack it.

 

[sunshine and gasoline]

Might be wise to charge some fee for the use of the tablet on-top of blocking access to porn. Say a quarter for x amount of minutes.

 

[gutter_trash]

"how'd you solve the icing problem?"

"icing problem?"

 

[shira]

Browsing porn at an internet cafe is bad enough in the street as well? Haha

Thought they would have had it filtered. Although can you imagine the germs and stuff on those kiosks...

Just because you are homeless doesn't mean you have worse germs and stuff than non-homeless.

I've seen absolutely disgusting keyboards and tablets from "rich" people.

 

[TheMan]

Seeing as how >90% of people now have smartphones, simply offering free wifi seems reasonable to me.

 

[Somnid]

lol the right to watch porn. Even the homeless gotta jack it.

Why not? Why do you think people get to that point anyway? Strong biological urge + no privacy = "don't give a fuck". And that's really all anyone actually cares about. Rational people aren't policing masturbation, they just don't want to see it.

 

[meltingparappa]

Just because you are homeless doesn't mean you have worse germs and stuff than non-homeless.

I've seen absolutely disgusting keyboards and tablets from "rich" people.

Well I mean... the implication is that the tablets are regularly used to access pornography and potential public masturbation, coupled with lesser access to tools to maintain hygiene, as well as nobody actively maintaining the cleanliness of the tablets.

That doesn't mean the average phone user doesn't take it into the bathroom with them, but at least it gets a disposable lens wipe every now and then.

 

[Kite]

The homeless do the same thing at public library computer labs around here.

 

[213372bu]

The homeless do the same thing at public library computer labs around here.

Yuppp

 

[smurfx]

i doubt it's because of porn watching. that can easily be resolved by having filters. they just don't want homeless to be visible where these kiosks are at.

 

[OchreHand]

yeah there's one in front of my work in midtown. there is always a homeless dude watching something on it. they look pretty comfortable tho.