The sound of my voice: The homeless woman

We spoke to a woman who has lived rough for a number of years on the streets of Oxford. She wished to remain anonymous.

Spitting is pretty common. Pissing less – but it still happens. I’ve never really got what it is that people get out of having a piss on someone who’s sleeping on the streets.

I’ve been living rough for six years. I basically left home. But not in the way that most people leave home. When I left home I was running because I had to, but was running to nowhere.

The first few nights I slept on the streets thinking it would just be temporary until I found some place better to go. But I had a few dodgy experiences with landlords and squats and stuff so I decided to stay out here.

“People assume that once you start living rough you’ve basically given up your right to be treated like everybody else.”

I try to make £4 a day because with that I can buy food and go to the  homeless shelter for a shower. Some days are better than others. Sunday is never good.

The days I make the most on are Wednesdays and Thursdays from pissed students coming down the Cornmarket. People sometimes give me hassle, but it’s worth it. Some bloke once gave me £50.

People assume that once you start living rough you’ve basically given up your right to be treated like everybody else. I lost it the other day when some tourist started filming me and taking pictures like I was some exhibit behind a glass.

I shouted in their face, “Do I look like a freak or summin’?” Haha, that gave them a shock!

It’s better now that I’ve got my dog. Before I was homeless I used to just think that they did it for the attention, the sympathy vote because everyone loves dogs, much more than they love humans.

But it’s only after living out here myself that I’ve realised that it’s not that – it’s the company. It can be pretty lonely out here, you know.