Conditional sit-lie law

“No person may sit or lie down upon a public sidewalk, or upon a blanket, chair, stool, or any other object placed upon a public sidewalk, during the hours between 6 a.m. and midnight [in downtown],” states the sit-lie law, which in my opinion, blatantly targets homeless people, but which of course won’t apply to anybody that will or has camped out for the release of a new Apple product.
On Sept. 18, hundreds of people camped out in Spokane, WA overnight; many showing up as early at 2 p.m. and staying until the next day. People were camped out with blankets, tents, chairs, and lots of other personal belongings. So why is it okay for people to camp out like this but it isn’t alright for a homeless person to rest or sleep in the same spot?
Teresa Fuller, a public information officer for the police department, stated that, “The thing for us is as long as they’re not causing an issue to get around.” On the other hand, they would cite a homeless person for sitting in the same spot with the same belongings because they would be trying to get a handout.
As a person who has never been stupid enough to camp out overnight for the release of some materialistic object, I can say that it’s very disappointing the way that society handles these events. Just because people are willing to camp out to spend upwards of $500 doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get cited for a law that is a law. Whether or not homeless people are asking for handouts or not, it isn’t fair that there’s a law to target them specifically for sitting on the sidewalk between certain hours.
The funny part about Fuller’s statement is that hundreds of people were already camping out in the middle of the day. If I was strolling the streets, shopping, and came upon a mob of people all lined up, I would imagine that I would come across a few obstacles along the way, thus interrupting my attempt to get down the street. Wouldn’t that be means for a citation under the sit-lie law?
Overall, I think if our law enforcement and local governments are going to choose to set laws in place, they should be a blanket coverage – affecting everybody and everyone, not just the less fortunate and deciding to turn a blind eye if it means money will be made.
While I personally think that homelessness is partially one’s own fault, I am not completely cold-hearted. It isn’t fair to belittle them, target them, and apply laws specifically to ensure that their day is ruined and they earn a citation. If the sit-lie law is going to be conditional, my vote is that it avoidable for everybody – even the homeless.