San Jose City College students not only have to deal with the pressure of doing well scholastically, they also encounter homeless people on their commutes to and from college, with mixed results.

SJCC student Uyennhi Nguyen said that she had an encounter with a homeless man that was disturbing. “He pulled his pants down so you could see his ‘thing’.”

At other times, a homeless person has gone so far as to touch Nguyen, but she still rates her level of comfort on her commute at a six out of 10 despite this. Nguyen is likely not the only commuter who has had such a troubling experience and these encounters may make SJCC students question their safety on their commutes to and from college.

“There’s the police department…which is near the entrance on the left side,” Student Center Consultant Cruz Munoz said. The police may not be able to escort students on their commutes, but they are able, at times, to protect them on campus.

Not everyone takes such a dim view of the homeless, nor have they all had bad experiences when they see them.

“They sat across from me and we had a nice conversation,” Jaya Eti stated, adding that even the bus driver and at least one other passenger joined the conversation.