Wait – is that a line of porta potties and a wash-up station for people living homeless that has been kindly set up at the corner of Cormorant and Blanshard? Nope, says Edward – they’re for striking BCGEU workers, and are locked up tight when the picketers leave for the day. Access to washrooms, drinking water (all the public fountains have already been shut down for winter) and a place to charge your phone are among the hardest things to find on the street, Edward says. Businesses or the city will plug up an outdoor socket or shut off the electricity to it if they spot people using it. Security guards at stores with public washrooms will stop people from going in if they look homeless, says Edward, but customer service sometimes helps if you can make it past security.