Street punks?

I'm trying to come up with a word or simple phrase (ie 'street punks') to describe a specific demographic group with these vague characteristics:

Age: Early to mid 20's

Sex: Generally males

Home: What we would call 'couch surfers' - not able to afford their own place but don't really care (entitled attitude maybe?)

Work/Career: Don't want one and/or don't see the need for one and/or feel too disqualified to even try.

Life: Bum money, panhandle at malls (play guitar for coins), beg, wash car windshields at intersections.

Maybe 'street punks' is the right term but it doesn't ring right with me because I think 'punks' as in punk-rock bands and the like.

Can you think of any other names or terms? It doesn't have to be politically correct. It's only being used to describe that the character is attracted (sexually) to this demographic until he learns better.

I'm not entirely sure that suggesting this demographic is amendable to random and consentual sexual pick-ups is even realistic.....any ideas/thoughts on that? I'm a country boy - we don't see such things here, but do see it in the small city nearby but it seems more-or-less in the back streets and alleyways (not on the street corners as you'd find in big cities).

Thanks for your help,
Jeff

 

Saunter beats (got it from beatnik gen) , hopscotch tramps (I like this word ), road floats (or floaters), side nomads (because of the side jobs), windshield knights (or warriors), street coiners, clan-destine maybe?

 

Chav/chavvy's an old word of the travelling people, much abused...

'Street punk' is just about still passable, has US 50s origins - punk -?

...

Couchsurfer/guitar is more of a posho scene - new age traveller almost. Why not paint out the scene, I'll think 'street punk' consuming your vivid descriptions...

 

'Nepali trousers & juggling balls, rat tail, dreadlock...'

'Ah bless the off-spring of ye millionaires...'

 

slackers? street kids? disaffected youth?

Who's using the term? You can blend in some characterization depending on what term you use...

"Oh, you're back? And how was last night's hooligan? Everything you'd hoped for?"

"Occupy Wall Street didn't work out for him so now he's occupying your ass? Charming."

vs.

"There's a Bernie Bro over there by the bar checking you out. Nice eyes, could use a bath... just your type."

"Kurt Cobain Junior called; I told him you were busy, but he didn't seem to believe me. So I hung up on his raggedy ass."

vs.

... I think for a really sympathetic perspective your character wouldn't use a label. Maybe just a physical description?

 

I've known a few people who fall into that description and I've referred to them as "free spirits" or "bohemians". There's nothing inherently negative about what you described about this group; they just seem like they march to the beat of a different drummer and have an atypical value system for current norms.