What is the deal with crazy people in Davis Square?

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

Not to vent here, but seriously.  Some guy tried to stop me to talk to me outside of the Starbucks area as I was walking down the street and when I was like, "sorry, can't stop to talk" he shouted after me "I oughta smack you in the face for walking away from me!"  Is he a regular?  Is this why people have their ipods in when walking through the area -- it's like you can't walk through without someone stopping you to save the whales, water or apparently, smack you in the face. 

Comments

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

So you were inspired to setup a LJ account just to post this message?

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

I like the guy who hangs out in front of the thrift store and asks "do you have a quarter", when you turn him down, he says "do you need a quarter?" and holds one up. I know a couple of people who have taken his money.

You don't often see reverse panhandling.

[ron_newman]

I'm going to guess you are the same person (with a different username) who posted a message about "The bums at route 16 and Mass. Ave." a few days ago. That one was offensive enough that I deleted it. This one, I'm going to let stand for now unless the comments start violating our rules again.

-- One of your friendly moderators

[cos]

Apparently you didn't realize that we davis_square maintainers retain some crazy people to go out into the square and inspire people to sign up for LJ and join the community. I'm not sure if oughta-smack-you guy is one of ours, though. Gotta check with my colleagues...

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

This is why I hang onto IPs.

[ron_newman]

? -- you said something that I don't understand.

[pooka-madness.livejournal.com]

I like the "Do you have 50 cents?" guy, myself. Such a specific amount, and the emphasis is so fantastically sardonic. Like 'of course you have 50 cents, how could you not, so why don't you give it to me?'

I've seen him in Central as well as Davis, and one time at Harvard. Maybe he just uses the money to ride up and down the red line.

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

Say it aint so!

Ron, you are a computer guy, you have to know what he is talking about.

No, actually I'm a different person

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

Really, this post was offensive? Why?

[pooka-madness.livejournal.com]

That's Yelling Guy. There have been a whole mess of davis_square posts about him. I'm too busy to dig 'em out, but someone genuinely helpful like ron_newman might.

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

He is a well dressed young guy too. He looks like your typical college student. The way he says it is very funny.

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

I dunno, Ron,

Albeit the poster opened a LJ account to vent, for some reason the guy who's always talking to himself and looks like a dead ringer for Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Southie) immediately came to mind.

Or maybe I'm off base here. But I generally try to dodge Lynch's doppelganger, particularly if I'm with the Trickettes.

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

He lives at the halfway house on Broadway. He is harmless. I see him sometimes in coffee shops and laundromats writing really intense poetry or something on napkins.

Re: No, actually I'm a different person

[ron_newman]

This one isn't, but that one was, with the original poster's subsequent comments about wanting to nearly sideswipe beggars with a speeding automobile.

[ron_newman]

We don't have IP-address logging turned on here. See here for my explanation of why not.

[pooka-madness.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I sincerely think he's just lazy and cheap and has realized that he can beg for 15 minutes and then ride the train/bus for free.

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey, thanks for the welcome!

Re: No, actually I'm a different person

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah that is offensive. I like, just walked away....

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

*sipping soy latte with caramel shot*

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

it's like you can't walk through without someone stopping you to save the whales

I. hate. that.

It's like I have this huge thing tattooed on my forehead, invisible to me, which says "YES! I totally wanted to have my personal space and my train of thought invaded! The fact that I am studiously avoiding eye contact while lost in my own thoughts notwithstanding!"

Makes me wish I were male, tall, and covered in biker tattooes. Oh well.

[carlagaglione.livejournal.com]

I damn near snorted out my juice thanks to that..hahahaha

[ron_newman]

I'm too lazy also, but possibly tagged as either "crime" or "local landscape" or both.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I rather enjoy turning those people down.

Person: Don't you care about the environment?
Me: Nope, not at all! Burn it down!

Person: Do you have a mninute to save the environment?
Me: Don't you think it'll take more than a minute?

[sasha-bee.livejournal.com]

i sooo have compassion fatigue now with all those activists out asking for money. i used to feel sorry for the masspirg folks but not anymore.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

There is part of me that is very eager to answer that way. How do they respond?