That "Spare Change" guy.....

[dylanesque29.livejournal.com]

......has been in rare form recently. Not the one who asks "Pardon me sir, can you spare any change?" in a weird monotone, but the one who "sells" the Spare Change newsletter. I saw him suckering a few college-age looking girls the Saturday before last. By the time I got down to the platform, they were angrily chatting with each other, one of them with a fresh Boston Now! in her hand. This morning, he was doing his usual rounds, with a lit cigarette. Classy. I think it sucks that this guy does his thing, ripping people off every day, and that he hasn't been banned from the Davis Square Red Line, or any of the others.

Comments

[richips.livejournal.com]

There's a really nice Spare Change News guy who stands quietly outside the Panera in Coolidge Corner. I always feel bad because every time i pass him i don't have any money on me or i'm on errands for work or both.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

is that the one that sings? i was so moved by his voice, i bought him a giant wrapped burrito. food good too :)

#

[richips.livejournal.com]

no, i don't know that one!

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

I concur. What courses of action are available to us? The legalities here are not clear to me. It seems that we could photograph* this man in the act and inform the legitimate Spare Change folks, and I guess we could inform MBTA police. Aside from that, what?

He's in a public place and so I would think he does not meet the "reasonable expectation of privacy" standard.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Are we talking the guy actually IN the Davis Square T-stop, because considering the complaints about that guy it's amazing the T hasn't bounced his ass.

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

There's a legit Spare Change vendor who also works in the T-stop (usually outside of the fare gates, though), and in Porter Square as well. The "Spaaaare Change newspaper, onllly a dolllar" guy. Not him.

[ron_newman]

Some previous discussions of this guy: 1/20/08 and 5/10/06. Yes, please take a photo of him and tell Spare Change News about it.

This guy needs to be banned from the MBTA system.

[dylanesque29.livejournal.com]

I seriously will, the next time I see him in the morning. The thing that really sucks about it is that it makes the legitimate Spare Change vendors look bad. It makes me want to buy Spare Change from them, not that I love it, but to support vendors doing the honest thing, even though they are in a bad place.

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

The T is far more concerned with fare-jumpers than with fake newspapermongers, smokers, pickpockets, brawlers, or pervs. Take a picture of him following someone through the gate without paying and you've got him.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

you could take pictures of the police and T people not doing their job wrt that as well, and send them to boston.com and other places. six months later Fox news will do a breaking story on this leading news story :)

#

[aquastar.livejournal.com]

That sounds about right.

[mrboboto.livejournal.com]

So what, he sells a Spare Change newsletter then gives the person a Boston Now? Spare Change vendors have a hard time as it is, since so few people realize that it's not a giveaway, and this guy is just going to make it a lot worse for them.

[ron_newman]

Yep. I wouldn't call that a "so what", for the very reason you give.

[mrboboto.livejournal.com]

Very important missing comma there- it should've read "So, what, etc." Not "so what".

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

Its the guy that is around 50 or so and wears a beret, right?

He tried to sucker me a few times as well. I'm suprised someone hasn't Rickrolled his ass yet.

[dylanesque29.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's him. Arrgh, I was ao annoyed with him this morning I wanted to curbstomp him on one of the benches. Being a sleazy fucking scammer is one thing, but the smoking on the platform is what pushed me over the edge. That, and he's been doing it for SO long and nobody's banned his sorry ass.

[righteousness-1.livejournal.com]

People power is required. He should be shouted at and verbally abused out of the T. Why is everyone so afraid to speak up? Even if someone did, the rest of us would bury our heads in our Metros.

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

Maybe because deception is the rule rather than the exception? Beggars constantly patrol the T platforms, importuning passengers for "money to get home," for "food," because their "bag was stolen," to buy candy to "support the sports team..." It's become background noise, to a point where a fresh scam is almost a pinch of spice.

Also, verbal abuse would just feed into the Come See the Violence Inherent in the System victim mindset so prevalent among such losers. I usually just say "No, you can't have any money."

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

...

what does misdirecting him to a Rick Astley music video have to do with this?

[smileytypepers.livejournal.com]

Oh! I remember him! I bought a paper from him once b/c I finally had change with me, the something (I forget what it was) made me realize something was up. :/

[alasbabylon.livejournal.com]

oh, i've encountered him i think! which sucked, cos i like spare change, it's a fine publication, and i was pissed that he was 'out of them' and i couldn't read it on my commute. oy, that's sketchy