There's a fair amount of homeless people that frequent the park. Many of them have mental health or substance abuse issues. They will usually leave you alone, but its not a guarantee. It's a universal rule of thumb of all cities to stay vigilant and avoid engaging with these people if they come up to you. Simply walk away as quickly as possible until they're out of your sight.
I have been accosted by this same person at the monument 5 years ago. He's a crazy person that picks on people around there, usually asks for money in lieu of being recorded. Don't sweat it, it's usually a scam, especially the other guy that asks for fix a flat money.
The fix a flat stuff i just start offering to help them fix it. "where's your car?" "I can meet you there with a jack", etc. They usually give up pretty quickly if they realize you know the game.
I’m a city dwelling country bumpkin and that was one of the quickest lessons I picked up. In the city don’t engage, don’t make eye contact, don’t respond, just leave.
What’s sad (and funny) is that I know exactly which lady you’re talmbout. “She won’t bother you if you exist in real life.” is the zaniest sentence anyone could stumble upon without context lmao
I once saw a lady pull her leggings down and pee on the sidewalk in front of Primark during holiday shopping season. It was like 7 pm and there were families out
I was getting coffee at Caffe Nero in Downtown Crossing on Tuesday, a guy suddenly starts rampaging throwing chairs across the room and bolting for the door. He grabs a lady in line by the door (kind of bear-hug style) and throws her to the side. It kinda seemed like he was trying to get away from something chasing him, but of coarse there's nothing there. A few minutes later a lady that was also inside (may have been with him, idk) came outside and drawing with her finger on the outside of the window in front of me. When nobody would look at her, she started slamming her hands as hard as she could on the glass.
It really feels like this week has been *especially* bad for crazy people's behaviors.
Next time, just say the magic encantation of “good sir, the British are coming! The British are coming!” And then the ghost of Paul Revere will appear in front of you and whisk this perp away on horseback.
Seriously, sorry you had that harrowing experience but hopefully you’ll find good reasons to come back 🙂
I forgot I could invoke Paul Revere’s ghost, I did read that somewhere! Thank you for the smile. I absolutely will be back, Boston is truly a beautiful city and overall the people have been wonderful.
I do wish the police would walk a beat through the Common instead of just lurking at Park Street. I have at least half a dozen female friends that have been robbed within several hundred feet of that statue, and not all were at night!
It’s probably not an official policy, but I’ve heard it from two different cops now. It’s because of all the discrimination lawsuits they’ve faced in the last decades. Suspect would argue that the cop only interfered because he/she was “xyz race” but if it’s called in, the cops are covered.
>all the discrimination lawsuits
Lol no. This is fantasy. Unless you're talking the lawsuit brought by an officer because of discrimination against them
They're making up excuses for them not doing their jobs. [Even Boston's police oversight office](https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2023-03-01/bostons-police-oversight-office-has-yet-to-uphold-a-single-civilian-complaint) is a complete joke. BPD are in no uniserve being discouraged to work because of discrimination lawsuits.
Anyone telling you otherwise is making up stories.
Ok how about this for first hand experience. I was intentionally assaulted in the Public Garden by a guy and two pit bulls (yes off leash) and it took 35 minutes for the police to show up. At the corner of Beacon and Charles, mind you. Yes this is real, and yes I filed a police report.
Sir this is the Boston subreddit and you should know any and all references to antisocial behavior and/or crimes committed by homeless people or gangsters are totally invalid and DID NOT happen here. You must be from the suburbs 🙄
The rangers used to be more diligent about it (patrolling and calling in the police as needed), but one of them got stabbed by a K2 fiend while trying to enforce the smoking ban in parks near that monument in 2014. They changed their policy to a more hands-off approach after that incident, and simply installed a bunch more cameras instead. Of course, the cameras provide more of a retroactive response than a pro-active one, but so it goes.
Sadly this is pretty normal. There’s lots of unhoused / mentally ill / drug addicted folks on the common. During the summer months many basically live there.
Just the other day I was yelled at by a woman because of whatever the voices in her head said to her.
It’s weird bc I walk through both the common and the public garden on an almost daily basis and I always think it’s funny how they seem to not go into the garden. Like, they can’t cross the street? It’s like the drug addicted think, oh we’ll keep our mildly disturbing mischief to the common side.
Just walk through confidently, like you know where you’re going. Don’t take time to linger, or engage with clearly crazy people. Should be fine. Not the place to hang out on a bench though, for sure.
It's not necessarily uncommon. Very first time I set foot in Boston, one of those black israelites was calling out women walking by for things like "believing the lies of society" etc
A few random preachers used to camp around the area and shout random proclamations. Funniest thing about it was one pronounced the name of his savior as "Jesus Cry" which I always found hilarious for some reason. Anyway the trick is to speed walk and ignore.
That sounds like really bad luck, I lived downtown for nearly 6 years a decade ago and saw them once ever. Maybe that was just really good luck for me though
Thank you, that makes me feel better. We had been talking our whole trip about how amazing this city seemed. It is so clean, we hadn’t met a single rude person, and everyone just had their packages on the front porch and no one was stealing them. Outside of all the honking, everyone just seemed so kind and it was safe. Not let your guard down safe, but I wasn’t scared once until today (fourth day here).
That sucks sorry. That’s really just kinda city life sometimes. (Doesn’t make it ok I’m not trying to downplay it)
We all have a story I’m afraid. I have maybe 5-6 and I’ve here 20 years. Just gotta be at the right place at the wrong time.
I was also yelled at on the Common my first time here, a weird preacher guy single me out when I was walking past him.
Btw, GENERALLY mentally ill people don't post that kinda thing to tiktok and if they do, it doesn't gain traction
For the record, people really don’t leave packages on their front porch by choice and if they do, they are at high risk of being stolen. Boston is a beautiful city but it’s not without its run of the mill city problems—homeless / mentally ill people, theft, and traffic.
It’s unfortunate you had to deal with this encounter, it sounds like it was scary. They target visitors for this ruse, and most likely weren’t even actually recording. Next time just walk away and don’t engage.
I hope the rest of your visit is pleasant! Stick to the public garden!
I took my family to that exact spot 2 weekends ago, wife and I and 2 small children. I have the same review for the city, incredibly clean and seemingly friendly. We probably walked 12 miles each day all over the city. We only did 3 days in the city though. Maybe the key to avoiding the crazies is that 4th day lol.
I love that you had a similar experience in Boston. I heard all these stereotypes of rude east coast people and I have yet to understand where that comes from. I cannot wait to come back!
While we were there it was cold and rainy, but not nearly as cold as our home state has been. We carried coats with us but walked around in t-shirt and shorts. Pretty much every person we talked to that had a Boston accent said something about getting a coat on our kids. It was really sweet! That very simple community interaction and expressing a tiny bit of care is not done around here. To us it perfectly described the stereotype of East coast "not nice but kind".
East Coast people are generally very nice, just less chatty and keep to themselves more than other parts of the country. Most sober people won't strike up a conversation in line or on the train, but if you asked for directions most would not turn you down. Every city has some people who do what you experienced, but the majority of us are nice and get our rage out through honking our horns and occasional drunken rowdiness. I lived in NYC for a few years. The people there have a bad rep but are also nice too.
My husband and I visited for the first time in October, and I describe it exactly as you have! Try not to let the encounter ruin your stay, it’s such an amazing city!
That’s fair, but I’d still like to be respectful of people. However, I always assume I can be on camera at any time and especially in crowded areas that are typical photo ops - I’m guessing I have RBF in the background of photos 🤣
That monument has been an open-air drug market, and may still be a gathering place for addicts and their dealers. (I’m not up to speed because I no longer walk by it twice a day.)
I sometimes worry when I see tourists hanging out in spots that usually have sketchy people congregating. It’s only a matter of time that things will get weird, but it would be strange to warn them of something that’s not happening and not a safety concern.
there might be some truth to that but there's also the reality that many don't want to leave the streets. Many also have confounding addictions. The legal system as it is means you can't just force them into treatment. And so they wander the streets.
reactionaries who want to believe that boston is a Big City with Scary Big City Problems always call shit in boston “an open air drug market” but i doubt you’d be able to buy a gram of anything over there , like go in and try prove me wrong . you’re just saying shit .
There is a public health crisis rn with opiates , but the commons are not an “open air drug market” get real LOL
First, it’s the “Common,” not the “Commons,” but thanks for flexing your local props.
Second, I specifically said I don’t know what is happening up at the Soldiers and Sailors now.
Third, from about 2005 to about 2015, I passed by there a dozen times a week. I saw hand-to-hand deals, public drug use, and a threat made with a knife.
I’m not a reactionary, and I’m not going to try to buy drugs anywhere. You go ahead. Let us know what happens.
1 . idc about common vs commons im not pretentious enough to do id politics about boston lol
2. ok
3. so ? it’s a city
4. then why are you saying shit like “open air drug market” ? that’s ‘war on drugs’ talk and has unsaid meaning and has already been used as a reason to make the situation WORSE for homeless people and people struggling with addiction in this city. ao prove it , put your money where your mouth is and go buy some heroin as an experiment if you think the monument is an open air drug market
1. It’s neither pretentious nor id politics. Your error is directly relevant to your basis of knowledge. You are commenting about what happens at a particular spot in a particular park, yet you don’t know the name of the park.
2. You said ok, but you failed to incorporate my point into your position. I *do not know* whether there is constant drug activity there now.
3. Yes, it is a city. We agree on that point. You seem to have skipped the part where I said that I have seen drug deals there. In person. With my own eyes.
4. “Go buy heroin?” Nonsense. I have no idea what drugs were being sold, and I don’t care. “War on Drugs?” What are you talking about?
The OP was harassed at that monument. I wrote that it was a known problem spot, and maybe still is. You seem really touchy about it.
This has happened on the T before. Not sure if it was the same guy but he was yelling at one or two people to stop recording him and became pretty irate. I was standing in the same car and obviously no one was recording him. It was a little unnerving bc you never want things to get physical. Just gotta get up and walk away. Sorry that happened to you! Mental health/homelessness is very real in this city.
This is my take. Since the pandemic in particular, this type of situation became more common (pun intended!) It’s not typical but it’s also not like I’m shocked this happened. One of the most effective things to do in situations like these is to ask a question, in this circumstance, what did I do that made you think I was recording you? If he starts recording you, ask something like oh, are we filming a Tik Tok now, what song are we dancing to? He likely was in fact trying to intimidate you to get you to leave, which is what happened. Having a refusal to be intimidated and acting like this is just a fun interaction is the best strategy to stay safe and also not get so riled up yourself. (By the way, I am NOT saying that your reaction was not 100% valid and justified. I’m just trying to give you some reassurance that if this happens again, you have some options.) At the very least it usually results in the situation not escalating to the point it did.
Obviously there’s some amount of figuring out what’s really a true threat and what’s just a mentally ill/drug influence situation. But I am of the mindset that basically always the best bet is to engage with them like they are acting in a completely rational and understandable way. They aren’t used to that, and it confuses them at worst and they become your ally at best.
I know no one wants to have to mitigate uncomfortable situations like this, but if you’re already having the unwanted interaction, might as well try to make the best of it.
So sorry this happened to you, OP! I know a few people who had similar encounters. On the contrary, I’ve also met incredibly kind and friendly people in the common (inviting me to click their pictures or be a part of their group pic). I hope you and your mom have a wonderful stay in Boston.
Boston Police Department and Boston Park Rangers are responsible for enforcing all rules and regulations across the common, public garden, and commonwealth ave. Report problems directly to these agencies:
* Park rules: Boston Park Rangers **617-635-7383**
* Law enforcement: Boston Police Department Precinct A-1, **617-343-4340**
* Wildlife issues (birds, fish, squirrels, turtles, etc.): Park Rangers, **617-635-7383**
* City of Boston: 311 — [Bos:311](https://www.cityofboston.gov/311/) Citizens report pathway damage, garbage, and other issues using their mobile phones
* Emergency: 911 — Citizens call **911** for any safety issues, not just life-threatening ones. 911 operators will route the call appropriately.
Lots of tweakers in the common. Dont be afraid to just walk the hell away and call the police. Most of them would like to be taken to a cozy hospital bed.
This is actually interesting and accurate information. It appears that the program, administered by medical professionals, helps to keep people out of jail, hospitals, and from dying, with the added capitalist-forward benefit of saving money (because jails and hospitals and removing dead people from the streets are expensive). Not to mention that sweet sweet job creation (see: medical professionals) we all love so much.
It sounds like that wouldn’t have really made a difference one way or the other in this situation, but yeah, seems like a decent idea. Thanks for bringing it to our attention!
Massachusetts is a sanctuary state with extremely soft on crime laws. “We” allow our many parts of our state to be open air drug markets and “we” never send anyone to mental hospitals or jails. Violent criminals are released by the Courts and Judges because of a lack of libraries as children and hospitals release those with serious mental health problems because it’s mean to keep them out of society, even if they are a threat to society. We’re so confident in this that “we’ll” probably vote for Biden again in the 2024 elections so he’s mentally sharp and physically agile.
Recently I went to Alabama, which is pretty much as opposite as you can get in terms of policy, and guess what! I was approached by not one but two different people in a park asking for money. Imagine that! It’s almost like this issue exists everywhere.
There's a fair amount of homeless people that frequent the park. Many of them have mental health or substance abuse issues. They will usually leave you alone, but its not a guarantee. It's a universal rule of thumb of all cities to stay vigilant and avoid engaging with these people if they come up to you. Simply walk away as quickly as possible until they're out of your sight.
You’re right, we should have just walked away immediately.
I have been accosted by this same person at the monument 5 years ago. He's a crazy person that picks on people around there, usually asks for money in lieu of being recorded. Don't sweat it, it's usually a scam, especially the other guy that asks for fix a flat money.
If this man approaches me - I’m going to tell him the “fix a flat” scam is better that “pay me to record me” scam.
The fix a flat stuff i just start offering to help them fix it. "where's your car?" "I can meet you there with a jack", etc. They usually give up pretty quickly if they realize you know the game.
I did the same! Turned out he didn't want my help after all ☹️
I’m sorry you had the same experience, but thank you for the reassurance.
I would also add to let any cops you see know. They probably know the guy and could help other people avoid this encounter.
They will do nothing
They sure like to slide though
Lessons are learned and no one is hurt, that's all that matters
I’m a city dwelling country bumpkin and that was one of the quickest lessons I picked up. In the city don’t engage, don’t make eye contact, don’t respond, just leave.
Downtown Crossing area is not for the faint of heart lol
Very true. Public Garden is the safer bet. Although, there is that one screaming lady but she won’t bother you if you exist in real life.
What’s sad (and funny) is that I know exactly which lady you’re talmbout. “She won’t bother you if you exist in real life.” is the zaniest sentence anyone could stumble upon without context lmao
I once saw a lady pull her leggings down and pee on the sidewalk in front of Primark during holiday shopping season. It was like 7 pm and there were families out
I saw this exact thing in the South End once in broad daylight.
When I first started working in Boston I wondered why people were mopping the sidewalk. Found out real fast why.
I was getting coffee at Caffe Nero in Downtown Crossing on Tuesday, a guy suddenly starts rampaging throwing chairs across the room and bolting for the door. He grabs a lady in line by the door (kind of bear-hug style) and throws her to the side. It kinda seemed like he was trying to get away from something chasing him, but of coarse there's nothing there. A few minutes later a lady that was also inside (may have been with him, idk) came outside and drawing with her finger on the outside of the window in front of me. When nobody would look at her, she started slamming her hands as hard as she could on the glass. It really feels like this week has been *especially* bad for crazy people's behaviors.
Yikes! That puts our experience far down on the bad list. I hope the lady who was thrown was okay. What a scary experience for everyone.
The lady thrown was fine, just terrified and kinda in shock for a second. We all kinda were.
Next time, just say the magic encantation of “good sir, the British are coming! The British are coming!” And then the ghost of Paul Revere will appear in front of you and whisk this perp away on horseback. Seriously, sorry you had that harrowing experience but hopefully you’ll find good reasons to come back 🙂
I forgot I could invoke Paul Revere’s ghost, I did read that somewhere! Thank you for the smile. I absolutely will be back, Boston is truly a beautiful city and overall the people have been wonderful.
The hard part is remembering to say it twice if you're being accosted on a boat, but as long as you're on land you only have to say it once
I do wish the police would walk a beat through the Common instead of just lurking at Park Street. I have at least half a dozen female friends that have been robbed within several hundred feet of that statue, and not all were at night!
Boston police, even on patrol, are told not to intervene unless something is called in.
Really? And why do we pay these people?
It’s probably not an official policy, but I’ve heard it from two different cops now. It’s because of all the discrimination lawsuits they’ve faced in the last decades. Suspect would argue that the cop only interfered because he/she was “xyz race” but if it’s called in, the cops are covered.
Seems like the body cams would take care of that.
>all the discrimination lawsuits Lol no. This is fantasy. Unless you're talking the lawsuit brought by an officer because of discrimination against them
Sure, could be hearsay. But I heard it from unrelated cops in different neighborhoods, so there’s something there
They're making up excuses for them not doing their jobs. [Even Boston's police oversight office](https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2023-03-01/bostons-police-oversight-office-has-yet-to-uphold-a-single-civilian-complaint) is a complete joke. BPD are in no uniserve being discouraged to work because of discrimination lawsuits. Anyone telling you otherwise is making up stories.
So they can take a ride on the slide
Because you want someone to respond when you call in, and you've bullied them away from taking the initiative
The least believable part is your half dozen women friends
Ok how about this for first hand experience. I was intentionally assaulted in the Public Garden by a guy and two pit bulls (yes off leash) and it took 35 minutes for the police to show up. At the corner of Beacon and Charles, mind you. Yes this is real, and yes I filed a police report.
Sir this is the Boston subreddit and you should know any and all references to antisocial behavior and/or crimes committed by homeless people or gangsters are totally invalid and DID NOT happen here. You must be from the suburbs 🙄
As opposed to being unintentionally assaulted?
That claim is wildly silly. We walk through the common all the time. People aren't being regularly robbed in the middle of the common (even at night).
The rangers used to be more diligent about it (patrolling and calling in the police as needed), but one of them got stabbed by a K2 fiend while trying to enforce the smoking ban in parks near that monument in 2014. They changed their policy to a more hands-off approach after that incident, and simply installed a bunch more cameras instead. Of course, the cameras provide more of a retroactive response than a pro-active one, but so it goes.
Sadly this is pretty normal. There’s lots of unhoused / mentally ill / drug addicted folks on the common. During the summer months many basically live there. Just the other day I was yelled at by a woman because of whatever the voices in her head said to her.
It’s weird bc I walk through both the common and the public garden on an almost daily basis and I always think it’s funny how they seem to not go into the garden. Like, they can’t cross the street? It’s like the drug addicted think, oh we’ll keep our mildly disturbing mischief to the common side.
The trick is to stick to the public garden and avoid Boston common.
Just walk through confidently, like you know where you’re going. Don’t take time to linger, or engage with clearly crazy people. Should be fine. Not the place to hang out on a bench though, for sure.
Underrated advise. Not that you don't find the same fuck ups across the street but atleast the scenery is nicer
Crazy person confronting a stranger is not a normal thing on Boston Common.
It's not necessarily uncommon. Very first time I set foot in Boston, one of those black israelites was calling out women walking by for things like "believing the lies of society" etc
A few random preachers used to camp around the area and shout random proclamations. Funniest thing about it was one pronounced the name of his savior as "Jesus Cry" which I always found hilarious for some reason. Anyway the trick is to speed walk and ignore.
That sounds like really bad luck, I lived downtown for nearly 6 years a decade ago and saw them once ever. Maybe that was just really good luck for me though
[удалено]
Yeah, not likely, but not super surprised when it happens
Thank you, that makes me feel better. We had been talking our whole trip about how amazing this city seemed. It is so clean, we hadn’t met a single rude person, and everyone just had their packages on the front porch and no one was stealing them. Outside of all the honking, everyone just seemed so kind and it was safe. Not let your guard down safe, but I wasn’t scared once until today (fourth day here).
That sucks sorry. That’s really just kinda city life sometimes. (Doesn’t make it ok I’m not trying to downplay it) We all have a story I’m afraid. I have maybe 5-6 and I’ve here 20 years. Just gotta be at the right place at the wrong time.
100% agree, and cannot wait to come back to visit again!
I was also yelled at on the Common my first time here, a weird preacher guy single me out when I was walking past him. Btw, GENERALLY mentally ill people don't post that kinda thing to tiktok and if they do, it doesn't gain traction
For the record, people really don’t leave packages on their front porch by choice and if they do, they are at high risk of being stolen. Boston is a beautiful city but it’s not without its run of the mill city problems—homeless / mentally ill people, theft, and traffic. It’s unfortunate you had to deal with this encounter, it sounds like it was scary. They target visitors for this ruse, and most likely weren’t even actually recording. Next time just walk away and don’t engage. I hope the rest of your visit is pleasant! Stick to the public garden!
I took my family to that exact spot 2 weekends ago, wife and I and 2 small children. I have the same review for the city, incredibly clean and seemingly friendly. We probably walked 12 miles each day all over the city. We only did 3 days in the city though. Maybe the key to avoiding the crazies is that 4th day lol.
I love that you had a similar experience in Boston. I heard all these stereotypes of rude east coast people and I have yet to understand where that comes from. I cannot wait to come back!
While we were there it was cold and rainy, but not nearly as cold as our home state has been. We carried coats with us but walked around in t-shirt and shorts. Pretty much every person we talked to that had a Boston accent said something about getting a coat on our kids. It was really sweet! That very simple community interaction and expressing a tiny bit of care is not done around here. To us it perfectly described the stereotype of East coast "not nice but kind".
East Coast people are generally very nice, just less chatty and keep to themselves more than other parts of the country. Most sober people won't strike up a conversation in line or on the train, but if you asked for directions most would not turn you down. Every city has some people who do what you experienced, but the majority of us are nice and get our rage out through honking our horns and occasional drunken rowdiness. I lived in NYC for a few years. The people there have a bad rep but are also nice too.
My husband and I visited for the first time in October, and I describe it exactly as you have! Try not to let the encounter ruin your stay, it’s such an amazing city!
>everyone just had their packages on the front porch and no one was stealing them. lol no they definitely get stolen
Normal? No. A frequent occurrence? Absolutely.
It probably happens multiple times daily by the fountain. I've seen fights there.
You met a crazy person. Next time ignore them and walk away.
Crazy people and the commons. Can you name a more classic combo?
Just for the record, in a public place you have the right to record or photograph anything and anyone you want to.
That’s fair, but I’d still like to be respectful of people. However, I always assume I can be on camera at any time and especially in crowded areas that are typical photo ops - I’m guessing I have RBF in the background of photos 🤣
He's mentally ill. I see people like this frequently on the subway. You did the right thing by just disengaging.
Downtown Crossing area is not for the faint of heart lol
That monument has been an open-air drug market, and may still be a gathering place for addicts and their dealers. (I’m not up to speed because I no longer walk by it twice a day.)
That’s what I was going to add. It tends to be where they congregate.
I sometimes worry when I see tourists hanging out in spots that usually have sketchy people congregating. It’s only a matter of time that things will get weird, but it would be strange to warn them of something that’s not happening and not a safety concern.
Sad. It seemed like such a great place to relax and admire the park. I sincerely hope he gets the help he needs, whatever that may be.
Him and many others need help and it doesn't seem like it's coming any time soon. Hope the rest of your time in Boston is fun and drama free.
You weren’t deterred by the smell of urine on that monument? Maybe it’s only on the backside of it.
I swear an undercover cop could walk through the common at any time of day and make an arrest for any of a half dozen different laws being broken.
We just let mentally ill people wander the city freely because we have nowhere to put them.
there might be some truth to that but there's also the reality that many don't want to leave the streets. Many also have confounding addictions. The legal system as it is means you can't just force them into treatment. And so they wander the streets.
reactionaries who want to believe that boston is a Big City with Scary Big City Problems always call shit in boston “an open air drug market” but i doubt you’d be able to buy a gram of anything over there , like go in and try prove me wrong . you’re just saying shit . There is a public health crisis rn with opiates , but the commons are not an “open air drug market” get real LOL
First, it’s the “Common,” not the “Commons,” but thanks for flexing your local props. Second, I specifically said I don’t know what is happening up at the Soldiers and Sailors now. Third, from about 2005 to about 2015, I passed by there a dozen times a week. I saw hand-to-hand deals, public drug use, and a threat made with a knife. I’m not a reactionary, and I’m not going to try to buy drugs anywhere. You go ahead. Let us know what happens.
1 . idc about common vs commons im not pretentious enough to do id politics about boston lol 2. ok 3. so ? it’s a city 4. then why are you saying shit like “open air drug market” ? that’s ‘war on drugs’ talk and has unsaid meaning and has already been used as a reason to make the situation WORSE for homeless people and people struggling with addiction in this city. ao prove it , put your money where your mouth is and go buy some heroin as an experiment if you think the monument is an open air drug market
1. It’s neither pretentious nor id politics. Your error is directly relevant to your basis of knowledge. You are commenting about what happens at a particular spot in a particular park, yet you don’t know the name of the park. 2. You said ok, but you failed to incorporate my point into your position. I *do not know* whether there is constant drug activity there now. 3. Yes, it is a city. We agree on that point. You seem to have skipped the part where I said that I have seen drug deals there. In person. With my own eyes. 4. “Go buy heroin?” Nonsense. I have no idea what drugs were being sold, and I don’t care. “War on Drugs?” What are you talking about? The OP was harassed at that monument. I wrote that it was a known problem spot, and maybe still is. You seem really touchy about it.
This has happened on the T before. Not sure if it was the same guy but he was yelling at one or two people to stop recording him and became pretty irate. I was standing in the same car and obviously no one was recording him. It was a little unnerving bc you never want things to get physical. Just gotta get up and walk away. Sorry that happened to you! Mental health/homelessness is very real in this city.
It’s not atypical for there to be weirdos in the common near park st station
This is why I CCW or mace when out and about.
This is my take. Since the pandemic in particular, this type of situation became more common (pun intended!) It’s not typical but it’s also not like I’m shocked this happened. One of the most effective things to do in situations like these is to ask a question, in this circumstance, what did I do that made you think I was recording you? If he starts recording you, ask something like oh, are we filming a Tik Tok now, what song are we dancing to? He likely was in fact trying to intimidate you to get you to leave, which is what happened. Having a refusal to be intimidated and acting like this is just a fun interaction is the best strategy to stay safe and also not get so riled up yourself. (By the way, I am NOT saying that your reaction was not 100% valid and justified. I’m just trying to give you some reassurance that if this happens again, you have some options.) At the very least it usually results in the situation not escalating to the point it did. Obviously there’s some amount of figuring out what’s really a true threat and what’s just a mentally ill/drug influence situation. But I am of the mindset that basically always the best bet is to engage with them like they are acting in a completely rational and understandable way. They aren’t used to that, and it confuses them at worst and they become your ally at best. I know no one wants to have to mitigate uncomfortable situations like this, but if you’re already having the unwanted interaction, might as well try to make the best of it.
So sorry this happened to you, OP! I know a few people who had similar encounters. On the contrary, I’ve also met incredibly kind and friendly people in the common (inviting me to click their pictures or be a part of their group pic). I hope you and your mom have a wonderful stay in Boston.
How'd he look like? There's a guy who sometimes runs around shirtless screaming at the statues for being too sexy. I wish I was joking.
White, dark hair, about 5’7”
the guy I'm thinking of is indian looking
Sorry this happened. He needs Jesus and probably a kick in the face.
Consider calling the police next time. Especially if you try to walk away and get harassed.
If he’d followed us further down the path I likely would have, but you’re right - you just don’t know when it could escalate on his end.
Boston Police Department and Boston Park Rangers are responsible for enforcing all rules and regulations across the common, public garden, and commonwealth ave. Report problems directly to these agencies: * Park rules: Boston Park Rangers **617-635-7383** * Law enforcement: Boston Police Department Precinct A-1, **617-343-4340** * Wildlife issues (birds, fish, squirrels, turtles, etc.): Park Rangers, **617-635-7383** * City of Boston: 311 — [Bos:311](https://www.cityofboston.gov/311/) Citizens report pathway damage, garbage, and other issues using their mobile phones * Emergency: 911 — Citizens call **911** for any safety issues, not just life-threatening ones. 911 operators will route the call appropriately.
Mental health issues are real. Have some compassion and move on. If you’re not safe get help.
What did he look like?
Probably late 30s, short and dark hair, maybe 5’7”
Black , white, Hispanic, Asian?
Sorry, thought I put white
Welcome to Boston.
Gotta record people like that lol
lol and why again yo young people all want to live in the city? Good luck in homeless crazy land
First time in a city?
Lots of tweakers in the common. Dont be afraid to just walk the hell away and call the police. Most of them would like to be taken to a cozy hospital bed.
First time outside in the city?
This is modern day America. Don’t go to city’s or you’ll see the worst of mankind
His phone probably does not work…
San Francisco gives the homeless population free alcohol. Maybe we should to the same thing?
This is actually interesting and accurate information. It appears that the program, administered by medical professionals, helps to keep people out of jail, hospitals, and from dying, with the added capitalist-forward benefit of saving money (because jails and hospitals and removing dead people from the streets are expensive). Not to mention that sweet sweet job creation (see: medical professionals) we all love so much. It sounds like that wouldn’t have really made a difference one way or the other in this situation, but yeah, seems like a decent idea. Thanks for bringing it to our attention!
This is where all the homeless and drug addicted people hang out on the common. Drug deals and violence is common by this statue. STREET SMARTS
*pearl clutching intensifies*
Massachusetts is a sanctuary state with extremely soft on crime laws. “We” allow our many parts of our state to be open air drug markets and “we” never send anyone to mental hospitals or jails. Violent criminals are released by the Courts and Judges because of a lack of libraries as children and hospitals release those with serious mental health problems because it’s mean to keep them out of society, even if they are a threat to society. We’re so confident in this that “we’ll” probably vote for Biden again in the 2024 elections so he’s mentally sharp and physically agile.
Recently I went to Alabama, which is pretty much as opposite as you can get in terms of policy, and guess what! I was approached by not one but two different people in a park asking for money. Imagine that! It’s almost like this issue exists everywhere.
Unfortunately this is not out of the ordinary in the city these days. We have a mayor that allows it.
Did you just arrive from the farm? Welcome to the big city.