Guy tossed lit cigarette at man at South Station, then threatened him with a knife, police say

By adamg on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 9:53am

Surveillance photo of suspect via TPD.

Transit Police report they are looking for a guy they say threw a lit cigarette at a man's face - causing a burn - and then "displayed a knife in a threatening manner" at South Station around 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

If he looks familiar, contact detectives, anonymously if you prefer, at 617-222-1050.

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Comments

Hey hey hey

By Sock_Puppet on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 9:57am.

I guess he's been unemployed since Cosby went to jail.

Mushmouth's Hat As Well.

By John Costello on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 3:13pm.

I'd be willing to bet...

By CopleyScott17 on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 10:28am.

...the victim had the temerity to ask him to extinguish his cigarette, or maybe just looked at him askance. In the absence of any kind of official enforcement presence on most platforms, not to mention the trains themselves, good luck to law-abiding folks trying to maintain any sense of order or common courtesy. It's the Wild West down there.

Thankfully, it shouldn't be too difficult to spot this guy.

What caused this change?

By anon on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 10:50am.

I have been a daily T rider for over 50 years, starting at age 12 when I started Boston Latin. Although everybody seems to say (and apparently can produce statistics and all kinds of proof to back it up) that crime was worse in Boston in the 1970s, up until recent years I have never, I mean NEVER, seen the madness that I now see on the T on a daily, frequent, recurring basis both on the trains and in the stations. It's frightening, it's dystopian, it's intimidating, it makes me avoid many stations that I was never afraid to tread in years past at any hour of the day or night. And in those years past there wasn't much of a presence of law enforcement on the T, just like there isn't now, so I don't think that's the answer. What changed? Are people de-evolving? What is causing the drastic increase of what cleary looks to be people with mental illness surging all over the T?

I honestly think the token-sales booths made a difference.

By CopleyScott17 on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 2:03pm.

Even though the attendants couldn't be expected to intervene, I think having an official person on premises acted as a deterrent, and they were certainly connected to the T police.

Then Again

By John Costello on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 3:12pm.

The grandfather of a kid I knew when I was 9 was the token guy at the then Columbia, now JFK/Umass booth facing Columbia Road.

The grandfather was a drinker and had one of those metal token booths which replaced the original one from the 20's. This was circa 1980. They had to replace the metal booth within a few years because he used to drink so much he would just piss on the floor. The piss corroded out the bottom of the booth. There could have been a fight straight out of Scott Pilgrim in the lobby and he wouldn't have lifted a finger.

But yes, maybe my old man instincts have kicked in and things seem worse on the T.

I mean, if you are not going to prosecute ASBOs or Bruins, some people can just keep up the crazy, right?

Since we're sharing anecdotes

By Plen-T-Pak on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 4:10pm.

Since we're sharing anecdotes, mine is the city never really returned to normal after COVID. I don't think there are more problematic people; it's just things have gotten out of balance with the decrease in daily ridership. The T's state of disrepair is ensuring daily ridership stays down.

I also suspect that the increased economic disparity in the city has contributed? More white collar jobs means higher likelihood that the T is not a necessity, since white collar workers can more likely work from home or choose alternative means.

Agreed

By Angry Dan on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 5:31pm.

it's just things have gotten out of balance with the decrease in daily ridership

I think the ratio of everyday commuters to problematic denizens has decreased so it just seems like there are more of them. They also stand out more since there aren't the crowds to get lost in and you get trapped with them for longer periods due to all the delays and slowdowns.

Makes sense

By lbb on Mon, 02/19/2024 - 12:10pm.

Pre-covid, the ridership during much of the day was commuters who were not interested in shenanigans. When you have a Green Line trolley jam packed with people like this who just want to get home, it definitely puts a damper on those who want to act up.

Go ride the train in Chicago

By Ari O on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 11:08pm.

I haven't been taking the T a ton recently* (the Red Line being slower than walking hasn't helped, although maybe now it will be better) but have not encountered anyone smoking on T cars. I've seen it once on the platform at DTX (pre-pandemic) and that's what the See-Say app is for. Give TPD the car number and direction and they may come give the perp a stern talking to (and I am totally fine being a narc if you're smoking on the T).

Last time I was in Chicago it seemed that every car reeked of smoke. You'd move from one car and the next would be full of smoke. I'm sure it happens in Boston, but it seemed to happen on every train in Chicago.

* Since I keep track of this, the last 10 years, # of days taking the T:

2011 88
2012 201
2013 115
2014 68 (started biking & bluebiking more, I guess; slightly shorter commute, too)
2015 58
2016 61
2017 49
2018 66
2019 76
2020 35
2021 51
2022 68
2023 38
2024 6 (on pace for 48)

Although everybody seems to say (and apparently can produce statistics and all kinds of proof to back it up) that crime was worse in Boston in the 1970s

Here are some statistics: Massachusetts crime rates overall are down since the 1970s. Murder rates in Boston are as low as they have been since the early 1960s. There hasn't been a murder in the city since New Year's Day, which is the longest span of murder-free days since Adam started tracking murders in 2013.

I'm shocked

By cybah on Sun, 02/18/2024 - 6:00pm.

I'm shocked I ride the T more than you.

But

Last time I was in Chicago it seemed that every car reeked of smoke. You'd move from one car and the next would be full of smoke. I'm sure it happens in Boston,

You need to ride more. Yeah we get smokers.. but its people smoking spliff's or blunts on the platform or just outside the exits. Some days you can get a contact high off the wafs of smoke that come into the train from some stations..

I was thinking the same thing.

By Boston_res on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 11:50am.

My post from last year: https://www.universalhub.com/comment/929658#comment-929658

I bought a car to avoid this BS. I got tired of the declining T experience. Now I pollute air just like smokers!