In a world-class city, you'd expect the sob-story guys to be multilingual

Ari Ofsevit reports a Hebrew-talking sob-story guy in Cambridge today:

Scene: Lafayette square in Cambridge. Guy with rolling suitcase approaches me. “Do you speak Hebrew?”

Not “m’daber ivrit” mind you. I spit out like two words but he does indeed speak some English. He’s in trouble. Lost his wallet. Lives in DC but originally Israeli (with the accent to prove it). Has $100 but needs $86 more for a train ticket. Can I help him out?

Certainly you could take a bus for $86. No, he has a heart condition. Has to get up to walk every 20-30 minutes. Swears on his child’s life he will pay me back because he is a good Jew.

He has his phone and can call his girlfriend in Israel to confirm but apparently can’t use Venmo or a wire transfer or anything. I say I’m sorry I can’t help him out and he scurried away.