Hey, there! Log in / Register
Alleged sob-story guy arrested at South Station
By adamg on Thu, 10/16/2014 - 11:07am
Well, what do you know: A man pestering people at South Station for money for an urgent train ride really did have a pressing reason to get back to Framingham. Unfortunately for Jeffrey Bliss, 32, however, that reason was a warrant out of Framingham District Court for shoplifting.
Transit Police report officers watching Bliss figured the elderly couple he'd been trying to wheedle money out of around 4:30 p.m. yesterday by claiming he had to get back to his family had had enough, so they moved in for a little chat of their own.
On discovering he was wanted on that warrant, they decided to help him out by bringing him down to Transit PD headquarters for booking and eventual transfer to the suburb to face the shoplifting charge.
Innocent, etc.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Elliot next, please!
Elliot next, please!
This crumb-bum has been working this scam for
at least a decade. He had a young female partner at the time. I can remember him buttonholing me several times over by Back Bay Station way back in 2004 (had to check my LinkedIn profile to pinpoint when I worked nearby).
The first time I told him to eff off, he did an impressive bit of emoting over how he couldn't be-LIEVE that anyone didn't believe his sob story, holding his head in his hands, staring skyward for some deity's intervention, etc.
The years have not been kind to him.
This is a relatively old
This is a relatively old warrant yes? How is it possible the transit police just found out about this now?
No reason to check the database before this.
Generally, police only run a warrant check when they have a reason, typically when they stop someone for something else. If the transit police had not stopped him before, they would have had no reason to run a warrant check, even assuming they already knew his name and DOB.
His "brother" was on the job yesterday, too
I don't think it was him, but yesterday someone who fits his general description and MO was working the bus stops in Malden, walking down Ferry Street toward Everett. I think he had to "get to Worcester to see his Ma in the hospital", or something. I'm pretty sure I've also encountered this guy near South Station.
I'm almost positive that I
I'm almost positive that I ran into this guy about 2 years ago in Charlestown while walking up Monument Street.
He said he "needed money to get to South Station", and I told him he could be there in 35 minutes if he started walking. He didn't like my answer and began cursing me out, saying that nobody cared about nobody anymore.
What a joke. Add this the ever-growing list of reasons to never give strangers or "homeless" people money.
yup
I work near South Station so I am pestered by these folks daily. Same people day after day after day pulling off their scams. Many know me by face and won't ask now because they've asked too many times.
I hate to be a boston asshole but people wonder why I don't address, make eye contact, or even flinch when I get the "hey sir.. hey sir" crap all day.
You just become callous to it now and just assume 99% of these folks are just scammers (and most are anyways)
Exactly. I was dating a girl
Exactly. I was dating a girl a couple years ago who had a soft spot for these people. We were walking through Copley Square the one night when a couple of men approached us with "official-looking", laminated badges around their necks, supposedly from the US Army, asking for donations in connection with United Airlines and Logan Airport.
Their story was so elaborate, it actually sounded kind of plausible. However, in the back of my mind I was asking myself why the US Army/United Airlines/Logan Airport would commission a couple of schmucks to walk around Copley Square in the middle of February to ask for donations.
I tried brushing them off and nudging my girlfriend to keep walking, but of course she reaches into her purse to pull out $5. I told her it sounded shady, and that I didn't think she should be stopping to open up her purse and pull out her wallet if I wasn't there with her.
Lo and behold, a few days later, I read a story in the news about a couple of scammers conning people into donations, with the exact story I described above.
Just goes to show, you can't trust anybody.
I don't care what the general public does to squander away their money. If you want to give money to those scam artists, go ahead. But I'll squander mine on that crazy-expensive pair of Frye boots I've been eyeing at The Tannery thankyouverymuch.
I've found...
...that when someone opens with "Can I ask you a question?" they're invariably looking for money. People who want to know what time it is/where City Hall is/how the T ticket machine works/etc. just typically approach you with an "Excuse me," followed immediately by a request. I'm a helpful person by nature, but now I ignore anyone who tells me s/he wants to ask me something.
From my experience
You won't get the laugh you deserve if you respond to a scruffy dude in Harvard Square who says he needs help getting to NY by pointing vaguely southwest and saying, "I think it's that way"
I dunno
Pretty sure you deserved the snicker/chuckle I just gave you from my desk for that one.
On social engineering
The funny thing is that I have no issue with making eye contacts w/ these folks. Them, and clipboard beggars.
The entire premise of their engagement is that you're now obliged to give them your attention and/or help.
And the simple fact is that... you're not. at all.
So instead of pretending they aren't there, or trying to respond with some kind of factual quip, I just generally look at them briefly, and respond to whatever their question was with "nope."
And that's it. Cuz again, the fact is that you don't owe them anything, and in turn, you've given them nothing to react to. In their eyes, you're a lost cause, so they may as well try someone a little less disengaged (double negative, I know).
The only variant is again with the clip board beggars who like to pretend you're acquainted. A harsh "do I fucking know you!?" or something of the like does well.
Eye contact....
... back when I lived in the Atlanta area, there was a homeless guy who hung around downtown who would attack people who made any sort of eye contact with him. Just saying. ;-{
How is panhandling on the T allowed?
The same people are constantly on the train or at the station begging for money, giving the same stories over and over. How is this allowed? Freedom of speech doesn't apply to captive audiences.
It's always the same people,
It's always the same people, too. It's like there's a secret association out there with the sole purpose of begging for money on the T.
I wouldn't say it's allowed
as much as the MBTA is just understaffed and poor, and has no way of dealing with it on a large scale. These people are smart too, they often do little things like change over on the Green Line at Arlington to avoid Park and lower their chances of being caught. One morning I caught the lady with the short blonde hair who by my account has been going through the longest "pregnancy" in history, planning out the day with some of her cronies. They know how to do it and not get caught, and where/when to be to get the most out of their scam.
There's that old adage about the success criminals could have if they put all of the work that goes into scheming towards an actual career, and many of the sob story people fit this to a T, pun intended.
Her kids are also different ages...
...every single day. My favorite is when she says she has used her last roll of toilet paper the night before.
Reason # 8,479 why
we need to get the cops out of the cruisers and onto the trains and platforms.
still not as good as the guy
still not as good as the guy who was on the redline one weekend night as I was heading home. he was on the platform as I waited for the redline at south station and he "needed 2 more bucks so he could get to Worchester to get treatment since he was HIV positive. he was really annoying and as the train pulled in I got on a car I was CERTAIN he would not enter. as I sat there and waited for the door to close he teleported onto the train and was all the sudden on MY CAR. the luck I had that night to be honored with his presence once again! I don't think it was this same scholar of a gentlemen posted in this article, but he sure was annoying!!!!!
Should have told him
that he was already on a train to one of the best hospitals in the country!
Options for responses:
Options for responses:
"How have you still not made
"How have you still not made it to your job interview in Western MA? You asked me for money for this same reason last time I ran into you 4 weeks ago"
My go to is always, "Sorry, I
My go to is always, "Sorry, I don't carry cash".
Makes me worry for the day when these sob-story guys start taking credit card payment via Square.
Yup, they patrol all the gas
Yup, they patrol all the gas stations around here (Seattle) and they always wait for you to put the pump in you and start pumping before they amble over with their bullshit story. And they ALL have some variant of the same line of crap. These people suck. My wife and I went home (Boston) last year and as and were walking from Boylston to Park along the Common this lady walks towards us and as loon as I saw her lips separate to start the spiel I loudly said NO! and kept walking. I swear I can sense it and I can see it in their eyes. She didn't even try her story and made a 90 degree turn in search of another fish. (I call their trade fishing). My wife thought I was kind of being an asshole because "what if she really needed help?" I had to explain it to her. We run into that shit all the time out here....of course its State-Sanctioned here as well, It's apparently your First Amendment right to ask people for money and interpreted by WA state.
International, actually
I had somebody block my progress from the line to the window in a train station in Paris to start the sob story - first in French and then in English.
My son was amused when he encountered a tri-lingual sob story guy working the tram in Basel.
I rarely get hassled
Was in Rome last year and even the gypsies and touts left me alone. I think over the years of living in different cities I've perfected "the look" which is a quick glance in their direction that says "f-off" and tells them not to bother as it's a lost cause to try.
Some have new and exciting stories...
I ran into one at the Natick rest stop headed east on the Pike. To his credit, he had his story down solid--recovering from brain surgery, car was out of gas, needed to get to the hospital for something. And, without prompting, he showed off the massive, fresh scar under his ball cap. That was some serious method acting.
(I probably would have bought it if he hadn't told me the hospital he was headed to was in Worcester. When, again, eastbound rest stop on the Pike)
My response
"Wow. Doesn't it suck that the scammers have ruined it for honest people like you who actually need help?"
This and other losers
What about a public campaign encouraging Bostonians to give money to organizations and not to anyone on the street. It would be one step in improving downtown
That's proven effective
...exactly nowhere. That said, I'm often torn: what if this is an honest joe who DOES need help? (Honestly, all these people DO need help, albeit some of them not the kind they necessarily want.) I'll give a buck if i have one handy solely on the "Who knows?" principle; it helps having recently come out on the other side of some seriously bad times myself.
Refer them to Travellers Aid
They are located at 727 Atlantic Ave. near the bus depot at South Station.
If they are grateful, maybe give them a little money. If they look at you blankly or swear or other odd reaction before turning to the next mark, well, you have your answer.
Offer actual non-monetary help
When hit up by one of these scammers in Copley ("I lost my train ticket to Providence") I offered to go with her to the ticket window at Back Bay, buy a replacement ticket, and even make sure she got on the right train.
Amazingly, she decided she wasn't "comfortable" with that solution.
yup
been there too. Had a woman do the same thing about bus ticket to South Carolina. Told her I'd buy her the ticket... she didn't like that too much and proceeded to get angry at me. I told her "then you'r a scam artist" and walked away. Which then, she started screaming obscenities at me.
Professionals advise against donating to panhandlers
I used to date a woman who worked for the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, and their line was, "Don't give money to people on the street; the vast majority of them are using it to feed various substance abuse issues. Give to a shelter or other similar charity instead, where it will go to getting them help and off the street." I suppose that could be interpreted as self-serving, but I believe it.
Yeah, I get that...
but I figure if you are living on the streets, who am I to judge where you spend the money I give to you?
Plenty of reasons not to enable addiction
An obvious example is the emergency room care you're eventually going to have to pick up the cost of when their addiction leads to its inevitable conclusion. In general, productive, functional citizens are more likely to contribute net-positively to society than be a drain on it.
The way I view it, I don't want to help keep them on the path they're on out of sympathy. It is possible to regain a healthy, normal, happy life, but at some point you have to stop choosing the short-term pain relief, and that often only happens with professional help. Without it, most of these people end up in a very desperate, miserable place.
I question whether you or I
I question whether you or I or anyone else can really make a valid judgment of someone's path, whether it's good or not, and whether a buck or some spare change will "keep them on" it, based on a five-second encounter. I say this as someone who has plenty of difficult experience in dealing with people with substance abuse issues. Yes, I know what enabling is, and yes, I know about the dynamics that keep people trapped in addiction, but making a judgment on someone you pass in the street is a different matter. Either give the money or don't, your choice -- but please don't tell yourself that you can know for sure if it's going to help or hurt.
Here's another reason
The people who are out panhandling are often the able-bodied people without children or disabilities which prevent them from spending often long hours getting this extra stream of income.
If you give to organizations that help the homeless, you help everyone, including the people who are not panhandling.
What about creating a Wall of Spare Change ?
Couldn't someone create a "Wall of Spare Change" with pics of these perps for not only the benefit of the public, but also law enforcement ?
If you're annoyed, and see the same people pulling this day after day, you could take their picture with your mobile device and post to the Wall site ?
Sort of like what some enterprising people did with a site collecting emails with the so-called Nigerian "419" scam
Reasons why I don't miss
Reasons why I don't miss working in there in Back Bay I remember going to catch the train @ Arlington Station and a girl tries to tell me a story about how she needs $ for a train.. I had heard about her on UHub so I said all I had was my Charlie Card She responds with "Can you go to the ATM?" Ahhh nooo I don't fall for it
Can the T do anything about the loud Bible guy?
There is a guy who occasionally gets on the Red Line at South Station/Downtown Crossing and shouts about Jesus and getting saved and the Bible. He SHOUTS at the top of his lungs in the evening when everyone just really wants to get home.
One time I told him that I am a born again Christian and asked him to stop because he was making all of us look bad. He blinked for a few seconds and then continued on his way.
(True story: Technically I am a born again Christian but when I got booted from my church for asking questions about theology my pastor told me that my baptism obviously didn't "stick.")
that's against policy
Call MBTA Police. You cannot do that.. its no longer free speech since you have a captive audience. He shouldn't be doing that ON the trains... I wish he wouldn't do that on the platforms either. Actually I wish the T would stop this all together and force people outside the paid areas. You PAY to ride the T, not pay to be harassed.
I've seen this guy. I don't think he's all there, Nancy either. Or he just doesn't care.
I just scream back that I'm gay and already going to hell and to just put a sock in it. He now sees me and walks the other way because he knows he's going to get it dished back out to him.
I found this method to be most effective. Him and the beggars pray on fear and people not doing anything, but you act nutty or scream back at them, they get the picture and leave you alone. (the gypsy flower women immediately leave now because I will walk up to whoever they are trying to scam and explain to the person how they live in Malden and drive mercedes's.)
Yesterday we had the I will sing for a captive audience
guy on our Red Line train. Actually, he had a pretty good voice. I don't think anyone gave him money and he left at Charles/MGH.
Better than the screaming preacher guy.
As someone who is over 6 feet tall:
"Hey big man!"
has never in my life been followed by something other than a solicitation.
And they ALL use this opener, without exception.
It's unbelievably consistent.
There's a guy that trolls the
There's a guy that trolls the Hess gas on Rt9 Framingham in a big old station wagon, he pulls close up while you're pumping to ask directions...how to get to Augusta Maine lol.... then hits you up for gas money... wife in the passenger seat and two kids with their toys in the back seat.
And why do they let them continue to panhandle at the Rt 2 islands near Alewife? Or the Cambridge exit from the Pike. Do these people sign up for shifts, is there ever a fight when someone else shows up to work the same area?