NYC subway beggars and preachers

The dwarf in a wheelchair guy freaks me out. I can't look at him. I'm also always afraid he's going to run over my feet with his wheelchair.

The evangelists are mentally ill, I think. I don't really see too many of them anymore to be honest. There is a crazy Chinese evangelist that operates inside Port Authority on the weeks. Her accent is thick and unintelligible. She often leads the homeless around in song and prayer- she gives them food if they stick around for the message, so there's always a crowd. All those homeless together in one place create a horrid stench and you nearly gag walking past them. Don't know how she does it.

There's a young, chubby "douche bro" type wearing gym shorts, a t shirt, and a backwards Giants cap who's always on the G and the L, loudly and with exaggerated irritation in his voice asking people "if they could please spare sixty cents, I just need sixty more cents for the train ride home!" It's every fucking day. Every goddamn day this asshole needs a specific amount of change for his transportation.

Fucking loser. I know he's just a drug addict, but I always see people giving in to his pleas.

Religion is all they have left in the world. If the mental health system were functioning like in any decent society, they'd be receiving the treatment they need.

The ability to tell people that they stand in the gross subway and scream at strangers gets them off. They love telling all of their friends and family about it so that they can be admired for being so resolute and brave.

They're like vegetarians who won't shut up about what they won't eat. These street preachers won't shut up about their "selfless sacrifice" that is actually done for praise and respect.

Sad.

The best time I ever had on the subway was a preacher coming in to preach about gay people, and a (male) opera singer began singing at the top of his lungs to drown out the preacher. I cannot tell you what aria he was singing, but it was gorgeous, and it drowned out and shut up the preacher.

There used to be a guy on the R train who’d come into the car with a saxophone and announce “I am a space alien. money makes me stop” and then he’d screech away on his sax until people gave him money.

Me no like lesbian, me no like batty boy.

R6 People seriously gave him money? Don't New Yorkers have a reputation for not putting up with shit? I wonder why someone didn't just rip the stupid saxophone away from him and smash it to pieces.

Has anyone in NYC encountered the homeless comedian who does his act on the subway? Sort of funny actually.

Also how about the lady with the drum who sings, "It's no joke; I'm real broke!"

The most annoying is a new woman who sits on the stairwell of my subway stop. She just had a plastic container with dollar bills in it. She tries to look pitiful. I guess it works because she's not there every single day.

R8, eventually someone would fold. He also had those little alien antennae on springs on a headband. And sometimes he had a kitten tucked into his army jacket. He could actually play the sax, and sometimes he would break into a few bars of “The Flintstones” theme song.

No one else remembers him?

R10, I believe I remember him. Only saw him ONCE, however. I recall the heinous sounds coming out of the saxophone, and people laughing at him because it was so hideous sounding and obviously intentional.

I had an old guy come into my train car give the "sorry to interrupt ladies and gentlemen" and a few seconds later he was interrupted by a teen with the fucking welch's fruit snacks "three for a dollar for my basketball team" the first guy looked at him like can't you see I'm hustlin mothertrucker?

Even drug addicts need their drugs. Seriously. It’s not like you’re going to save them with your dollar donation.

The Puerto Rican in the wheelchair was featured in an article in our hospital newsletter a few years ago. Is that a HIPAA violation? I didn’t reveal any names or the name of the hospital. I mean, clearly a guy in his condition visits hospitals. What amazed me is (not sure if he still can do it) is that on the E train he’d roll his chair between cars while the train was moving. Fearless.

Last night though man, there was a LOUD one on the E train. Whenever they start the “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the interruption...” you know you’re in for a load of shit. This guy (mah name is Remar) claimed to be in and out of shelters and psych hospitals (probably true) and said he was assaulted in a shelter. He did look like he was on a heavy antipsychotic, else something illegal and nasty like PCP. Anyway, he so damn loud and his hustle took forever to finish.

I've been seeing this middle-aged guy lately who keeps giving the same spiel about needing money to buy formula for his kid - about the third time I saw him this guy on the train actually went onto Amazon with his phone and bought the dude formula that way instead of giving him cash! He asked the beggar's address and beggar totally seemed caught in his own lie but he knew he couldn't back down at that point. Now he's just going to have a can of formula showing up at his door that I have serious doubts he actually needs.

Ha, R16!

People just need to completely these fuckers. They're only successful because others are fools.

The most notorious in NYC, at least recently, are the gypsy women who beg with their babies or toddlers. They're total con artists. They're all over Europe and other parts of the world, too, but people in New York fall for their bullshit.

Do a YouTube search for "homeless scam" or "homeless con artist" to see videos of these liars getting busted by fearless citizens.

[quote]People just need to completely these fuckers

Just need to completely ignore*

My thumbs and forefingers don't move as quickly on my iPhone's screen as my contempt does.

R16 we give women working their con with children on the subway because we're afraid they'll beat the kids if they don't bring in enough money -- or the actual parents will beat them when they get the kid back if they don't get a high enough commission from the day's takings.

OP go fuck yourself and go back to whatever little prissy hole you got shat out of. Yes these people are mentally ill, and some who are homeless are alcoholics or junkies. Its a fucked situation but this is New York City. You can head down to 33 street on 7th avenue during summer.....all the crazies are out. Guess Bellevue targeted their quota. Its sad as every summer its THE SAME GROUP of homeless people. Haven't you noticed every summer there's a homeless person attacking someone here in the city?

R19, no, don't give to the gypsies with their kids. If you do, stop it.

I hate those stupid thugs trying to sell you Welch's fruit snacks and won't take NO for an answer. Yelling rape sometimes solves the problem.

Are the young black children who go around collecting for the basketball teams scammers?

Two very cute young black girls (like 11 or 12-year-olds) rang my doorbell the other day, holding clipboards, asking me to donate to the school. (Why does the school send kids canvassing for funds??)

I told them no, and the girl apologized for bothering me and complimented me on my Halloween (1978) logo T shirt. I thought that was really sweet.

What about the people pretending to be deaf?

[quote]The best time I ever had on the subway was a preacher coming in to preach about gay people, and a (male) opera singer began singing at the top of his lungs to drown out the preacher. I cannot tell you what aria he was singing, but it was gorgeous, and it drowned out and shut up the preacher.

Awesome!

Never EVER give to people in the subways or on the streets.. Give a check to a more formal organization that can help people but not to individuals, most of whom are frauds.

[quote]They love telling all of their friends and family about it so that they can be admired for being so resolute and brave.

No one admires these kooks. Their family and friends (if they have any) think they're crazy. They are embarrassed and worried for them.

....

The worst lately has been the people who carry electric speakers onto the train with them. There's a woman who thinks she's on American Idol singing the cheesiest fucking terrible songs with a mic and speaker who does this on my commute a couple times a month, and I am one or two times away from just kicking a hole in her goddamn speaker. I've also seen somebody use an electric guitar! What assholes! And people give them money which is what drives me the craziest. Do not reward this behavior!

I wonder the same thing R23. When I went to school, they had those annoying candy drives, giving kids those catalogs to sell chocolate bars, greeting cards and wrapping paper and crap. Maybe the schools finally got wise that nobody wants to be bothered with that and stopped. Now these teen boys are always trying to sell stuff "for the basketball team". It makes me suspicious because I don't see any girls out selling candy for any school related activity. Do the girls not rate a fundraising drive?

R29 Ugh. I hate the subway musician s too. They're awful 9 times out of 10.

There is a guy who plays a conga drum, usually on the 1 train, and he is very good and low key about it. I don't what his story is but I always give him a dollar because his playing makes me happy.

I remember the saxophone alien guy, various wheelchair guys, many preachers, male and female (most of them have been people from a Caribbean island), Black Muslims trying to recruit me and a friend late at night in an empty car, dance troupes, guys selling batteries (back in the days of the Walkman), and the candy sellers.

I see the Puerto Rican dwarf on the E all the time, and he still rides his wheelchair between cars as the train is moving. The have seen the sax alien, 60 cent guy and burn victim dude as well. There is a twenty something kid with no hands who is usually at Columbus Circle. The most dramatic one I ever witnessed was a in the late 90s. A very thin black woman - probably middle aged but it was hard to tell - she seemed to only be wearing / inside of a large plastic trash bag. She was on the floor by one of the doors and just wailing hysterically and rocking back and forth.

[quote] The evangelists are mentally ill, I think. I don't really see too many of them anymore to be honest.

I have been seeing more of them lately. I agree that they are mostly mentally ill, or at best, not good at rational thought, but damn, they are fucking annoying, and I wish they'd take notice of the fact that they never convert anyone with their screeching.

The basketball kids are scammers because now a lot of them make the announcement that they are not in fact raising money for their basketball teams, but to make an “honest living.” It still bugs the hell out of me. And what do you all think about the Showtime dancers? What aggressive and unpleasant people. They’re talented but they’re not going to make fans by insulting people for not handing them money.

Anyone remember the skinny long bearded preacher guy in the middle of Park Avenue at 47th street. Clutching bible. Screaming out. He was there every single morning then poof. Gone.

Boston's MBTA has not one but two Screaming Jesus Guys and a couple of Screaming Jesus Ladies.

Not to be confused with Quiet Jesus Lady who just stands in Forest Hills Station with her sign warning of the perils of not repenting.

It's showtime!

Didn't beautiful young Ryan Donowho once sleep on the Subway, and play drums for change? Before he met Michael Pitt and somehow inveigled his way onto THE O.C.

He was adorable. WHET?

When I was a kid, there was a preacher who scared me. He was a middle aged Hispanic man with graying hair, who wore a sandwich board full of Scriptures and blew a whistle and yelled "Jesus is coming!" and other things in a heavy accent. I went to a Catholic school, but the idea that Jesus was coming did not make me feel calm. This happened in/around downtown Brooklyn (Fulton St) in the 70's.

I live in San Francisco and I was out in New York for most of the month of March and I refused to take the subway I get enough of that shit here on Muni and BART! I walked or took Lyfts in NYC. I’m tired of running into begging freaks or teenagers there is one black girl they allow the beg outside of Costco on 10th St. I am personally sick of it I need a space where I’ve not being confronted by scam artists.