Observations of a Beacon Hill afternoon

[kitchen_kink]

I'm walking towards the English department and then my classes at Such-and-Such University, wearing the regulation dress khakis, white French-cuff blouse, and black blazer of Beacon Hill workaday denizens. Walk up the short hill of Park Street toward the autumnally-glittering dome of the State House, where, once I'm in proximity, I hear a familiar sound: the adenoidally coarse voice of a particular, clearly mentally ill homeless man comically growling his usual refrain: "Can anyone spaaarre any chaaange?"

I've seen this guy before, but not in a long while. Generally I used to run into him trolling the Common down by Emerson, around Tremont Street. His request is always the same, and is simultaneously friendly and threatening in its loud insistance. You can hear him all the way down the street, long before you see his listing walk, his spasmodically outstretched hand, his bearded, blank face.

Today he's standing right in front of that glittering dome, and as I watch, a tall, trim, young security type with a hat like a forest ranger comes up behind him, a billy club in one hand.

"You cannot stand in front of the State House soliciting donations," he says to the man.

"Could you spaarre any chaaange?" the man responds, his hand stretched wildly to the side and upwards, as if he hopes the change will fall from the sky.

"You cannot stand in front of the State House solicting donations," the uniform repeats, as if echoing the man's disorder.

The man turns around toward the general throng. "Can anyone spare some change?"

"Sir," the uniform is close to yelling now, "you cannot stand in front of the state house soliciting donations! Move along, please."

The man turns, coming to himself a little. "I'll go across the street," he says, sounding like a stalled Muppet. And he starts to move.

"Keep going. On down the hill," the guard says. The man limps away, arms doing their own thing independent of his body. The guard stands there a moment, looking after him. I think of asking him, "Excuse me, but what law is it you're enforcing exactly?" But in my hurry, and usual cowardice of authority, I don't.

***

In the elevator, crowded and ascending to the eleventh floor of the classroom building at Such-and-such, I crowd back as an older man, portly and wearing a hearing aid, enters at the eighth. The doors close and we continue upwards, at which point the man turns and says, "Oh, we're going up?"

"Afraid so," I say.

"Do you suppose it will go down again?"

"Well...it has to eventually. We're going to the eleventh floor."

"Really!" he says, his interest perking. "What happens there?"

"Um. On the eleventh floor?"

"Yes. What do you do there?"

"I have classes there."

"Oh!" he says, brightening even more. "You go to classes here?"

"Well," I say, "I teach here."

"Ah," he says, deflating a little. "I teach here, too. And I didn't think people went to classes here."

"That's basically true," I say, and exit to the teeming hallway.

Comments

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Being publicly annoying in an attempt to profit should be a crime. I hate that guy.

[dietrich.livejournal.com]

Why? Respectable folks like politicians, conservative talk-show hosts, and policemen do it all the time.

[greendalek.livejournal.com]

*grin* Well said.

I, too, would have been mightily curious to hear that security guard's answer (assuming he could have even come up with one).

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Oh, he would have, it just wouldn't have had much substance. They usually rely on a bullying kind of presence and a "I have authority, you dare question it?" attitude to suppress and discourage stuff like that.

I got that from mall security when I worked at one. He told me I couldn't sit outside on a walkway and eat my lunch. I asked why. I just couldn't. I had to move along. Could I stand? What about if I moved along to the parking lot, could I sit then? Apparently so. Just not where I was. I think it's a power trip for a lot of them.

[imlad.livejournal.com]

I would agree in general, but I think this particular guy does not intend to be annoying, I think he is mentally ill.

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Personally, I consider people responsible for their behavior, without exception. I don't think a plea of insanity should get a criminal any different treatment.

And I think the total amount of annoyance this one person has caused the people of this world is equivalent to a pretty heinous crime, and he should recieve proportional punishment.

[imlad.livejournal.com]

Hmm... The other day I told someone that while it's not the fault of the rabid dog that it is rabid, you still shoot it to protect yourself and others. I do think it gets trickier when applied to people. I wonder if we can or should punish someone who is not responsible for what they are doing (I think that in most cases we don't hold children to the same standards that we hold adults in criminal matters). I do think there is a distinction between punishing someone who is not responsible for the ill that they do due to mental illness and making sure they cannot repeat said ills. So, if the guy is so obnoxious that he disturbs the populace he might be made to move away or make himself scarce, as you and I would be if we decided to scream obnoxiously in the middle of the street. Still, and this is a personal take, I don't know that I would hold him to the same standard as I would hold a sane person.

[mylastsigh.livejournal.com]

This second part reminds me of something but I cant figure out what; maybe a book of my brothers.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

billy club in hand? why, that's brandishing a weapon. bet he didn't have a license for it. in the city of boston. naughty.

#

[regyt.livejournal.com]

The second anecdote is cute.