[gondramB]

The last time I was in Cambridge I was walking down the sidewalk when a big shaved head weight lifter looking fellow came up and asked for money. I said "no." This clearly made the M.I.T. engineer I was walking with very uncomfortable.

The weight lifter/pan handler followed us down the sidewalk getting closer and closer and saying more threatening things. I told my companion, loud enough for the pan handler to hear, that if the guy touched me I was going to take him out because he was too big and strong looking to play around with. My friend told me that if I did that I was on my own.

My friend ran a local Judo club and was fearless so I asked him about it later. He said he was already under pressure at work for not allocating enough of his salary to give to pan handlers and could not afford professionally to be involved in an incident that involved refusing to give money.

That was the day I decided I could never live in Boston, even as beautiful and intellectually stimulating as it is.

[squarebarb]

Nor allocating enough of his salary to panhandlers?

That's outrageous. When did that happen? Is it widespread? You'd think it might happen in one of those non-christian christian churches but in a judo club???

They guy should just carry Fritos and sandwiches to hand out.

[TheGeezer]

Check this out:

In the latest incident of brazen junkies invading the area around Boston Common

My, what an egalitarian, charming place Boston must be! And this report is only about the latest incident of brazen junkies around Boston Common. Ah, the people's paradise!

[HostileTerritory]

He said he was already under pressure at work for not allocating enough of his salary to give to pan handlers

That's just... weird. I don't understand that.

I work in a touristy area of the city and see a few panhandlers on the street, but I have no trouble ignoring them. Harvard Square is full of them but they know if they step out of line they'll get arrested.

[ROTB]

Wow. This is part of why Boston is literally collapsing as we speak.

[CheyennePress]

I don't get your story. If you look at charitable donations, Massachusetts ranks at the very bottom of states in terms of donations.


" He said he was already under pressure at work for not allocating enough of his salary to give to pan handlers and could not afford professionally to be involved in an incident that involved refusing to give money."

[TaxRelief]

Which company is pressuring employees to 'give to panhandlers'? Is your friend a civil servant?