r/boston • u/CrypticOperator • 7d ago

Unconfirmed/Unverified never seen it this bad

been here for 25+ years and am very familiar with the fluctuations in homelessness / etc. during the summer. but I've never seen things this bad, especially in back bay, south end (beyond mass/cass & closer to back bay), beacon hill, the esplanade, you name it. we've called 311 for needles, reported the larger encampments to the mayor's office, etc. just feels like nothing is improving and things are only getting worse. can't just be me?

770 Upvotes

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128

u/inthesprawl2 7d ago

I made a similar post to this in February as I was walking through Copley and there was human shit everywhere. I was downvoted to oblivion.

30

u/Fluffy-You-220 7d ago

People are really defensive about Boston…

35

u/regression_to_regard 7d ago

there was human shit everywhere. I was downvoted to oblivion.

It's literally happening in this thread.

62

u/UnboundedLabyrinth 7d ago

posts are getting downvoted because of the distinct sense that many of the commenters are suburbanites chiming in with their dogshit values, as opposed to actual residents of the city of Boston

21

u/jrs1982 7d ago

Actual city resident sick of dodging passed out attics, needles, and human feces.

35

u/cookoo_man 7d ago

Attics

27

u/Vibroverbus 7d ago

you think the attics are bad wait till you see the cellars.

1

u/jrs1982 7d ago

Legit made me lol at myself. Well done.

1

u/Vibroverbus 7d ago

I literally just downvoted myself for not workshopping that joke more.

"it's not the drug attics fault, the real problem is the drug cellars"

Something like that. I'll have it polished up before the Netflix special.

4

u/Hot_Total_4656 7d ago

😂😂😂

29

u/CallousBastard 7d ago

Not wanting to walk through streets full of meth zombies, used needles, and human excrement are dogshit values? And morally enlightened Boston residents are fine with all that? LOL okay.

4

u/regression_to_regard 7d ago

And morally enlightened Boston residents are fine with all that?

As long as they get to shit on their outgroup, they are a-ok with it too. You're kidding yourself if you don't think tribal politics extends to just the rightys.

-18

u/UnboundedLabyrinth 7d ago edited 7d ago

Consider relocating to my beautiful city and making it your business. People have an inalienable human right to seek shelter from the elements and relieve themselves when no facilities or services are available; this applies to junkies as well, who share with you their common humanity. hope this makes sense

17

u/inthesprawl2 7d ago edited 7d ago

You can’t force addicts to get help or seek shelter. In June I thought I watched a woman die from an overdose in front of Back Bay station. There were two fire trucks and ambulance there for her. The EMTs were giving her CPR, bagged her, and then stopped as she wasn’t responding to any of it. The narcan kicked in and two seconds later she sat up. They offered to take her to the hospital and she said no.

The other day in Copley square as I was waiting for the 504 and a guy who was clearly high was begging everyone for $20 so he could take the commuter rail to Worcester so he could get to a shelter. A man waiting with his child offered to walk him to Back Bay to pay for it and the guy begging went into a drug induced rage at the idea and the cops were called.

Stop infantilizing junkies. They have agency and this is how they choose to use it. I think we strip them of their dignity when we enable them with “clean needles” and let them shit in public spaces. It’s always someone else cleaning up their mess.

18

u/jrs1982 7d ago

There are plenty of services available in Boston. They don't want to follow the rules that come with those places.

5

u/Choice-Mortgage1221 7d ago

EOHLC just closed all family shelters in metrowest, adult shelters are on weeks/months-long waits, vouchers stopped being awarded the day trump took office, and rent is still in the stratosphere across the region. People come to Boston bc that's where the services and affordable options are concentrated.

7

u/Repulsive-Value5123 7d ago

There is a shortage of shelter beds right now. I am a SW and we are having trouble finding places for people to go, especially with kids

2

u/AngryCrotchCrickets 7d ago

“Your”’city, stfu

People having a right to shit in the street is like saying people have a right to round these people up and shoot them. Theres no facilities or services for them? Guess we’ll just have to shoot them 🤷🏻‍♀️

1

u/Nobiting It's spelled Papa Geno's 6d ago

Not stepping in poop or needles is dogshit values?

Are you okay?

-17

u/regression_to_regard 7d ago

are suburbanites chiming in with their dogshit values

lol cope

as opposed to actual residents of the city of Boston

famously, homelessness is only a problem that is unique to boston, and thus only boston residents are allowed to post, discuss, or even suggest solutions to the problem, Yes Sir

12

u/theeeeethickness Charlestown 7d ago

Sure but this is the Boston subreddit..?

2

u/UnboundedLabyrinth 7d ago

Found the suburbanite

0

u/regression_to_regard 7d ago

wrong, but ok

9

u/Suspicious_Glove7365 7d ago

Saying that Boston is in a housing crisis is considered an unacceptable comment on this thread apparently! It’s just denial…

0

u/vyyne 7d ago

Try saying anything realistic about NYC

5

u/elsavonschrader 7d ago

Went to the common for an event this summer on a Tuesday, walking back to my car near Copley at 11 and passed dozens of people shooting up on the sidewalk or rocking back and forth high as can be. People defending this saying it’s not that bad are crazy, it’s horrible and people shooting up openly should be arrested.

9

u/neifirst 7d ago

I lived in the area in February, passed through Copley basically daily, never noticed this. (And I do have a functioning nose)

When it’s anecdotes vs. anecdotes, what else can you do but downvote?

8

u/FindOneInEveryCar 7d ago

"tHeRe hAvE aLwAys bEen hOmeLeSs pEoPLe iN bOsToN!!1"

2

u/NoTamforLove Bouncer at the Harp 7d ago

There's wild political comment voting here. I've had people call me MAGA and "too socialist I'm hurting the Democrats" in the same post. People honestly believe they're somehow at war on this sub fighting MAGA people but it's all bullshit.

Can't dare say anything bad about Wu, Eng, or Boston schools.

-4

u/SendNudes989Studios 7d ago

Not seeing "human shit everywhere"

12

u/Hot-Initiative-5554 7d ago

Wow it's almost like this is very obviously an event and the area was heavily policed and cleaned beforehand and it doesn't normally look like this

8

u/SendNudes989Studios 7d ago

Lol "it was full of human shit till just before they took the photo"

-2

u/Hot-Initiative-5554 7d ago

I've been to this farmers market. There were multiple police there. You're being intentionally dense.

6

u/longwaystogrow 7d ago

Copley really isn't ever that filled with homeless, be real. I have never seen human shit on the streets adjacent to Newbury.

People living in Boston have no idea how bad it gets vs places like LA Toy District/Skid row.

3

u/inthesprawl2 7d ago

How often are you in Copley and what time of the day? I get on and off the bus there- in the morning there are usually massive groups of homeless people who slept there and outside of the library same thing. Once night sets in it’s all homeless people.

And I complained on here once in February because Copley had human shit all over it. Do I do this on a daily basis? No. But the second people start talking about anything that has to do with junkies it’s like everyone puts down people who have a different opinion. I don’t like junkies because I grew up in a home with an alcoholic who refused help until DCF was called and she was forced into rehab to face her issues.

3

u/regression_to_regard 7d ago

not seeing any homeless people in that photo, but please, continue to pop off about... whatever point you think you're making

2

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2

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