Those of you familiar with my posts know that I've seen it all when it comes to street people in this city from people who imitate Bill Cosby to the verbally and physically abusive bums who never seem to ever get told to leave. Well add one more to the list - naked guy. Tonight, right during the middle of rush hour, I saw a man completely naked except for his sneakers walk down Market Street. No, he wasn't streaking, being an expositionist, or flashing. He was walking down the street calm as can be with a determined look on his face. It was as if he were running an errand - only that he forgot to put his clothes on. By the way, it was cold out there.

Where are the cops in this town? In the week since I've moved here, I've seen an occasional patrol car, but I never see cops walking the beat.

Do cops travel on foot at all in this city?

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- We must be the change we wish to see in the world -
Mahatma Gandhi

so, the city's crime fighting heros has a new face on the scene -- known only by his sneakers and the effects of weather it seems at last report.

shall we all him, "nakedman?"

or does anyone have a better suggestion?

come on this one is ripe...:oops:

peac3e.
basho

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lanternwaste

All the cops are in north philly working on safe streets.

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I was told that there were two major drug busts on Market Street today. Thus, when I walked down Market this evening I was expecting the area to be cleared of all the bums. Well reality check - the place was filled with the same bums it has always been including "fake leg" (who camped right in the entrance way of the Hard Rock Cafe blocking the door). Of course drug bust or not naked guy will be there since I think his problem is not drug related. He actually looked normal (with the exception that he was naked). Sure he's committing indecent exposure but he's the least of the problem people on Market (and Walnut, for that matter). At least he's not hitting people up for money or shouting random insults at passers-by. Perhaps he's advocating naturalism or he was simply hot. ;-) By the way, I've seen so many weirdos on Market and Walnut over the years that when naked guy walked by me I simply thought to myself "Well, that's a new one" and then continued on walking.

Even before safe streets there was a scarcity of cops on the beat in this city. I know people have said that the recent rise in wackos on the street is due to the lack of police presence due to safe streets and the belief that many of the wackos are actually being driven out of areas where safe streets is operating and are now relocating to areas like Center City where safe streets is not operating. However, having lived here back in the pre-safe streets era I can attest that the wacko problem was the same back then as it is now and, moreover, it is the same wackos out and about as it was back then. Abusive bums, flashers, people who go to the toilet in public, you name it. If anything, there was a slight dip in their numbers around 2000-2001 - don't know why. The recent increase is jsut thier numbers going back to where they always were. That's life here in wacko city.

Well, I must say I'm very dismayed to hear this, and it colors my perception of Philly just a bit.

Sure, New York has its share of rowdy bums and wackos, but they would never be allowed to carry on this way unchecked. I was not a fan of Mayor Giuliani, but the one thing he did right was to emphasize quality of life issues and make sure these kinds of things were kept to a minimum.

I thought myself lucky to be living in the middle of Center City. Now, I'm not so sure.

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- We must be the change we wish to see in the world -
Mahatma Gandhi

The police could clean the area up in several sweeps I suspect no one even calls them when they see someone walking down the street naked. Every city i've ever been to with an aggressive bum problem let the business owners deal with it. Hard rock should get an aggresive bouncer etc. I don't advocate bum bashing but some people just won't feel safe with harmless loons walking around.

Someone I work with went to philly for the first time last month and drove down market street, I suspect most first timers do. His first comment was man there are alot of crazy looking people walking around. He never even explored old city, queens village, center city etc. They got back on the freeway and got the hayl out.

I lived in ny before Guiliani and I thought the bum problem was horrible. I was younger then and didn't mind but they were everywhere and I saw alot of crazy bum related violence. I've not noticed anythng like it in Philly.

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Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard. - H.L. Mencken

Surprised to hear that, skroah, I've lived in NY all my life and have rarely seen any 'crazy bum related violence'. On occasion, there have been stories in the news about a homeless person assaulting or killing someone, but it is rare.

I'm curious as to why most of these creeps hang out on Market Street. I don't see them as much on Broad. I live on Walnut and I see 'questionable characters' sometimes, but not homeless people. Is it because Market Street has all the shopping areas?

And I keep hearing about some guy hanging out in front of the Hard Rock. I don't go there to eat, but I've passed it several times and never noticed anyone in particular. And why don't the owners deal with the problem? Are they not at all concerned about losing business? In NY, the owner would either call the cops or deal with the guy himself.

Scratching her head in Philly,

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- We must be the change we wish to see in the world -
Mahatma Gandhi

By bum I really mean anyone hanging out with no legal visible means of support. That includes drug dealers etc. 42nd street used to be pretty bad at night but the lower east side was more threatening. I'd be more concerned about con men and their cohorts as they are always sniffing around looking for any way to make some loot. Whether that be begging, checking car doors, picking up anything unattended etc. I don't see alot of that in Philly. Harmless crazy people are just that they aren't really criminals. If one is crapping on your porch every morning though he has to be dealt with unfortunately.

If the bums offend you let the business owners know. Just walk in and say I was going to come in here but I won't deal with this and point to said person. That'll be enough. Police will listen to business owners before they'll listen to citizens is my experience.

Just remember that if they are banned from market they will just hit the side streets...

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Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard. - H.L. Mencken