Do you have any spare change?

One of the great things about Boston is the people who beg for change…..they are ALL over the place. I understand it’s not funny to be homeless….or be in so dire need of cash that you would beg for it….in the cold…on the street…I get that…but if I am going to be handing out cash I am going to seek out the guy who is working for it…..kinda like the strip club…you are not gonna hand your hard earned dollars to a chick that is just walking around the stage looking pretty….there is a pole there for a reason….work for it….same thing applies if you’re trying to skim some cash off me in Boston Common. There are basically four guys that beg for change that stand out…. Newscaster Guy, Snoop Dog, the Straight Shooter and Spare Change Guy (I know creative name) .

“Newscaster Guy”….he gets change….maybe even a couple of bucks if I am coming from my satellite office, also known as the bar…..this guy will give you weather reports….tell you to bundle up…or expect rain….he also will yell out sports scores if the Sox, Bruins, Celts or Pats are playing…he has a little transistor radio that he listens to….sometimes he will even put on a show for you….one time as I was passing through the Common during the warm summer months…..I came across Newscaster Guy and he was wearing a Cat in the Hat suit…..that was when he won me over….that takes some balls or maybe just a little crack…there he stood in the common at his usual spot….tall red and white hat….dancing….whenever I saw that I was like finally some entertainment!....I am sure the three martini’s I had previously helped me to appreciate his skills….but I can honestly say whenever I see this guy…he gets paid.

“Snoop Dog” is a completely different character…..but I like this guy…..he is old school…he holds a metal can…like an empty soup can…no label…all metal….he is usually sitting down on the sidewalk…he will take the can in his hands and tap it on the ground……while he sings…..Drop it like it’s hot…drop it like it’s hot….yeah talk about getting a song stuck in your head….when I see Snoop I am singing that song for like five days…..

My favorite one out of this bunch is “Straight Shooter”…straight shooter carries a cardboard sign that reads….”I am not going to LIE I am going to spend your money on BOOZE”….THIS IS MY GUY…..it’s almost like I feel his pain….he wants a cold one…hell, he will even take a warm one….he just wants one….I am all for contributing to a good cause….finally a campaign I believe in!….I gave that guy a fin…..I wasn’t the only one…he was raking in some serious cash…..




Everyone knows “Spare Change Guy” because he irritates the hell out of everyone…..he likes to stop traffic….get in your face and ask you about your sex life…..all the while yelling in his scratchy ear piercing voice….”Do youuuuuu have any SPAAARRE channnnnge?”…..this guy has a following…and I kid you not…..he has a Myspace…he has a theme song….he has been on Fox 25 and he even has a ringtone… ….one of the young kids at the state house made a point to record him on his phone and he now uses his “Do you have any spare change?” as a ringtone…...the one good thing about his eardrum busting song is that you can hear him coming……so you know when to switch sidewalks…..needless to say he gets no change from me.

When I say he has a following it’s not a joke…

Please see the sidebar to the right and follow a link to some live "Spare Change Guy" footage. He is also on Facebook...I cannot provide a link to his page so if you want to see it you can just search for Spare Change Guy on Facebook.