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Now, is Humpty Dumpty the quarter guy? "How you doin'? Do you have a quarter?" He has recently adjusted the amount for inflation and now requires 50 cents.

No, this is .50 Tony. HD is the guy who wears the army jacket and has a pull tote.

Humpty also frequents the train station early in the morning. I do enjoy his revolting presence. It makes me feel better about myself.

How the hell do I, the idiot that can document every piece of gum stuck on the sidewalks of Glen Ellyn, not know who the hell Humpty Dumpty is?

Sizewise think Ned Beatty in the original Superman, with the aroma of Pall Malls trailing him as he glides thru his nomadic life sampling the ambiance and pleasant scenery that our fair Vilage has to offer.

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Originally posted by bitterboy:

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Now, is Humpty Dumpty the quarter guy? "How you doin'? Do you have a quarter?" He has recently adjusted the amount for inflation and now requires 50 cents.

No, this is .50 Tony. HD is the guy who wears the army jacket and has a pull tote.

I call him the "How's it goin'?" guy. He can spot you a mile away and be heard almost as far. Never remembers that he's asked me for money and usually has some kind of follow-up asking why I don't have money for him....I've just started calling the cops. He can say, "How's it goin' all he wants and I will pleasantly respond but when he asks for money, he's crossed the line. Done.

Maybe I have the cast of characters wrong -- the guy we had our run-in with at Starbucks (whom I think is Humpty-Dumpty) is about 5'4", big beer belly, wears an army/cammo jacket and totes around samsonite luggage. He has glasses and is usually voraciously working on crossword puzzles. He talks to himself a lot and seems to work up quite a temper!

In hindsight we should of called 9-1-1, but honestly, the whole out-break was so unusual and surreal to me. Instead, we just picked up and moved elsewhere.

Wait. Is this the guy that is usually sitting in PPP? I usually see him sitting at the little table near the drive-up ATM on Forest. Always listening to a portable radio of some sort. Is tha the Humpty Dumpty that you speak of?

Hyoog is right on Humpty, with a dead-on description. I usually see him at Einsteins seemingly ticked off, especially if it's crowded. I always think of George Costanza when he decided that the key to appearing busy is always acting annoyed. This guy is definitely built like George and he sits inside, prolly to avoid the stench that is McSmokes.

Yes Clam, that's the guy.

I see him at Einstein's quite a bit too; usually at the table along the south wall, back on the way to the restrooms. If you stand in line waiting to order your bagel and stand too close to him, he'll start muttering under his breath in disgust that you're actually standing that close to him. Again, must be the personal space thing ...

So the inventory this weekend was as follows:

Stinky McSmokes Caucasian Guy

Got Any Change Caucasian Dude

Passed Out In Front of Costello's African-American Guy

Group Of 10 Or So Shirtless Drinking Malt Liquor Mixed Race of Guys

Humpty Dumpty Swear White Guy... I think this is the guy that I always see.

I'd make Glen Ellyn Style jokes, but I think they have already been done. Hell, even the EDC is looking to buy new banners. Glen Ellyn Style could become a thing of the past.

Have we ever given any consideration to finding out who the director for PADS is, getting their home number, and calling him/her when there is a problem? Perhaps calling him/her before the police?

I would advise against going to PADS directly, my Dad tried to fight the building of the PADS center in Wheaton about 15 years ago. It was 2 blocks from our place at the time.

PADS threatened to sue him for attempting to discriminate aginst individuals based on thier socio-economic status.

Now mind you, PADS has NO CLUE if these derelicts are felons or clinically insane. But go ahead, put their center right next to the PP in downtown Wheaton, makes perfect sense.

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Originally posted by Clamato:


Have we ever given any consideration to finding out who the director for PADS is, getting their home number, and calling him/her when there is a problem? Perhaps calling him/her before the police?

That sounds a bit over the top, Clam. PADS may be enablers, but they're not pointing to Einstein's and telling them to sit there and mutter at people. I'd just keep on the police to enforce existing laws and/or go to the Village meetings and bug them in public participation until they put some pressure on the Village personnel to make panhandler and loiterer rousting an everyday part of their job.

That could have been a tongue-in-cheek suggestion. May have been.

And wasn't PADS going to get bikes for our guests? I would think that would encourage them to get OUT of GE during the day. Maybe get Humpty some exercise too. Or at least help him visit the new and exciting shelters located near elementary schools all across our fair County.

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Originally posted by Clamato:
That could have been a tongue-in-cheek suggestion. May have been.

You need to insert the smiley emoticon. Where's Arten when you need him? He was the king of emoticons.

Just what we need, upwardly mobile bums.

I hate emoticons. They cheapen my work.

If we call the police every time there is an instance of panhandling, do we not take them away from actual crime chasing?

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Originally posted by Clamato:
I hate emoticons. The cheapen my work.

If we call the police every time there is an instance of panhandling, do we not take them away from actual crime chasing?

Well, I thought it was established that panhandling and loitering are crimes in GE.

You may not like these individuals that are so eloquently nick-named, but from what I am reading, the disdain seems to originate more from their mere existence in our presence than any "crime" they may be committing by asking for money or similar offenses. I dislike being asked for money from them exactly as much as I dislike being asked to buy peanuts from the Kiwanis at every other stop light. Despite my stinginess, the Kiwanis and our homeless persist in asking. Maybe they persist because it is profitable. (I've witnessed the exchange of "bills" (yes plural, but not sure of denomination) between a resident and a homeless person outside of Starbucks). I'm not saying that if the GE well ran dry for them that they would disappear, but I think it would help. Now, about those Kiwanis......

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Nothing will be done people, so just give up already. Live with it, it ain't never gonna be fixed. They have much bigger fish to fry, like people watering on their unassigned days, busting the person that parked 10 minutes too long in front of Starbucks, and answering to the millionaire homes when their alarm goes off due to the wind.

I don't think this to be the case. The only reason this continues is because the village has not had to answer to anyone about it. Up until now, they have not been held accountable. When was the last time someone attended a village board meeting and drilled them about this persistent problem. This is why I am trying to organize, it's the only way. Strength is in the numbers on this one.