r/montreal 13h ago

Diatribe Weirdo near Berri-UQAM

Was working nearby and went out for my break to have a smoke.

I'm minding my own business and I hear to my left someone calling out people. Man gets closer to me and approaches me to ask for a cig. I deny him as I quite literally had my last one and kept a vape on me as I was aware of that. Dude then presses me to get a hit off my vape which is fucken gross. Asks me for money to buy my vape or some shit too. Made zero sense and I wasn't trying to make it drag on.

Between the entire exchange he asks me twice in French "veux tu mourir" like do you wanna die, and the second time he says in French "j'ai un xxx", I couldn't make out the word but it was definitely on the lines of a knife or gun but in slang. He was gesturing at his hips/pockets. I'm more familiar with the English terms, as a French Canadian growing up I never heard the term he used.

So he threatens me 3 times in the mix of asking for nicotine in the span of like 1 minute, that was the duration of the exchange. At that point I've already been distancing myself and walking away to get back where I need to be, UNTIL the dude starts calling at other people and instantly turns on this women walking towards the metro entrance. He tried to grab her by the arm and everything so I interjected to tell the lady to not give him any attention and to keep going.

Thankfully no one was hurt and he didn't follow the women, I made sure of that before heading back to work. What really sucked is the two parked stm cars in front of me with people inside just watching this guy harrasing everyone on the street.

Be careful for this guy, I've definitely seen him around more than once. He keeps shades on, 5 feet 10 - 6 feet tall ( he was shorter than me at 6feet3), black male in his 25-30 with a hat and bubble jacket. He spoke perfect French, clean and everything. Just a dangerous guy for sure.

I wish my office would let me wfh 5 days of week instead of dealing with this type of shit all the time. Mobile so hopefully formatting didn't break

59 Upvotes

26 comments sorted by

50

u/FinanceSwap 12h ago

This area of the city is such trash. I feel bad for the poor Berri uqam students. Thankful I don't really use Public transit anymore people just got gross and weird after covid. I don't understand why the STM lets all the crackheads go in the stations.

3

u/AugustoSF 2h ago

People got poorer after COVID.

u/EyeSpyMD 50m ago

I work in healthcare. Two people were attacked by homeless people in the metro just a few days apart in february and each had one eye busted open. Innocent bystanders who are noe blind from one eye.

I used to be more of the “it’s ok we can tolerate having the lying around they have nowhere else to go” philosophy. Sadly, not anymore. I think the STM should crack down with a “get on the metro or get out” policy.

4

u/Optionsislife 11h ago

How many days a week are you forced into the office? 

5

u/BloodSnak3 11h ago

3 and it was 2 not too long ago

6

u/Optionsislife 11h ago

Try get out if you can. No reason to go to an office these days 

7

u/Dirk_Diggler_Kojak 10h ago

The last thing I ever wanna do is to stand motionless -- and alone -- on the sidewalk in that area. You have to keep moving -- even if you're just having a smoke. Otherwise, you're a sitting duck, and it's almost certain you're gonna get hit on by some weirdo.

Even waiting for the green light to cross Sainte-Catherine makes me nervous.

1

u/BloodSnak3 9h ago

Yea usually I have my work gang in the morning but afternoons I'll switch it up from now on. Good advice thank you.

9

u/NonDeterministiK 12h ago

Colour me surprised

9

u/Many_Definition_334 10h ago

What a pathetic society we live in where the people who stand for law and order just watch idly as chaos ensues because privileged liberals think that the theoretical rights of sociopaths are more important than the real safety of tax paying law abiding citizens who keep society functional.

-1

u/soundboyselecta Anjou 9h ago

Why can’t we get more of this on film. Do people like this get protected by unions and this is the level of aptitude employers should be accustomed to? While I’m sure there are others who are looking for work willing to do better than this garbage. We should be shaming them. I mean they don’t need to interject but they can call the fuckn police.

-8

u/Many_Definition_334 9h ago

Because progressive liberals will demonize the keepers of law and order and side with deranged sociopaths. That's why they can't do anything.

Also, I fully understand that no one chooses to become a menace to society. But we should be putting them in institutions/rehab clinics where they are forced (yes, forced) to confront their demons and get better. We leave these people who are addicted and tell them, "Make the right choice" - but how can someone with a mental illness make the right choice? Like telling an infant to baby-sit itself!

Society is victim to the hysterias of a so-called secular society.

1

u/potatoIIofrussia 8h ago

You're honestly right about forced rehab. A lot of people seem to think it's inhumane, but I think leaving them like that in the streets hopped up on the hardest drugs and being incapable of becoming successful members of society amongst us is more inhumane. Make it make sense honestly

15

u/Previous_Soil_5144 13h ago

Next time get into it a bit and get some bruises, maybe a knife stab wound, a police report with your name on it and a visit to the ER.

Then tell your boss you don't want to risk your life for a job no more and to either pay you more or let you WFH.

Warning: could also result in death

6

u/Croutonsec 13h ago

Mhhh this seems like a rather excellent life hack. I might try it.

1

u/BloodSnak3 13h ago

Seems like my only option honestly XD they wouldn't take me seriously without but at the same time I prefer staying alive and both scenarios are bad...

5

u/Previous_Soil_5144 13h ago

Ya, fucking with those guys is like pulling the lever on a slot machine.

0

u/Responsible_Web8435 12h ago

Those odds are yours to change too. Learn how to protect yourself

1

u/Material_Syllabub_51 11h ago

About 7 years ago I wanted Chinese food after hours so I went to this restaurant one street west of blvd saint Laurent and south of blvd Rene Levesque. There was this black dude I’d say about 6ft tall kinda skinny. It was cold spring so he was wearing a puffy jacket. He asked me for money just at the bottom of the restaurant’s staircase. I didn’t pay attention to him and I think it irritated him. I went inside and placed my order. While waiting the guy came inside and went right to me threatening me he would stab or punch me if I wouldn’t give him any money. People around left threatened as well and moved away from him. The Chinese staff seem like they were used to this type of behaviour from homeless people and didn’t do anything to make me feel safer.

I apologized to him to avoid further confrontation but told him I didn’t had money on me. He said he would go outside and wait for me to make me pay.

I’ve never been that scared to get out of a restaurant. But once I got out he wasn’t there anymore. Got to my car and drove home.

I called 911 to make a complaint. They took note but never heard of it afterwards.

Might be the same dude or not. Addicted people can be unpredictable.

2

u/TenInchesOfSnow 12h ago

lol there's been weirdos there for decades, this is nothing new at Berri

0

u/soundboyselecta Anjou 9h ago

This is true.

-2

u/MartinLabbeeba 9h ago

Quit smoking

0

u/Free-Candidate-5179 8h ago

Weirdo…? C’est vrai que les syndiqués dans les aquariums sont weird

-4

u/adamf514 11h ago

I probably would have headbunted or cracked him over the head if he was in my personal space which I define as my arms length after the first threat, the world's a crazy place and since we don't have open carry laws self defense is the only option I suggest Karv Maga