Just Walked 12th Street, Between Race and Arch ... (Philadelphia, Penn: 2013, hotels)

[2002 Subaru]

Originally Posted by kyb01

So many seem to be mentally ill too a la the guy who stabbed the 7 Eleven clerk, at the store across from City Hill, a couple of days ago over cigarettes.

But he was sane enough to leave the scene and go on the run.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by kyb01

So many seem to be mentally ill too a la the guy who stabbed the 7 Eleven clerk, at the store across from City Hill, a couple of days ago over cigarettes.

That's been a problem since they closed Byberry.

[BK_PHL_DEL]

Originally Posted by 2002 Subaru

But he was sane enough to leave the scene and go on the run.

What is the point of this comment?

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

That's been a problem since they closed Byberry.

There is a recent school of thought that we should not have closed asylums.

[Fireshaker]

Originally Posted by kyb01

There is a recent school of thought that we should not have closed asylums.

It's a complicated issue. Those asylums (Byberry included) were home to some of the worst, most unimaginably inhumane abuses. We were right to put a stop to that, but you can make a very compelling case that simply throwing these people on the streets and leaving them to their own devices isn't a very smart plan, either. It's clear we need a solution that combines the support and monitoring of the asylum system, but with a much more humane approach.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by kyb01

There is a recent school of thought that we should not have closed asylums.

Byberry was a dreadful place. Many of the people who were in there should have been put into sheltered facilities, though. There was a bag lady who hung around PCA, who was dumped out of Byberry. She was called the duck lady, because she wouldn't talk, but she would quack. There were some people who would periodically show up to check on her. A couple of students spoke to those people who told them that she was from Byberry.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

Byberry was a dreadful place. Many of the people who were in there should have been put into sheltered facilities, though. There was a bag lady who hung around PCA, who was dumped out of Byberry. She was called the duck lady, because she wouldn't talk, but she would quack. There were some people who would periodically show up to check on her. A couple of students spoke to those people who told them that she was from Byberry.

Yes, I remember how awful Byberry was before it was closed. Absolutely a wise decision.

Haverford State Hospital( in Haverford Twp), a much newer facility than Byberry, was ultimately closed too.

The duck lady also hung out on Penn's campus during the late 70s/80s.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by kyb01

So many seem to be mentally ill too a la the guy who stabbed the 7 Eleven clerk, at the store across from City Hill, a couple of days ago over cigarettes.

In any study I've ever seen, the majority of the long term homeless have some kind of mental illness. I imagine those pre-date the opioid epidemic. Other parts of the first world have more enlightened ways of dealing with the problem. It's not like people choose to be schizophrenics or bipolar.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Yes, I remember how awful Byberry was before it was closed. Absolutely a wise decision.

Haverford State Hospital( in Haverford Twp), a much newer facility than Byberry, was ultimately closed too.

The duck lady also hung out on Penn's campus during the late 70s/80s.

I'm glad you knew who I was talking about. I thought I might be opening myself up to appear to be an awful person to make a reference to a human being as the duck lady. When she was hanging around PCA, occasionally she would take a sandwich or a cup of something to drink from a male.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

I'm glad you knew who I was talking about. I thought I might be opening myself up to appear to be an awful person to make a reference to a human being as the duck lady. When she was hanging around PCA, occasionally she would take a sandwich or a cup of something to drink from a male.

There were two other street people at Penn back then. Stanley " the vent man" Biddle and The Professor. Most people thought Biddle was a real Philadelphia "Biddle". When he died Penn's Christian Assoc. gave him a memorial service. The Professor used to "lecture" students along Locust Walk.