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Represent Your Local Eccentric

RockadelicRockadelic Out Digging 13,993 Posts
edited September 2008 in Strut Central
Every place I have ever lived has had a local neighborhood eccentric....right now I live out in the sticks and we have a guy we have dubbed "Tonka Tom"....a 60+ year old dude with a long white beard that can be found walking just about anywhere within a 10 mile radius.....wherever he goes he's pulling a small tonka truck attached to a rope....just a little while ago I passed him on the local 4 lane highway.....pulling his truck.b,121b,121I want to hear about your local 'eccentric".
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  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,905 Posts
    In Austin, it is Leslie Cochran. b,121b,121b,121b,121b,121http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Cochran/a1
  • tonydanzatechniqtonydanzatechniq 266 Posts
  • mattBmattB (FTB) Anywhere 673 Posts
    Near where I live in Tokyo is an old guy, probably around 60 or so who is always strolling down the shopping street. b,121He looks like a relatively normal old guy. Regular clothes. Coke-bottle glasses look kinda funny, but nothing crazy.b,121b,121But then out of know-where he just starts singing out loud at the top of his voice.b,121I guess he's singing some old Japanese Enka, but I have no idea what he is really singing about. b,121My girl cant understand it either. Ive never seen him go into a shop or restaurant. b,121He just walks around singing as loud as he can, with his head up and chin out for maximum auditory dispersion. b,121You can hear him from a block or two away.b,121b,121It's always funny to see people's reactions when he starts out. Usually scares the shit out of them. b,121I still get a shock if I havnt noticed him somewhere behind me when he starts up.
  • street_muzikstreet_muzik 3,919 Posts
    Haven't seen this guy in a while.b,121b,121img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/9/11135872_d692946425_o.jpg" width="480" height="360" alt="Venice Dude" 21/a1
  • street_muzikstreet_muzik 3,919 Posts
    Post deleted by taza_one
  • peacefulrotationpeacefulrotation 3,481 Posts
  • ElectrodeElectrode Los Angeles 3,127 Posts
    I had to show up for jury duty about three years ago and go to the Van Nuys Courthouse. Waiting in line in the courtyard, there was this guy in an Uncle Sam get-up babbling about "Mossad false flag operations" and "Fast Track" with some sort of 9/11-related sandwich board sign. People ignored him on a "never mind the elephant turd in the punchbowl" type of thing aside from a occasional, "Shut the f.uck up, brain damaged nut job". A week ago, I had to show up again to check in, only to get rejected. Sure enough, weirdo was there going off about biracial test tube babies and AIDS, only this time with a soccer uniform and a guitar plugged into those portable mini amp things. Do these idiots have jobs or what?
  • breadwinnerbreadwinner 535 Posts
    There are too many amazing people in Oakland / Berkeley / San Francisco to really discuss -- so I will discuss the old guy (70+) in my city in Michigan when I was growing up ( 8-16 years old). b,121b,121The guys real name was Tom, but for some reason everyone called him "Shotgun" (which is an excellent alias by-the-way). He wasn't so much an eccentric as he was a 'town drunk', BUT some of his ramblings were out there. Basically, he'd be juiced from morning to night and just walk his bike around town -- using it as sort of a prop to keep him from falling over. Occasionally, he would have with him his black lab (I think he just called it 'Baby') that was mean as shit. He'd call all the girls that I'd hang around with "fusking whores" -- not really say it to them directly -- he would sort of mumble it to himself, but just loud enough that anyone within 10 or so feet could hear it. Sometimes, if you were in his path (i.e. skateboarding at a spot that he walked through) he'd usually yell something like, "Get the Fusk out of my house". b,121b,121If I have time, I can tell you the story of the bum at Eddies in Oakland who told me his "life story" about being hired by the CIA to follow around Zionists in New York + The kidnapping and imprisonment of elderly woman + Bombings + More
  • PunditPundit 438 Posts
    Adelaide has this guy.../a1 b,121b,121b,121
  • lamaslamas 39 Posts
    College Park used to have Cluck-U-Pac/a1:b,121 b,121b,121b,121
  • BeatChemistBeatChemist 1,465 Posts
    Toronto's got Zanta:b,121b,121img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/Zanta_April_2005.JPG" width="50%" height="50%"1b,121b,121b,121http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanta/a1b,121b,121He's quite a local celebrity. He likes to do push ups on random objects or right in people's faces. Anywhere you see him - you can be sure he's flexing and doing push ups. With the santa hat of course. He's even been on an episode of Kenny Vs. Spenny (a reality-style comedy show produced in Toronto).b,121b,121I'm sure other Toronto strutters know who he is.
  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    there are a few in midtown Memphis, but my favorite is this one lady who may be handicapped, 'cause she is always in one of those hov-around, little rascal, scooter things...it has all kinds of stuffed animals, plastic toys attached to it, she is always wearing some sort of raincoat, even in sunny weather and she wears one of those toy fireman's helmets with the siren/light thing on it...usually on. she is probably in her 40s. Always puttin' around midtown. Once I was having lunch in this place and she was driving laps around the salad bar with her helmet light flashing.
  • twoplytwoply Only Built 4 Manzanita Links 2,914 Posts
    Portland's resident Elvis impersonator:b,121b,121b,121b,121b,121I once witnessed him ask some woman on the bus what book she was holding. She replied that it was a gift for her parents. He asked what it was about, and she said, "Coming out of the closet and letting people know that you're gay." b,121b,121He yelled loudly, "That's a terrible gift for your parents. They're already married!"
  • tallbobsmoketallbobsmoke 715 Posts
    I don't see Frank Chu that often, but this guy, I see all the time:b,121 b,121b,121 Omer Travers/a1
  • RockadelicRockadelic Out Digging 13,993 Posts
    Hell yes yes yes.....Zantab,121b,121
  • djJazzOnedjJazzOne 302 Posts
    b,121b,121King of Sixth Street
  • parsecparsec 5,087 Posts
    ZANTA VS IRONFEET JENKINS, WHO WOULD WIN?
  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    This thread made me think ofb,121>For years now, there's some dude who spends all day, every day, zipping up and down and around the streets of the northside in his red Subaru station wagon BLASTING doo wop and singing along as loud as possible to every word. Dude's amazing - apparently he has no job, and spends all day burning up gas for no other reason than he thinks he's a Belmont. If you stand in one spot on a corner around her for 15 minutes, you'll see/hear him. Beams happiness; whenever I see him, I consider it a good luck charm. Love that guy. WATCH OUT STRUTTERS!b,121b,121http://xmastime.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-love-williamsburg-part-ii.html/a1
  • djkingottodjkingotto 1,704 Posts
    minneap has this dude, scott seekins:b,121b,121he's an artist of some kind, but not sure what his story is. i've never seen him talk to anyone, but i see him all over the place. pictured is his summer outfit, the winter one is black, and this is all i've ever seen him wear. headband too.
  • hammertimehammertime 2,389 Posts
    When I was growing up Toledo had the "purple lady", I was just thinking about her the other day. I assume she's dead.
  • BurnsBurns 2,227 Posts
    b,121b,121Louisville has Mark Anthony Mulligan -is clinically diagnosed as mentally ill and moves in and out of the homeless population in Louisville, Kentucky. Using paints, markers, and crayons, Mulligan depicts colorful cityscapes in joyful urban scenes crowded with commercial buildings, industrial structures, street signs, and business logos. The African-American artist signs each work with his name and frequently records the time he spent creating the painting.b,121b,121b,121 b,121b,121 40th & Broadway Midnightb,121ca. 1990b,1219-1/2" x 17"b,121crayonb,121$350
  • the_average_manthe_average_man 675 Posts
    everyone round here is a nutter...
  • FamousMortimerFamousMortimer 202 Posts
  • edith headedith head 5,106 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121 b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121HAHA! this is my neighborhood dude.b,121b,121the other day when i was biking home, i had to stop at a light where he was "performing" on the corner and he was singing jubilantly about how he was gonna "tear your guts out of your chest and shove it down your throat" and then "stab you in the nose" and "rip your arms off" some other psychotic violent shit. i looked at the dude stopped behind me and we were both like "what the Fusk?" it just went on and on with all these different kill scenarios but it sounded like some campfire song for kids. b,121b,121my favorite is when he is hiding in a doorway and scares people walking by with sudden scream-singing while hitting his guitar strings madly. it really freaks people out and it's hilarious. i'll admit, he got me really good a few times early on.
  • Young_PhonicsYoung_Phonics 8,039 Posts
    i've seen frank chu around like 2-3 times recently. HE IS THAT DUDE.b,121b,121This cat I know who does designs for HUF designed a huf shirt similar to Chu's sign.
  • edith headedith head 5,106 Posts
    I see Frank Chu all the time in my work hood and I don't like him at all. he's mean as hell.b,121 Frank
  • ladydayladyday 623 Posts
    I don't live in Boston anymore but it had its share of colorful locals.b,121b,121Jerry Holloman, aka DJ Nitetrainb,121
  • NachoManCandySandwichNachoManCandySandwich 409 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121minneap has this dude, scott seekins:b,121b,121he's an artist of some kind, but not sure what his story is. i've never seen him talk to anyone, but i see him all over the place. pictured is his summer outfit, the winter one is black, and this is all i've ever seen him wear. headband too. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121He frequented the coffee shop I used to work at in college. Always made this really grand claims about the money he's made in the music industry to the girls I worked with.
  • NachoManCandySandwichNachoManCandySandwich 409 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121Near where I live in Tokyo is an old guy, probably around 60 or so who is always strolling down the shopping street. b,121He looks like a relatively normal old guy. Regular clothes. Coke-bottle glasses look kinda funny, but nothing crazy.b,121b,121But then out of know-where he just starts singing out loud at the top of his voice.b,121I guess he's singing some old Japanese Enka, but I have no idea what he is really singing about. b,121My girl cant understand it either. Ive never seen him go into a shop or restaurant. b,121He just walks around singing as loud as he can, with his head up and chin out for maximum auditory dispersion. b,121You can hear him from a block or two away.b,121b,121It's always funny to see people's reactions when he starts out. Usually scares the shit out of them. b,121I still get a shock if I havnt noticed him somewhere behind me when he starts up. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121This sounds great. There was a kid who used to sing material from Aerosmith's Get a Grip album at the top of his lungs, in the middle of the Goth-Loli's meeting circles at Harajuku station. He was pretty ballsy and hilarious, and withstood their repeated chants of "GO AWAY GO AWAY." I called him Screamin' Tyler.b,121b,121Ya ever seen this guy (Shibuya)?b,121b,121 b,121b,121Or this guy (Shinjuku)?b,121
  • Tektonic_PlatesTektonic_Plates 100 Posts
    Mr. Butch/b1 b,121b,121 b,121b,121 RIP/b1 b,1211951- 2007b,121b,121A Kenmore Square Legend
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