eccentric or unique people in your area

[Ottakee]

In my area we have Skater Man, Parrot Lady, Raccoon Dancer, and Cat Guy.....seriously, they hang out along the waterfront on the boardwalk ALL the time.  The boardwalk is a 2 mile boardwalk/sidewalk/pier that goes from downtown to the end of the pier at the lighthouse along the river.  It is highly used in the summer by tourists but locals walk this path all year round.

Skater Man is an older 50s/younger 60s short guy on roller blades that skates along the boardwalk, zipping through the people and then performs his circles and other fancy moves any time there is open space.  Also usually done in shorty shorts and no shirt for added effect.

Parrot Lady is a lady that carries around her parrot on the boardwalk.

Raccoon Dancer is an eccentric lady about 60 who is seen dancing at local free concerts with her large stuffed raccoon.  She will also invite your dog (and maybe you) to her dog's birthday party and promise to send the CIA undercover to come pick you up for the party.

Cat Guy is the latest local addition.  He is in his 50s or early 60s and walks all over the boardwalk carrying his famous "show cat"---a very unhappy looking mixed breed cat that is wearing little boots and a fancy harness.  Everyone who even pauses for a second is told the tale of this famous show cat and how special it is.

[Farrar]

Bicycle boom box guy. Saw him the other night, actually. 
https://dcist.com/story/19/09/04/on-the-block-or-by-bike-meet-the-two-legendary-music-men-of-columbia-heights/

[Arctic Bunny]

When we lived in Iqaluit, there was Polar Man. While googling him so I could link his Wikipedia page, I see he moved south! I’m also disappointed to see his non-super hero name revealed.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/polar-man-iqaluit-s-homegrown-superhero-heads-south-1.2844449

[KungFuPanda]

We have a bike guy.  He used to wear a spartan-looking helmet, but he uses a regular bike helmet now.  He's been out biking for the almost 20 years I've lived here.  Sometimes he tidies up the library books.  When my daughter was little she'd watch to make sure he shelved them properly.  He absolutely does.  We consider a Columbia Bike Guy sighting good luck.  Sometimes it's scary if he's going the wrong way in traffic.  You do NOT want to be the person who finally hits him.  You'd have to move.

[MercyA]

Our small town grocery store has employed a man with cognitive disabilities for over 25 years now. He always has stories to tell--he is a spy, he was just evacuated from a natural disaster, he is marketing a new product, he was on the news. I often wonder what people who don't know him think. Thankfully almost everyone does know that's just Johnny being Johnny.

There's a man who lives in a very large, very old house in the center of town all by himself. The lawn and house are immaculately kept. He has a small cactus garden in the front (note: we are in Indiana!) and removes it during the winter. He has different colored lace curtains in different rooms. He keeps a mannequin in one of the second floor windows and dresses her for Halloween. She's in the window other times, too. He decorates his house for Valentine's Day (a large heart), Thanksgiving (a turkey, I think), spring/summer (flower garlands on the porch), Halloween (cool projection lights, two graveyards, a life-size cardboard Elvira, a fog machine once, and other assorted stuff), and Christmas. He walks most places in town and looks vaguely motorcycle-y (black tee, black bandana on head). Apparently he is super nice. I've never talked to him but have been tempted to stop him and say, hey, we enjoy your house! Also I am just curious. My daughter worries he is lonely. I told her that since he has a Chihuahua statue on his porch and a fenced in backyard, maybe he has a little dog we don't know about. We can hope. 🙂 

Edited November 3, 2019 by MercyA

[rebcoola]

We have singing guy he walks past our house at least 4 times a day.  He sings as loud as possible along to his Walkman every where he goes.  
 

We also have Step Scooter guy.  Who Is a 50 yr old guy that rides his step scooter in plazas around town.  He wears a Mohawk helmet and does tricks.

[Bambam]

My dh grew up in Memphis. There was (maybe still is, we no longer have any ties to Memphis) a unique individual "Prince Mongo". He was from another planet. He did various weird things and had an extremely unusual house. From a google search - https://the-barnburner.com/2018/03/03/lets-get-serious-prince-mongo-2020/

[PinkTulip]

We have the dancing man who stands on the corner of a busy intersection daily when there’s nice weather, who totally rocks out and waves to passing cars. His outfits change daily and are always head to toe the same color - so maybe all purple one day, neon orange the next, followed by lime green, etc. He’s basically a local celebrity in my community and everyone loves him. He never fails to make me smile whenever I see him. 

[Shoeless]

There's a guy that stands on the corner each Halloween, across from the Methodist church Trunk-or-Treat, and screams into a megaphone about salvation as the kids go by. He wears a bible on a chain the way a biker or trucker might have a wallet on a chain. He's kind of...a bit much. 

[Carrie12345]

Oh, wow! Nothing that exciting here! 🙂

There is a man who is always walking back and forth to the gas station/minimart.  And I mean ALWAYS! Many days I drive past 4 times bringing my two teens back and forth to work at random hours, in addition to any other driving out of town that I might do.  It’s rare that I don’t see him on each and every pass.

[catz]

What pops to mind is barefoot runner juggling sticks dude.  😂👍   Can be seen in our neighborhood 3 seasons a year.  
 

deep winter shorts youth is a common phenomena as well.  Sometimes sighted in groups.  We are near a college campus.  
 

This is subtle but Canada Goose wearers that don’t have mitts, hat, scarf or boots cause me to think wealth flashing tourist and giggle.  Rarely seen on true locals. Often on college campus.  

[cbollin]

14 hours ago, Bambam said:

My dh grew up in Memphis. There was (maybe still is, we no longer have any ties to Memphis) a unique individual "Prince Mongo". He was from another planet. He did various weird things and had an extremely unusual house. From a google search - https://the-barnburner.com/2018/03/03/lets-get-serious-prince-mongo-2020/

 

Yep . He's still around.  This was Mongo's year in the mayoral elections.  He came in 4th out of 11 candidates on the ballot. and he was featured on an episode of American Pickers a few years ago.   here's that promo clip.  you'll get a "blessing" watching.  LOL  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyyPwClwNRg

 

[athena1277]

1 hour ago, FuzzyCatz said:

What pops to mind is barefoot runner juggling sticks dude.  😂👍   Can be seen in our neighborhood 3 seasons a year.  
 

deep winter shorts youth is a common phenomena as well.  Sometimes sighted in groups.  We are near a college campus.  
 

This is subtle but Canada Goose wearers that don’t have mitts, hat, scarf or boots cause me to think wealth flashing tourist and giggle.  Rarely seen on true locals. Often on college campus.  

We saw this a lot when we lived in N VA.  They are often males accompanied by a cute, but bundled up female.  I always found them amusing.

[Laura Corin]

Just recently, Purple Man has come into town. He has a purple long coat and broad brimmed hat, but he also dyes his full beard purple. He's in his forties and is usually with friends.

[marbel]

When we lived in Oregon (suburbs of Portland), we met Zephyr, the Salmon Man.  Zephyr rode a bike and had a paper (?) cutout of a salmon on the top of his helmet.  When we first met him he showed us the "salmon wave" and handed us a badly-photocopied piece of paper imploring people to remove excess weight from their vehicles - including license plate frame - as one way to help the salmon.  We'd see him from time to time, give the salmon wave, talk to him for a few minutes. I think we tried to be sure he never saw us getting into our Suburban. 🙂

Here in the Philly suburbs, there is a guy who just walks and walks all the time, talking on his cell phone. He's been walking and walking for at least 12 years now. I asked a neighbor about him when we first moved in; he'd been in school with her kids and I was assured he was harmless. I must admit it looked like he was going around casing the neighborhood.  

[klmama]

Every summer I see a guy riding an electric scooter with his dog sitting on the handlebars - both wear matching leather helmets, scarves, and goggles.  They are adorable.  I have no idea if the guy is otherwise eccentric.  

 

 

 

[Pen]

Most everyone?

Here’s a clip of an “eccentric” (with raunchy jokes bonus at end)  — but check out the other people the camera catches.  Many seem rather eccentric!

 

[Liz CA]

In the town where dh grew up there was a woman who would walk the sidewalks downtown and randomly call out to strangers. When kids crossed the street anywhere but at a crossing she'd wait for them on the other side and twist their ear lobes. Most people in town knew her but to newcomers she must have seemed rather...odd.

I didn't know she was famous...

https://digital.sonomalibrary.org/digital/collection/p15763coll2/id/25245/

Edited November 3, 2019 by Liz CA

[catz]

Oh I just saw him today so I have to mention him - Santa on a bike!  We have a dead ringer for Santa we regularly see biking around town, beard and hair flowing.  So you better watch out ... you better not cry ... better not pout I'm telling you why ...

[school17777]

As I was walking into church this morning, an older woman was walking out and smiled as she said something I didn’t understand.  When dh came in, he asked if I had seen the older lady.  Apparently she came up to him and said he must be a Trump supporter because she could tell by his gut and that’s the way she greeted Trump supporters.  She said this to another guy in the parking lot too, who has a flat stomach.  No idea what that was all about.

[DesertBlossom]

There used to be a man with a long gray beard who would ride his bike up and down Main Street wearing headphones, waving his hands around dancing and singing. There may have been preaching as well. He passed away a few years ago though. 

We have seen a significant increase in our homeless population in recent years. A lot of our street corners have regular panhandlers. And it's not uncommon to see people walking down the street, definitely high on drugs and acting odd. I know that's not eccentric or unique... but it makes for some serious conversations when my kids ask why people are acting that way.

Edited November 4, 2019 by DesertBlossom

[Ottakee]

I just thought of one from years ago...ok, 2.

First is White Socks.  He was an older man that walked all over town and wore white socks with his brown or black leather shoes.  In the 70s that got him the name white socks.  I believe that he like to whistle a lot too.

The other was a cat lady....I think.  My memory is fuzzy on her but she was a very large woman who likely had an intellectual disability or a mental illness.  She was often I'll kept and rode a bike all over, often with a cat...if I have the same one.  More a sad life though than the other eccentrics.

 

[Guest]

There’s The Walking Guy not too far from here. My dh has seen him repeatedly, for decades, always walking around a particular area. He has long, long hair and is easily recognized and other people have mentioned noticing him too. 

[MercyA]

2 hours ago, Patty Joanna said:

Then there's the guy that wears a cat-nose mask, cat ears and a tail attached to his hinder, and not just at Halloween.  And he's in his 30s or older.  🐾

Probably a furry. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furry_fandom

https://www.vox.com/2014/12/10/7362321/9-questions-about-furries-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask

Edited November 4, 2019 by MercyA

[Annie G]

In the town we recently moved from (but lived in for 25 years) we had a guy who walked or rode his bike all over town. He always wore a crown, and everyone referred to him as the king of (name of town). He was very outgoing, but kind of on the rough side, like kind of a thug. But he had that crown, with the red velvet and gold plastic. 

[Guest]

15 hours ago, MercyA said:

Probably a furry. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furry_fandom

https://www.vox.com/2014/12/10/7362321/9-questions-about-furries-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask

Yes, there was a Furry in one of dd’s college classes. He identified as trans-species and believed he was a wolf. 

[Library Momma]

We have a cute blond jogger who is probably in her late twenties.  She is usually wearing bright pink or tie dye running gear, and she smiles and waves to every car that passes.  One of my male friends thought for about a year that she was only waving to him, until he overheard other people discussing her one day.  I think he was a bit heartbroken.

[YaelAldrich]

We have an older man who walks around our local lake/reservoir in a thong and fanny pack, usually reading a thick tome.  Now, that it is cold, we tend not to see him or maybe we don't know him with clothes?  My husband guesses he is a professor emeritus from one of the local colleges. He hopes he will be that man someday.