She's enjoying the warm sunshine as she glides down the crowded sidewalk when suddenly she's jolted into harsh reality by a loud person wearing a dark pin-striped suit and holding a sleek handmade sign emblazoned with terms such as "WHORING", "FORNICATOR", and "JESUS". Shocked, she looks directly into the man's exploding firecracker eyes and is held prisoner by the intensity of his steely gaze. Suddenly without breaking eye contact, he bellows, "Wipe that damn lipstick off your face, you filthy Jezebel!" She averts her gaze and continues on her way. The smile never leaves her face as she reaches for the compact in her purse to quickly reapply a thick coat of raging scarlet across her delicate sinful lips. Market Street, San Francisco, CA.
I wanted to ask him what a COVETOUS SORCERER was, but changed my mind after observing him direct his maniacal wrath toward every single soul who happened to pass him by. Besides, I was a little drunk and proud - that would have set him off. Las Vegas, NV.
Sweet elderly Chinese man with big smile waves at passerbys while displaying signs encouraging the suicides (on behalf of God) of George Bush and Dick Cheney as he implores America to wake up. At least he was polite and asked nicely with "please". Chinatown, San Francisco, CA.
His mission in life is to stand on the same sidewalk day after day hollering unintelligible garble at passing traffic for hours on end. Apparently a local Seattle apartment complex, along with the Seattle police angered him so much that he's devoted his life to street protesting and has been at it for years. No one's really sure of the injustice the apartment complex unleashed upon him or why he considers the police to be "devil communists". He often carries a colorful handmade staff festooned with sequins and glitter. I tried to buy it off him once, but he refused to sell it.
Downtown Seattle, WA.
This is my very favorite San Francisco eccentric next to
The Brown Twins.
Frank Chu spends his days strolling the streets and is never seen without his mysterious and intriguing sign (which changes daily). Many of the phrases making appearances on his sign (such as
VATRODRUNIAL, UTTERCEDING OPACITY,or
APERTURES ULTRACOMPACTS) make no sense to anyone but Frank himself. His best known phrase is
12 GALAXIES, which has become his trademark. He loves his photo taken and was nice enough to pose for a few shots.
Market Steet, San Francisco, CA.