re: NYC Characters

[Gothampc]

Thinking about Joe the Peeler made me start thinking of other people that I have seen around NYC. They become part of the scenery of NYC for awhile. But life goes on and we forget them.

So let's make a list of the regulars we've seen around.

One that I remember is a thin, blonde woman probably in her late 40s. She used to stand by a card table, holding up a piece of cardboard with pictures on it yelling "Sign the Petition! Sign the Petition!" For awhile her petition was against pornography and the sign had some very racy pictures on it. A few years ago, I saw her and the petition had changed to animal cruelty. You could hear her from about two blocks away yelling "Sign the Petition!"

[Calvin]

The homeless guy who always rides the A train surrounded by a ring of trash bags.

The guy who rides the 1 train late at night and makes pencil sketches of all the passengers (and then tries to sell them to them once he's done) -- though I haven't seen him in a few years.

[blueroses]

Yes. Jim Powers, the mosaic man.

I remember being thrilled every time I'd stumble across a lamp post or bench decorated with all of his bright, beautiful tiles, pieces of mirror, beads, etc., in the Village.

[Jane2]

We have a local guy here on sixth ave. and west 10th st. Homeless, I think, and he's always on the same corner, crying out very loudly, with a cry in his voice, for money. I gave him some in the beginning, but he's been there for almst as long as I have, so I guess it's a lucrative corner for him.

[Gothampc]

"We have a local guy here on sixth ave. and west 10th st."

Is he the one that sits near the church? The one near the church always yells out "Young man...young man" whenever I walk by.

[Marianne2]

I'm not from the city, but I have seen the same guy a few times now out near Penn Station or even going inside. I know it's the same guy too because he is in a wheel chair and only has one leg. I think he's homeless because he's always looking for money.

[doodlenyc]

Goth, I know the blond woman you are talking about...she's been haunting the upper east side subway stations for as long as I've lived up here (22 years) and she is just too much. Her pornography scream was "Don't be stupid ladies! Pornography is a hate crime!" etc. She tried to run me over in the bike lane once. I saw her recently and she was mumbling to herself, but was just walking by.

[Jane2]

"Is he the one that sits near the church?"

No, I think you mean the guy near the church on 11th and Fifth ave. I know who you mean!

[Gothampc]

"Goth, I know the blond woman you are talking about"

I was once on a crosstown bus with her; she was carrying her cardtable over to 86th & Broadway. She was talking very loudly with a woman sitting next to her. She must not have liked the way someone else on the bus looked at her because she suddenly started yelling: "You have no right to look at me. I'm not on display here."

[Reginald Tresilian]

"I'm not on display here."

Au contraire.

[doodlenyc]

"You have no right to look at me. I'm not on display here."

I would've said "I thought I recognized you from Hustler."

[verynewyorkcurious]

There's this old homeless woman who frequently gets on the crosstown bus on 96 St who channels Little Edie Beale. I have my headphones on and she talks to me about the most random things and people she thinks are our mutual friends. Last week, I ended up going along with her and was pretty enthralled.

[D2]

Does anyone remember that guy who used to stand on 57th Street in front of LEE'S and screech what he thought was opera?

[Jane2]

"who channels Little Edie Beale"

Now THAT I'd like to see!

[Reginald Tresilian]

There used to be a homeless (I assume) guy who called himself Broadway Bob.

His line used to be "I was abducted by a flying saucer, and I just got back to Earth. Can you give me a quarter so I can call the Pentagon and tell them about it?"

[Jane2]

Reggie, that rates the quarter!

[Reginald Tresilian]

Oh, I couldn't agree more, Jane.

There was another one, a skinny black guy in semi-drag (but clearly a man), must have been nicely into his sixties--maybe older. He approached me once and said, "Pardon me, handsome, but could you spare a dollar for a pregnant lady?"

I was happy to give them both money.

[Gothampc]

There used to be an older homeless man that stood on the corner of Park and 47th. He would raise his Bible toward the sky and yell about the end of the world. The interesting thing about him was that he would only yell when the traffic was flowing east/west. When the traffic flowed north/south, he wouldn't say anything, he would just walk in circles until the traffic started flowing east/west again.

[Jane2]

Yeah, I always like to give credit (and money) to an original plea!

[Gothampc]

"I would've said "I thought I recognized you from Hustler."

That would have been hilarious, but she had one of her signs with her at the time that was mounted on a wooden stick. She always seemed to be the type that would hit a person over the head with the stick while yelling "Stop sexually harrassing me".

[Reginald Tresilian]

Goth, I remember her. She was terrifying.

And that voice was like a nail through your head.

[Gothampc]

BUMP IT LIKE A STRUMPET

I just thought I'd raise this thread again. Spring is on its way and I'm sure there are more interesting characters.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Do you need someone to call you "Young Man"?

Because that ain't gonna happen.