# Does your city have a "character"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 11, 2026, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299 "2026-08-11T18:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/41 "2026-08-12T10:29:38Z")
I’m just north of Denver now. Berthoud CO. If it has a character I’d have to say classic cars. There are a lot of them running around. I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/42 "2026-08-12T15:31:21Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Another one I just remembered. Jesus. Jesus drives around in an old beat up station wagon, plastered with pretty much exactly what you’d expect. My town had a Jesus too, except he jogged everywhere holding a sign, or occasionally hauling a full-sized cross (with wheels on the base). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/43 "2026-08-12T15:46:06Z")
I saw him when we lived there. Anchorage had a perennial political candidate whose name I can’t remember. She had a voice like Julia Child, but was way more annoying. She showed up at every board meeting, council meeting, etc., handing out fliers about how abused she was and constantly complaining about her husband being persecuted (he failed the Bar Exam at least ten times). The local paper generously referred to her as a “gadfly” instead of a PITA. I’m sure there were many colorful characters there over the years, as the place is loaded with oddballs. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/44 "2026-08-12T15:51:16Z")
We have Sheriff Joe. Every once in a while I will get an unexplained chill up my spine, I turn around and there’s Sheriff Joe. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/45 "2026-08-12T15:56:06Z")
I can’t think of any now, but when I was a kid Gypsy Boots was a thing. He was what was called a health food nut. He dressed in a kind of leopard onesie and sandals in all weather … luckily this was in Los Angeles. I’d see him occasionally on local TV shows. He lived until he was 90 (well, he missed it by 11 days). When I was in college, Wild Man Fischer was a street “performer.” He actually recorded a few records. I have a 45 of “Merry-go-round.” Frank Zappa helped him with the recordings. He’d been diagnosed with several mental health issues, but for years he just wandered around (mostly Sunset Strip) selling his songs for change. I ran into him on the UCLA campus when I was a student. He sold me a belch for a quarter. Oh, and does Angelyne (of billboard fame) count? ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/46 "2026-08-12T16:08:52Z")
Back in the day, my university had “Holy Hubert”, a street preacher of the most vitriolic variety. He attracted crowds mostly interested in trolling him into a frothing lather. After my time, the campus had the “Naked Guy”, a student who walked around and attended classes, well, naked. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/47 "2026-08-12T16:22:00Z")
Cleveland also has a guy that’s more of “a guy” than Tim Misny (who is more of a “figure” IMHO). It’s Jim the Mall Guy. > **[The Swagalicious Life of Mall Guy: Behind the LED Belt and Colorful Shirts of...](https://www.clevescene.com/news/the-swagalicious-life-of-mall-guy-behind-the-led-belt-and-colorful-shirts-of-one-of-clevelands-most-visible-characters-3696953/)** > > It's not hard to find Mall Guy, the seemingly ubiquitous Cleveland character who wears slogans like "One Sexy B" and "YOLO Swagg On" or "UNFORGETTABLE"... That article is from 2013 but according to Cleveland Reddit he’s still around. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/48 "2026-08-12T16:25:22Z")
Born, raised, and still live in CLE and never heard of that guy! ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/49 "2026-08-12T16:39:01Z")
Wonder why there are so few female “characters.” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/50 "2026-08-12T16:58:42Z")
We used to have the “Creve Coeur jogger” - a woman whoi dressed up in bizarre costumes, wore masks, and jogged down a major road in the suburbs every day. She stayed on the sidewalks, waved at cars (and they honked back) and was generally a refreshing break in the routine commute. A reporter finally caught up to her. She wouldn’t give her name but said she was a nurse and she wanted to stay anonymous so her co-workers and patients wouldn’t freak out. She either gave up the costumes or quit running entirely some years ago. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/51 "2026-08-12T17:38:07Z")
> [@2\_More\_Bits](#): > > Wonder why there are so few female “characters.” Toledo used to have Opal Covey, a candidate for office who would speak in tongues during interviews. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1luOvhtRKZE/maxresdefault.jpg "Opal Covey Toledo Mayoral Candidate Calls Forth Demons") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1luOvhtRKZE) ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/52 "2026-08-12T17:41:09Z")
I might be the character in my town. or at least the downtown. I moved to Fort Myers in 1999. At that time, FM was such a podunk town that when I went for a walk at break time, I had the entire place to myself. It was an actual event to see another person out on the streets between 8 am and lunch or between 1 pm and 4. Around 2010, I was talking to a guy at my gym who also worked downtown. He told me that I was known all over the downtown as, “That Guy Who Walks Around the Downtown” amongst many of the business. Nowadays, the downtown has redeveloped and there are tourists all year instead of just the winter season. I’ve been here for 27 years. So maybe I’m like one of the street people that everyone recognizes even if teye don’t know who I am. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/53 "2026-08-12T19:07:22Z")
> [@2\_More\_Bits](#): > > Wonder why there are so few female “characters.” I was thinking about that last night. Maybe women just aren’t as prone to outrageous antics. Or in some cases are more likely to get offered help for mental issues, especially if they put themselves in danger like the men in some of these stories. It seems more socially acceptable for men to be eccentric in pubic. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/54 "2026-08-12T19:10:32Z")
I know of one notorious woman “character” in Cleveland’s past: Cassie Chadwick, the Gilded-Age “Queen of Cleveland”: > **[Cassie Chadwick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassie_Chadwick)** > > Cassie L. Chadwick (10 October 1857 – 10 October 1907) was the most well-known pseudonym used by Canadian con artist Elizabeth Bigley, who defrauded several American banks out of millions of dollars during the late 1800s and early 1900s by claiming to be an illegitimate daughter and heiress of the Scottish-American industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Newspaper accounts of the time described her as one of the greatest con artists in American history. She pulled off the scam in the Gilded Ag Cassie Cha... ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/55 "2026-08-12T22:57:16Z")
That reminds me, there was a “female character” in the town where I worked at the grocery store pharmacy, and she wore a one-piece ski suit, the type that was probably polar-certified, most of the time. She would buy carrots, 25 or 50 pounds at a time, and juice them. Yeah, she was known as The Orange Lady. She obviously had some MH issues but she was harmless. I think men are bolder in cases like this. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/56 "2026-08-12T23:01:06Z")
There’s a local man, affiliated with a church (I don’t think he’s ordained) who stands on street corners with a cross, signs with Bible verses on them, and will discuss it with anyone who’s interested, and give them a Bible if they want it. He does not accost anyone who isn’t interested. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/57 "2026-08-12T23:03:25Z")
Or, for that matter, in pubLic? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/58 "2026-08-13T05:17:40Z")
There was a woman who for years and years would sit in a plastic stacking lawn chair just outside the perimeter fence of the local police station parking lot, like she was at her post. Just sit there, huddled, facing the parking lot, every day, and then take the bus home at the end of the day. She’d stash her chair across the street around the side of an apartment building. She never spoke to anyone, huddled in coat, hat, and scarf, ignored everyone and wanted to be left alone. People made up stories to explain why she was there, but no one actually knew, including the local police officer I asked, but who knew what her first name was said to be. When Covid hit, she stopped coming, and hasn’t been seen in this area since. ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/59 "2026-08-13T05:20:45Z")
Way back when I was a kid a nearby beach city had a character known as the “Laguna Beach Greeter” who would stand on a corner waving and shouting "Hello!!’ to people driving by. Wikipedia has a page about him: > **[Eiler Larsen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiler_Larsen)** > > Eiler Larsen (March 27, 1890 – March 19, 1975) was a Danish-born vagabond who was known as "The Greeter" of Laguna Beach, California. From the 1940s until the early 1970s, the shaggy-haired, heavily bearded Larsen grinning, waving, and booming "Halloo-oo-oo!" to visitors became a cultural icon for Laguna Beach tourists. Larsen wandered in Europe, South America and across the United States before settling in Laguna at age 52. He worked as an occasional gardener, and adopted the daily habit of sta... ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299/60 "2026-08-13T05:25:36Z")
Northern Nevada had “The Waver”. A hippy that would walk between Carson City and Reno and wave to everyone. He actually had a book written (not by him) about him. Turns out he was just kinda nuts. Now, the South Lake Tahoe/ Carson City area has a “Character” that is actually kinda of a Hero. Glenn Lucky. Cerebral Palsy dude that has ridden up and down Highway 50 for nearly 50 years now. He was a “Thing” back in the 80’s up in Tahoe. He moved down to more moderate climes in Carson. He pedals his tricycle around town, with advertisings on the bike and a trailer. The guy is an inspiration to his fortitude. I’ve interacted with him many times over the years, and he is a real life study in Win. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-character/1032299.md?page=4)