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Odd People: Cranks, Eccentrics & Nutters

Austin Popper said:
Just "Florida Man" is plenty, no Wally World needed.
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When the Columbia Space Shuttle broke up during re-entry in 2003, it left a 250 mile debris field over Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. As many pieces as possible were retrieved by NASA and local Forces, accumulating in the poignant photo of a charred space helmet on the pages of the world's Press. As America grieved, The Onion (I cannot find headline) went with "Florida Man fails to convince FBI to remove old fridge from front lawn."
 
I have been slowly making my way through this thread over the past few weeks, I've read bits of it previously over the years, some real gems here. I'll add a few "strange folk" of my own:

When I lived in Exeter, there were a couple of notables:

The Backwards Walking Woman: does what it says on the tin, a middle aged lady, occasionally seen walking backwards looking over her shoulder, apparently, though I never saw this, when she came to a road, she'd cross it walking "normally" then return to backwards walking again on the other side. A short while after I'd left a friend still living there had seen her walking forwards and not on the road, so perhaps she was "cured" as it were.

Medieval Guy: again a descriptive appellation, middle aged man dressed as though he's in the middle ages, long tunic/robe, leggings and cloak. He had a belt with an empty scabbard hanging flaccidly by his side. The story was that he used to carry a sword but the police had understandably confiscated it, the other story was that he was one of those historical reenacters and had had a nervous breakdown and decided to remain in character as it were. I even saw him in the pub with a friend once, who was normally dressed, sadly medieval guy did not quaff from a tankard and just used a normal beer glass.

Vaguely related to medieval guy, one morning walking through the city I saw a policeman in what looked like turn of the 20thC garb, including one of those "cape coats", he even had a suitable moustache, there was a bike nearby clearly his that looked if not Victorian, certainly very old-fashioned. He was talking to a woman who was stood in the doorway of her house, I remember as looking "old fashioned" possibly mid-20thC: long dark dress, long dark hair and a white or light apron. They were talking and went quiet and stared at me as I passed; I kept thinking "Shit! This is a timeslip and my Fortean moment!", this was a suburban street and there was no one else about. I mentioned it to a friend and he said apparently that guy was a regular police officer who dressed in a period costume to visit schools. No idea if that's true but sounds reasonable - this was day-time in the week.
 
I mentioned the Glasgow backwards walker near the start of the thread - is this a "thing"? Are there any others? Was it a fad that died out among, erm, eccentrics? I haven't heard of any recently. Maybe most got run over, like hedgehogs.
 
GNC said:
I mentioned the Glasgow backwards walker near the start of the thread - is this a "thing"? Are there any others? Was it a fad that died out among, erm, eccentrics? I haven't heard of any recently. Maybe most got run over, like hedgehogs.
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@GNC I seem to remember one of my friends telling me if a backwards walking man in derby,but then again he might have been just overdoing it on the old crystal rainbows a chasing that ever elusive pot of gold. ?!!
 
GNC said:
I mentioned the Glasgow backwards walker near the start of the thread - is this a "thing"? Are there any others? Was it a fad that died out among, erm, eccentrics? I haven't heard of any recently. Maybe most got run over, like hedgehogs.
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There were also a couple of backwards runners, which is even more bizarre. Both species appear to be endangered if not extinct.
 
GNC said:
I mentioned the Glasgow backwards walker near the start of the thread - is this a "thing"? Are there any others? Was it a fad that died out among, erm, eccentrics? I haven't heard of any recently. Maybe most got run over, like hedgehogs.
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It' possible it's a form of a motor tic such as in Tourettes but you need to know more about the person to confirm it.
 
There's a guy driving around Rotterdam with a LED illuminated cross on the front of his bicycle.
I could only photograph him from the back, but a few cars honked their horn at him. My wife has seen him too.
I'm a practicing catholic and so should welcome any apostle or prophet, but this is not my style :)
 

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uair01 said:
There's a guy driving around Rotterdam with a LED illuminated cross on the front of his bicycle.
I could only photograph him from the back, but a few cars honked their horn at him. My wife has seen him too.
I'm a practicing catholic and so should welcome any apostle or prophet, but this is not my style :)
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@uair01 good balancing skills as well!!
 
Swifty said:
A documentary film celebrating eccentrics

"A celebration of those who are truly different from the rest of us and who, according to a ten-year study, are healthier, happier and tend to live longer."

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Which one are you?
 
Thursday 20th around 16:30, thanks to various road closures and a wilful satnav I found myself lost in the little lanes around Shepton Mallet. Driving round a particularly tight bend I was confronted by a pale young man with a Monks habit around his waist in the middle of the road. He had long silky dark hair, bare feet and was holding a picnic hamper in front of him.

He seemed quite oblivious to his surroundings as I stood on the brakes.

What struck me afterwards was how clean he looked, for someone barefoot wandering around Somerset- it gets very dusty here.
 
Eyespy said:
Thursday 20th around 16:30, thanks to various road closures and a wilful satnav I found myself lost in the little lanes around Shepton Mallet. Driving round a particularly tight bend I was confronted by a pale young man with a Monks habit around his waist in the middle of the road. He had long silky dark hair, bare feet and was holding a picnic hamper in front of him.

He seemed quite oblivious to his surroundings as I stood on the brakes.

What struck me afterwards was how clean he looked, for someone barefoot wandering around Somerset- it gets very dusty here.
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I saw a young man dressed like this a few years ago. He was sitting on a sandy area of the banks of the river Swale in Richmond, North Yorks, I think in fact it looked like he was packing up his gear as if he'd been camping. I can't remember footwear but he did have long hair. I thought he was on a pilgrimage, there being a tiny, ancient chapel less than a mile away.

On a later occasion, I was crossing the bridge where I saw him ( just before the Old Railway Station - now a cafe/gallery and cinema ) and there was a sudden downpour of rain so I took shelter alongside a couple and an old woman underneath the trees that line that part of the road. I don't think they knew each other, but the old woman was playing the part of 'tour guide' and telling the couple (and now me, eavesdropping) how in medieval times, bodies of plague victims were thrown over the wall where we stood to be buried in the field below.

For clarification - The 'monk' I saw was on the other side of the river to the plague field, and I am not suggesting he was a ghost.
 
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Eyespy said:
Thursday 20th around 16:30, thanks to various road closures and a wilful satnav I found myself lost in the little lanes around Shepton Mallet. Driving round a particularly tight bend I was confronted by a pale young man with a Monks habit around his waist in the middle of the road. He had long silky dark hair, bare feet and was holding a picnic hamper in front of him.

He seemed quite oblivious to his surroundings as I stood on the brakes.

What struck me afterwards was how clean he looked, for someone barefoot wandering around Somerset- it gets very dusty here.
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Did he... was he actually there physically? Did you see him after you drove past, for example (if you looked in your rear-view mirror)?

Did he notice your presence at all?
 
Following zebra's lead,

Did he move to the side of the road to allow you to proceed ? This would indicate he was a human.

INT21.
 
I swerved to avoid him, did not see him in rear view mirror but it is a very narrow hedgelined bendy road.

However, I think he was real as a collegue saw him or another one like him on the Friday wandering across the main road in Shepton. She was struck by his apparent unconcern for any vehicles ( people swerved around him) and rather unusual picnic hamper.
She says he had his robe on, but head uncovered so she could appreciate his pale good looks and lovely flowing hair 9 this was mentioned a couple of times so not just me).

definitely real, not sure about human.

INT21. Moving or not moving to avoid traffic is no guaranty of Humanity around here- its Glastonbury week.
 
Eyespy said:
Thursday 20th around 16:30, thanks to various road closures and a wilful satnav I found myself lost in the little lanes around Shepton Mallet. Driving round a particularly tight bend I was confronted by a pale young man with a Monks habit around his waist in the middle of the road. He had long silky dark hair, bare feet and was holding a picnic hamper in front of him.

He seemed quite oblivious to his surroundings as I stood on the brakes.

What struck me afterwards was how clean he looked, for someone barefoot wandering around Somerset- it gets very dusty here.
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There is a Benedictine Abbey, community and school based nearby at Stratton-On-The-Fosse.
 
AnonyJooz- good point but my bad as I forgot to mention he was in a brown habit, calve length- looked like coarse wool.. The Monastery at Stratton is Downside, I think Benedictine and they wear Black, usually down to ankles. We used to have a priest from the community at our church, don't see them around so much now.

I had mentally ruled out a Downside member as he was young and in the wrong colour as well as looking " wrong" for Downside.
 
Completely bizarre character in this video at 4:15... guy wearing a television on his head like a mask leaves old televisions on people's doorsteps!

 
Stephanie Lazarus, ex police officer who killed her ex partner's wife

 
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Don't think we've mentioned the Somerset Gimp Man (apologies if we have):
First sighting

An MMA enthusiast claimed to have beaten him up:
Gimp beatdown

According to the FT round up, he has a variety of disguises, including "clown" (how original), and engages with inappropriate activity with animals, also he rubs himself up against windows according to local witnesses. Anyone heard any more? That's all a cursory Google could find.
 
uair01 said:
There's a guy driving around Rotterdam with a LED illuminated cross on the front of his bicycle.
I could only photograph him from the back, but a few cars honked their horn at him. My wife has seen him too.
I'm a practicing catholic and so should welcome any apostle or prophet, but this is not my style :)
Click to expand...
Here in my corner of the colonies (British, not Dutch), there's an older, rather scruffy man who rides a bike with a handmade sign on the front that reads, "JESUS, the light". He often stops near parks to feed the pigeons, eat, or whatever, and can invariably be heard, as one passes, engaged in what sounds like a stream of consciousness rant liberally peppered with his favourite expression, "goddamn asshole!". Hard to say to what extent his ministry has been a success (maybe he's had some luck with the pigeons?). :)
 
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