Crazy Watch
Crazy Watch is another new segment of Stinks Good. Crazy Watch will be devoted to those eccentric (if not truly crazy) characters that define different neighborhoods. In LA, a place where I may rarely see any person more then once, the persistence of those who fill their day walking a defined neighborhood local end up being as much of a defining entity as any building or landmark. Plus, their just plane strange.
Cycle Glider is the first personality I present you, simply because I passed Cycle Glider on my way into work today. CG surfs the streets of downtown, usually during weekday mornings. CG rides a Mountain Bike, new looking. He wears a helmet, wrap around sunglasses, and sometimes a bandana around his mouth. This morning, Cycle Glider wore an emergency vest over his shirt. But its not CG's clothing that defines him. Cycle Glider has a dance, of sorts. At its base, is the hand glide. You remember when you were a kid and you stuck your hand outside a moving car window and let it dance through the air stream? Several years later, you may have used the same motion when attending a Dead show high on acid (I said, YOU may have, I sure didn't). Well, that’s the main focus of Cycle Gliders performance is that waving, dancing hand motion. One hand dancing, the other holding the handle bar. In addition to this, he usually sticks one leg out, extending it as far as possible without completely loosing balance. So, at this point, he's kind of in a Superman position....well at least half of him, the other half is kept on the bicycle....barely keeping it upright. Occasionally, he'll bob and weave his head, putting the whole body into a weaving motion. Now, mind you, he's doing all of this on some major streets of downtown LA....coasting into and out of traffic and during red lights he almost taunts the rest of the cars. If he comes across a pedestrian, he sometimes does his little hand dance over there heads. It seems to be a cross between some spiritual healing motion, and just general pestering.
I know all of this demands to be seen and not read, but at the moment I don't have a camera that caters to "from the hip" shooting that will ultimately yield the best example of this guy. I'll do my best to get an image of him. If anybody happens to snap one, please send it my way.
Cycle Glider is the first personality I present you, simply because I passed Cycle Glider on my way into work today. CG surfs the streets of downtown, usually during weekday mornings. CG rides a Mountain Bike, new looking. He wears a helmet, wrap around sunglasses, and sometimes a bandana around his mouth. This morning, Cycle Glider wore an emergency vest over his shirt. But its not CG's clothing that defines him. Cycle Glider has a dance, of sorts. At its base, is the hand glide. You remember when you were a kid and you stuck your hand outside a moving car window and let it dance through the air stream? Several years later, you may have used the same motion when attending a Dead show high on acid (I said, YOU may have, I sure didn't). Well, that’s the main focus of Cycle Gliders performance is that waving, dancing hand motion. One hand dancing, the other holding the handle bar. In addition to this, he usually sticks one leg out, extending it as far as possible without completely loosing balance. So, at this point, he's kind of in a Superman position....well at least half of him, the other half is kept on the bicycle....barely keeping it upright. Occasionally, he'll bob and weave his head, putting the whole body into a weaving motion. Now, mind you, he's doing all of this on some major streets of downtown LA....coasting into and out of traffic and during red lights he almost taunts the rest of the cars. If he comes across a pedestrian, he sometimes does his little hand dance over there heads. It seems to be a cross between some spiritual healing motion, and just general pestering.
I know all of this demands to be seen and not read, but at the moment I don't have a camera that caters to "from the hip" shooting that will ultimately yield the best example of this guy. I'll do my best to get an image of him. If anybody happens to snap one, please send it my way.
posted by lakeside at 9:56 AM
3 Comments:
My favorite local is this guy I call "Walking Man." Around lunchtime, he's usually cruising the hood wearing, in the summer, faded red shorts and no shirt. In the winter, he's wearing the same shorts with a brown puffy parka. Still no shirt. His skin is perennially the color of burnt butter. Best of all: he's always got his nose in the paper. Never looks where he's going. True confessions: one day, pulling to a stop at Angus and GPB, I was only looking to my left as I pulled out past the stop sign. Walking Man was on my right and I ALMOST HIT HIM. Sorry to say the only interaction we've had is when he (rightly) cursed me out. I now wave at him, and smile, and always, always look both ways.
You beat me to the punch. Walking Guy is deffinately on the list. and for me, the original Crazy Watch icon. As well as Mr. Big Shoes and Circa Loco. All coming soon!
Would be cool to find out who Walking Man is. Rumor has it he's a doctor of some kind (probably not a dermatologist). I wonder if he varies his route. I wonder what he reads on a slow news day. Is there a Mrs. Walking Man? Walking Kids, waiting to follow him like ducks in a row?
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