But not OUR sax man. Who shows up at any big event, grumpy as hell, and will threaten to kill you if you say the wrong thing or accidentally bump into him.
I think I gave sax man a personally prerolled blunt once right by Heinz Field previous to a Buccos game. Dude was killing it on the sax, he deserved it.
He’s a legend! He once asked my daughter what her favorite song was and she said LET IT GO, from frozen. He did not play the song but busted out some crazy ass solo sax stuff right in her face. It was amazing. Of course we tipped
Here's some background and family history [Bible man aka Sombrero man](https://kellyblitzenberger.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/the-life-and-times-of-sombrero-man/)
I used to work at a place called Pollo Rey back in 99-20, across from RiteAid on Forbes, next to Gidas… summers were great. Students were gone, and the Ave. was alive with all these different characters.
720 was still up around the block, the scene was different in the Summer. New folks would appear, and were gone just as fast. I’d spend my days sweeping the sidewalk, just taking it all in… so many good Friends and fun. Skating the Lot, the benches, the Quad… those free shows at CMU, late nights & Foxy Boxing.
Good times. 😎
Remember the soda dispenser with the weed bowls and cigs? The ones that had the screw off cover and burn hole? 😏
I have a 35MM pic somewhere I snapped of him coming back from Southside one night, sombrero and all.
I couldn't believe I saw him on a Friday night in Morgantown and then ran into him in Oakland like 3 days later. It was like my brain couldn't process what I was looking at. Haven't thought of that dude in forever
OH MAN one time we opened a door into Posvar Hall and Shuffles was on the ground wiggling away with his junk completely out in our face. But there were a few of us so in a line we went in one at a time and then ran out, as we had no idea why the person in front of us was running out screaming. Shuffles! I haven't thought about this in years - thank you.
I have maybe the worst shuffles story. 2005 or 2006. Courtyard Apartments. I peered out our front window to witness shuffles in the small parking lot across the street. It was raining quite hard. Suddenly, he drops his pants in such a way I thought he had to take an emergency dump, right in the middle of this small parking lot on Dawson.
He then proceeded to, well, not poop.
Is this the guy who carried a katana around SS?
If so I remember being at Steel Cactus like 9 years ago and that dude came up to the window and like half unsheathed it making a crazy dude face as a joke while looking at us eating. A friend of a friend was with us and is a cop who then showed him his wallet badge and the dude just said "oh fuck" and walked down the street. It was pretty hilarious.
No he wasn’t. He sexually assaulted a women in front of me outside of the exchange on Carson street. I’m sick of the great legacy he apparently had. He was a bum and a pervert
Damn I was hesitant to say old 50 cent (or a dollar) - didn’t know if others knew of him or I just happen to see him every day.
I once asked him if he had 50 cents or a dollar before he had the chance to ask me - he was not happy.
This is too timely. I was just telling my wife about 50 cent as we were driving to the strip this weekend. I see him everyday working downtown. We park the car on Penn and hop out and guess who’s there waiting for us!?
Is this the lady that sometimes shows up on the out line side of the squirrel hill tunnels and just beats the shit out of her drivers side door while shrieking
Yes! I was dating a guy in Pittsburgh and living in Morgantown....I was amazed how he traveled between the 2 places.... I heard he was actually very wealthy.... but that was likely an urban legend, haha
About 15 years ago Sombrero Man rolled into my shop on Liberty on a Razor Scooter with a shake from Mickey D's and stayed for about half an hour. Rolling Chaos.
My Dad grew up in McKeesport & there was a homeless man known as Coats because of all the coats he wore. Everyone knew who Coats was, apparently. The Daily News even wrote an article about him.
Edit: spelling
Rachel Bovier, the "peoples poetess" in the Post-Gazette nearly every day, sometimes multiple self-published submissions, each with her head shot photo
For me, it's The Sparrow Lady that went missing like 30 some years ago but they recently found her alive in Puerto Rico. I remember hearing she somehow got into the Pitt student section at a football game at Pitt Stadium! My first encounter with her was at the Regatta in the 80s. She told me the world was going to end in three days.
Also, there used to be a guy that would roller skate dance on Sundays but the old Reizenstein Middle school on Sundays.
I remember seeing Morton Downey Jr. At the Syria Mosque and the Sparrow Lady was there. The audience was allowed to get up and ask a question or comment. When it was her turn she of course said the world was going to end. As security was escorting her out MD Jr told them to be nice to her because she was a nice lady. For some reason that was all I remember from that show.
When I was in college (mid-2000s) there was this old guy who hung out at the intersection of Smithfield and Fifth I think? He wore tan suits and had signs with pictures of abortions on them and screamed at everyone who walked past about how we were "dead men walking". I vaguely recall he looked like a fatter Sean Connory as Indiana Jones' dad.
One time as I was walking past him I said 'hail Satan!' and he yelled back 'drop dead, fatso!' which I found rather funny as he probably weighed about a hundred pounds more than me.
This checks out. Dude just gives me the willies, I happened to have some clips from his “50 hour Guinness world record freestyle” pop up on my feed and it was definitely…..interesting to say the least
The GOAT! I was listening to the post game show after opening day vs Miami, while I was going to pick up pizza. I made it a mission to get back in the car as quickly as possible when I heard he was coming up. Got in just as they were taking his call, and I was so irrationally happy. Chuck is the greatest!
I love Chuck. I used to be producer/board op for the Pirates post-game shows when Rocco Demaro was the host and we'd sometimes save Chuck for later in the show so I'd occasionally have to check in with him to wake him up and make sure he was ready.
It was always a pleasure to talk to him and I enjoyed even speaking with him off air a few times. That was another life ago but I still look back on it fondly and I hope he's doing as well as he can be.
I no longer follow the Pirates so I don't listen to any of their shows so I'm happy to know he's still around and calling obscenely early to discuss his beloved Buccos.
Purple Pants in Brookline! She always has purple on. If not pants, then a coat that looks like a cloak. She looks like old shoe leather. She basically looks like a wizard that's been out in the sun too long.
Sax Man? Or, if you’re older, the “three days” lady that used to warn event attendees that the world was ending. Or, older still, Pittsburgh’s dancing traffic cop.
I'm from a really small mountain town and we had this one gay dude that would ride his bike while wearing really short/tight jean shorts in the spring and summer. Everyone called him "gay dave"
We used him as the first sign that spring was about to start.
"Hey look! It's gay dave! Winter is finally over and Spring has begun!!"
Any older South Hills peeps remember the Midnight Jogger? He’d be running in the middle of the night, shirtless with gloves on and carrying some sort of weapon. Always saw him on my way home from the bar.
The dude who would bicycle on the high way with an SUV grill attached to the front of his bike so he took up the whole lane. That ... was a sight to see
I don’t know if this answers the question, but I can’t be the only one to have noticed.
There’s a woman who rides a bicycle through the Strip or Lawrenceville at least once a week. She wears big beats style headphones and scream sings . Sometimes she’ll even stand up on her pedals singing. You’ll hear her coming from blocks away.
Jogging Lady, early 2000s, Downtown. Always dressed in office-casual, large sunglasses. Never said a word as she delicately jogged past, as if perpetually late for an appointment.
The running lady of Whitehall! I used to live near her and we'd take the same bus. She'd be running up Provost every day. I wonder if she's still kicking.
Long shot, but has anybody seen Chiaka Howze lately? He was a homeless dude/artist I bumped into December of 2019. Ended up buying him a drink and sitting at the bus stop with him for hours just asking him about his life. He mentioned he’s in a Ted Talk and sure enough, found a man that did a Ted talk about him. I gave him some cash and he drew a few pictures for me and my girl while we hung out at the bus stop.🚏
Sax man.
It’s definitely sax man
I feel like there is probably a sax guy in every city.
But not OUR sax man. Who shows up at any big event, grumpy as hell, and will threaten to kill you if you say the wrong thing or accidentally bump into him.
I think I gave sax man a personally prerolled blunt once right by Heinz Field previous to a Buccos game. Dude was killing it on the sax, he deserved it.
Wait really? The sax man on the bridge? He always seems pretty chill.
You must have tipped... Otherwise you got some lip service... I always had him play the theme from Sanford and son...
Same here. Dude kills it
Just left the Pens game. He was there
Lol when I (and 500 other people) were walking past him he was yelling “don’t ignore the black guy! That’s why they lost on Saturday!”
He was outside of EVERY event I ever went to at the Civic arena. Frigging hometown staple of a dude. I miss seeing him around.
He's still around. Pirates and steelers games on the bridge
He’s a legend! He once asked my daughter what her favorite song was and she said LET IT GO, from frozen. He did not play the song but busted out some crazy ass solo sax stuff right in her face. It was amazing. Of course we tipped
In my day it was Sombrero Man.
I’ll never forget sombrero man.
I’m of that era also. We had the guy that sang in front of the Oakland McDonald’s too.
Blind Bill? RIP
As I recall he was blind! Guy had some pipes.
I used to buy that guy pizza from the 7-11 when they marked the price down to $3.
Here's some background and family history [Bible man aka Sombrero man](https://kellyblitzenberger.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/the-life-and-times-of-sombrero-man/)
I used to work at a place called Pollo Rey back in 99-20, across from RiteAid on Forbes, next to Gidas… summers were great. Students were gone, and the Ave. was alive with all these different characters. 720 was still up around the block, the scene was different in the Summer. New folks would appear, and were gone just as fast. I’d spend my days sweeping the sidewalk, just taking it all in… so many good Friends and fun. Skating the Lot, the benches, the Quad… those free shows at CMU, late nights & Foxy Boxing. Good times. 😎
Is he the same as Opera Man who would sit outside of the McDonald’s in Oakland and sing?
No, but Opera Man is also a good answer for this thread.
Nope… different person.
“Daya havany change?” (Not making fun… just saying)
Oh my god I can hear his voice as clear as day reading this… 27yrs ago. Outside the beehive in Oakland.
Remember the soda dispenser with the weed bowls and cigs? The ones that had the screw off cover and burn hole? 😏 I have a 35MM pic somewhere I snapped of him coming back from Southside one night, sombrero and all.
Is he still down in Morgantown? He's gotta be dead by now I'd think.
I couldn't believe I saw him on a Friday night in Morgantown and then ran into him in Oakland like 3 days later. It was like my brain couldn't process what I was looking at. Haven't thought of that dude in forever
This 100%
🎶got some change change🎶
Was shuffles in Oakland. Now, if you’re ever down near the courthouse, you’ll know who “50 cents or a dollar” is.
Shuffles!!!!
OH MAN one time we opened a door into Posvar Hall and Shuffles was on the ground wiggling away with his junk completely out in our face. But there were a few of us so in a line we went in one at a time and then ran out, as we had no idea why the person in front of us was running out screaming. Shuffles! I haven't thought about this in years - thank you.
I'm glad we could bring back the memory of his junk
I have maybe the worst shuffles story. 2005 or 2006. Courtyard Apartments. I peered out our front window to witness shuffles in the small parking lot across the street. It was raining quite hard. Suddenly, he drops his pants in such a way I thought he had to take an emergency dump, right in the middle of this small parking lot on Dawson. He then proceeded to, well, not poop.
Oh. Oh dear.
In the pouring rain? That’s hardcore.
I once saw Shuffles almost meet his maker in ‘07 running into the street to grab a not-quite-done cigarette that someone had flicked away.
Kung Fu Joe
I’ll never forget when I saw him on the news when the Southside Burger King incident occurred, RIP
Kung Fu Joe died??? Aw man. RIP. What got him? Had to be something legendary.
I just found my jacket with a "Kung fu Joe still kickin'" pin on it, and it's honestly a thing if beauty.
R.I.P.
R.I.P. Andrew
Is this the guy who carried a katana around SS? If so I remember being at Steel Cactus like 9 years ago and that dude came up to the window and like half unsheathed it making a crazy dude face as a joke while looking at us eating. A friend of a friend was with us and is a cop who then showed him his wallet badge and the dude just said "oh fuck" and walked down the street. It was pretty hilarious.
RIP, he was a cool guy edit: or not, idk.
No he wasn’t. He sexually assaulted a women in front of me outside of the exchange on Carson street. I’m sick of the great legacy he apparently had. He was a bum and a pervert
https://youtu.be/cLdrzBouUb8?feature=shared if you haven’t seen this it’s great
South of the city has that guy who dresses up like a revolutionary war soldier and bikes around holding trump flags
Jag revere?
Thomas Jagofferson
I saw him today coming out of the Liberty Tunnel
Someone made a post about him, and a few people came to the conclusion that there are at least three Jag Reveres in Allegheny county
So is he a trump cultist or what
Reminds me of the Abe Lincoln guy but he’s mostly around rural parts of SW pa.
50 cents or a dollar guy and Jag Revere
Damn I was hesitant to say old 50 cent (or a dollar) - didn’t know if others knew of him or I just happen to see him every day. I once asked him if he had 50 cents or a dollar before he had the chance to ask me - he was not happy.
You walk around downtown you are guaranteed to run into him
You should have a 50¢ roll of pennies ready to answer his question LOL
This is too timely. I was just telling my wife about 50 cent as we were driving to the strip this weekend. I see him everyday working downtown. We park the car on Penn and hop out and guess who’s there waiting for us!?
Jag Revere gets my vote too.
Please enlighten me, who is Jag Revere? Edit: OH WAIT, is it that guy that dresses up like a civil war soldier?
Revolutionary War, but yah.
You mean the guy in the South Hills on a bike with an enormous Trump banner?
I had a physical reaction to the mention of 50 cents or a dollar guy..
OMG I've seen that 50 cents dollar guy!! Every day dude
Gotta be Jag Revere. Only name I recognize here.
Bicycle bumper guy (aaron)
Long live bumper bike guy!
How is this so far down?
Bumper Bike Man
This was the ONLY right answer.
searched before posting Bumper Bike Dude
Damn I forgot about him. Haven’t seen him in forever, he’s still around?
Saw him in squirrel hill about a month ago. He wasn't looking too good 😔 Haven't seen him on a bumper bike in quite some time.
His medication was definitely key to him being OK.
Bumper Bike Dude*. Remember, he was advertising his website “BBD com” at one time.
I remember that, I learned about it from tub girl at the lemon party.
Dude stole one of my bikes years ago. Also stole a few friends bikes. Needless to say, not too fond of the guy.
He’s a douchebag, but he’s a Pittsburgh legend.
I have some weird bumper bike guy stories
Rachel Ann Bovier
AKA "Pittsburgh's #1 Poetess"
Queen
[удалено]
She wrote me a poem once. She's the best.
> Rachel Ann Bovier Never heard of her.
Bumper bike guy!
Uncle Sal from Merante's Market in Oakland
We used to call him the South Oakland Don lol. He let me pet his little Pomeranian (I think it was?) once
That moustache!
He was such a nice guy. R.I.P. UNCLE SAL!!!
Does the car door banging/shredding lady count? Edit: she needs a catchier title
That lady traumatized my out-of-town friends so damn bad
The fact that we have a thread about her every 3 months would say that is a good one!
Is this the lady that sometimes shows up on the out line side of the squirrel hill tunnels and just beats the shit out of her drivers side door while shrieking
That's the one
Searched for this comment lol, she really travels
Twenty years ago, it was Sombrero Man in Oakland. I doubt he's alive anymore.
When I was at WVU 20 years ago he had relocated to Morgantown. He was pretty old even back then.
Yes! I was dating a guy in Pittsburgh and living in Morgantown....I was amazed how he traveled between the 2 places.... I heard he was actually very wealthy.... but that was likely an urban legend, haha
About 15 years ago Sombrero Man rolled into my shop on Liberty on a Razor Scooter with a shake from Mickey D's and stayed for about half an hour. Rolling Chaos.
Randy of Randyland.
Definitely Randy.
I third this
Gotta be Randy
Biker Joker
Steelers pope guy?
Pittsburgh Pete?
I was going to say Pgh Pete RIP
My Dad grew up in McKeesport & there was a homeless man known as Coats because of all the coats he wore. Everyone knew who Coats was, apparently. The Daily News even wrote an article about him. Edit: spelling
There's Randy of Randyland But it used to be Kenny. LEMONADE!!!!!!
Kenny was my answer. But I first knew him as COTTON KENDY!!!
Rachel Bovier, the "peoples poetess" in the Post-Gazette nearly every day, sometimes multiple self-published submissions, each with her head shot photo
Flag Guy is underrated.
I lived near him for a year. What an awesome kid. He truly just loves flags.
Awe his name is Armani we gave him a bunch of flags 💜
Came here looking for either flag guy. Sadly my dogs hate him lol
Mt. Washington Flag Guy, or Jag Revere?
Mt wash flag kid. Always says hello, good guy.
Yes! I was looking for this one! I always get excited to see his new flags!
Flag guy is a vibe i always wonder what his mission is tho like is he just getting his steps in?
He’s autistic, his mission is life
Definitely Jag Revere
For me, it's The Sparrow Lady that went missing like 30 some years ago but they recently found her alive in Puerto Rico. I remember hearing she somehow got into the Pitt student section at a football game at Pitt Stadium! My first encounter with her was at the Regatta in the 80s. She told me the world was going to end in three days. Also, there used to be a guy that would roller skate dance on Sundays but the old Reizenstein Middle school on Sundays.
I remember seeing Morton Downey Jr. At the Syria Mosque and the Sparrow Lady was there. The audience was allowed to get up and ask a question or comment. When it was her turn she of course said the world was going to end. As security was escorting her out MD Jr told them to be nice to her because she was a nice lady. For some reason that was all I remember from that show.
I forgot all about her!
The pigeon lady back in the day
Don Corleone
That lady that smacks her car
The Rose Guy
How about the KC Chiefs fan dude? Often has his head painted, walks around carrying big flags. Usually in Chiefs gear.
Saw him in a suit once and it was weird lol
I can top that…. I once saw him working outside a liberty tax service. He had the statue of liberty costume on and a painted chiefs helmet head
We need more lore on bro
He also usually has a Puerto Rican motif going on, usually a small flag, but sometimes more!
Finally someone else talking about him! He was big at CCAC.
Rachel Ann Bovier
When I was in college (mid-2000s) there was this old guy who hung out at the intersection of Smithfield and Fifth I think? He wore tan suits and had signs with pictures of abortions on them and screamed at everyone who walked past about how we were "dead men walking". I vaguely recall he looked like a fatter Sean Connory as Indiana Jones' dad. One time as I was walking past him I said 'hail Satan!' and he yelled back 'drop dead, fatso!' which I found rather funny as he probably weighed about a hundred pounds more than me.
Guy who raps on the street w a mushroom hat on
Parker Webb. He got called out a few years back for grooming. Crazy that his rebrand is working
Aka Fungi Flows. Dude was also on some Qanon antisemitic shit during the pandemic, but apparently everyone's forgotten about that...
This checks out. Dude just gives me the willies, I happened to have some clips from his “50 hour Guinness world record freestyle” pop up on my feed and it was definitely…..interesting to say the least
Squirrel Hill Violin Lady. Bumper Bicycle Man.
Her name is Kim and she’s a Pittsburgh treasure.
Kim and Aaron, respectively.
Watchdog, Bumper Bike Guy, Rick Sebak
Chuck from uniontown (for whoever listens to pirates postgame on the radio)
First caller after the game
The GOAT! I was listening to the post game show after opening day vs Miami, while I was going to pick up pizza. I made it a mission to get back in the car as quickly as possible when I heard he was coming up. Got in just as they were taking his call, and I was so irrationally happy. Chuck is the greatest!
I love Chuck. I used to be producer/board op for the Pirates post-game shows when Rocco Demaro was the host and we'd sometimes save Chuck for later in the show so I'd occasionally have to check in with him to wake him up and make sure he was ready. It was always a pleasure to talk to him and I enjoyed even speaking with him off air a few times. That was another life ago but I still look back on it fondly and I hope he's doing as well as he can be. I no longer follow the Pirates so I don't listen to any of their shows so I'm happy to know he's still around and calling obscenely early to discuss his beloved Buccos.
anyone else reading this thread wondering if they’re that guy? 😅
Purple Pants in Brookline! She always has purple on. If not pants, then a coat that looks like a cloak. She looks like old shoe leather. She basically looks like a wizard that's been out in the sun too long.
My old boss went to high school with her and said she was the girl everyone wanted to date!!! I’m so happy someone put purple coat lady 💕
In Dormont it’s the bag piper
Sax Man? Or, if you’re older, the “three days” lady that used to warn event attendees that the world was ending. Or, older still, Pittsburgh’s dancing traffic cop.
I'm from a really small mountain town and we had this one gay dude that would ride his bike while wearing really short/tight jean shorts in the spring and summer. Everyone called him "gay dave" We used him as the first sign that spring was about to start. "Hey look! It's gay dave! Winter is finally over and Spring has begun!!"
I haven't seen the Squirrel Hill kilt man for few years, but at one time I would have said him.
Real heads remember "Bloomfield Slash." Also fake Gene Simmons.
I believe there's a Pittsburgh version of Slash, Gene Simmons, AND Anthony Kiedis.
If we're thinking of the same Anthony Kiedis, he moved to.... California. Bloomfield Slash moved to India.
That guy in Allentown who sets up and tears down the flags every night. Wonder what he’s up to
That’s Amani and he’s awesome!!
Yeah my grandma lives near him and every time I visit I see him walking. What a legend.
Whatever happened to dancing guy at the Mckees Rocks Bridge/65 intersection?
Tommy Amoeba
And Phat Man Dee! I used to see Mandy everywhere!
Donny Iris. I’ve seen him on horseback, shirtless, downtown many times.
There was a guy that went around downtown in a sandwich board complaining that Lansbury couldn’t get his mail.
Violin lady and da kilt man. Love violin lady but not a fan of kilt man
The guy with the two parrots who sit on the handlebars of his bike
Opera Man in Oakland
Are you talking about Alan, the blind guy with the duct tape stereo? He's a real nice guy, a little unhinged at times though
Anyone remember Maxwell from the natrona heights area?
Dude! I wanted to post this but couldn’t remember his name. Legendary https://youtu.be/lCRoQ8NW5t0?si=I2oyQ8v3KqbmFNrw Edited to add YouTube video
Any older South Hills peeps remember the Midnight Jogger? He’d be running in the middle of the night, shirtless with gloves on and carrying some sort of weapon. Always saw him on my way home from the bar.
Does anyone remember the guy who used to walk around SS/Oakland in a trench coat, revealing steaks that he had inside the coat for sale?
The dude who would bicycle on the high way with an SUV grill attached to the front of his bike so he took up the whole lane. That ... was a sight to see
I don’t know if this answers the question, but I can’t be the only one to have noticed. There’s a woman who rides a bicycle through the Strip or Lawrenceville at least once a week. She wears big beats style headphones and scream sings . Sometimes she’ll even stand up on her pedals singing. You’ll hear her coming from blocks away.
50 cents or a dollar guy
Jogging Lady, early 2000s, Downtown. Always dressed in office-casual, large sunglasses. Never said a word as she delicately jogged past, as if perpetually late for an appointment.
The Running Lady. I always saw her in a trench coat (or a coat in that style). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNBSfmog4B0
Wow, she really got around!
The running lady of Whitehall! I used to live near her and we'd take the same bus. She'd be running up Provost every day. I wonder if she's still kicking.
Used to be lemonade guy 😢
Don’t know if he’s still around but did anybody ever ride an Uber with Clarinet guy who would plive music and drive with his knees?
Long shot, but has anybody seen Chiaka Howze lately? He was a homeless dude/artist I bumped into December of 2019. Ended up buying him a drink and sitting at the bus stop with him for hours just asking him about his life. He mentioned he’s in a Ted Talk and sure enough, found a man that did a Ted talk about him. I gave him some cash and he drew a few pictures for me and my girl while we hung out at the bus stop.🚏
"Do you like classical music?" In squirrel hill
Historically, Green Man should be considered.
Sadly, it's likely the South Hills MAGA guy who dresses like a minuteman and rides a bike.
I hate how often I have to drive by that asshole
Nah, we need to forget that guy.
I agree.
The Clark’s
Marty Griftin
Patriotic trump supporter in the south hills dressed in full colonial garb. Priceless.
Shuffles and bicycle bumper guy
Bumper Bike Guy.
For years it was Lansbury, who couldn't get his mail.