Just like every other town, Davis has its own distinct and memorable characters to laud. People get included in this list for many reasons. Some are listed to celebrate and honor the distinct or interesting attributes that make them visible individuals in a sea of sameness. Rock on, characters — you're the people who will be remembered long after the nondescript faces walking along the sidewalk are forgotten!
For the past few years USA Network has held nationwide searches for local characters, from Iowa cheerleaders who can say anything backwards to the Naked Cowboy in New York. Similarly inspired, here's our own list of folks who add spice to Davis life.
The Current Characters
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Arthur Shapiro AKA "The Homeless Professor"
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Joe Sherman AKA Crazy Joe
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Officer Nieves (the usual bike cop)
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Rich, owner of Davis Bike Exchange
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Tarzan Guy AKA Caveman Dave,
Characters now in another town
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Barnabas Truman, big guy with the cape and beard and horns and staff get-up
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Brian Campbell, the guy who lives in the Human Powered Housing Project
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Gill, dumpster diver extraordinaire
Comments:
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2005-10-11 11:19:53 Last year in 184 Chem I saw a segment about a reporter interviewing a guy who smashed a car window to make a point -what was that? If it happened in Davis, it probably deserves a Wiki page. Also- Perhaps this page should have been called "Local personalities", to be more precise. —SteveDavison
2005-05-30 22:35:40 Does anyone know much about the guy who hangs out in King Lounge a lot? He usually wears a black, ragged jacket, black jeans. I've always wondered about him. When I'm in King Lounge in the late afternoon, he is usually there, sleeping most of the time. —JenniferChu
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2005-10-11 13:00:48 I am wondering if anyone else notices Walking Man. He lives in Cambridge Glen apartments, where I used to live, but walks all over town. I don't think he has a job. I've seen him walking by Albertsons, South Davis Safeway, University Mall. He always wears a black shirt, cowboy boots and cowboy hat. He's tall and thin and proably about 60. I don't think this is the same person as moon-shine man, as Walking Man never appears drunk. Everytime I see him, I get the James Taylor song in my head...."and the walking man walks..." —JanelleAlvstadMattson
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2005-10-11 14:10:21 Does he have the beard and blue eyes? He's a really kind person, my girlfriend and I once gave him a few sandwiches from Jack in the Beezy that they gave us by mistake. Used to see him a lot by the Marketplace last year, but I havn't seen him for many months around there. But then the next week we saw him in Safeway buying three bottles of wine.. —EdWins
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2005-10-11 14:33:21 Edwin, are you referring to Walking Man, or another guy? The guy I call Walking Man is definately not homeless. From what I remember, he's clean shaven. I've gotta get a picture of him. From what I've seen, he's very nice, but usually keeps to himself. He's definately over 6 feet tall and under 170lbs. —JanelleAlvstadMattson
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2005-10-11 16:41:52 I believe that I know the Walking Man that you are talking about. But I always saw him riding the P/Q bus line and getting off near the south Davis Nugget. Not enough of a character to warrant a page IMO. —JackHaskel
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2005-10-11 17:59:40 I used to live in Cambridge Glen too, and I think I know who you're talking about. I guess he's been around for years. —JessicaLuedtke
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2006-06-11 21:55:43 Just wanted to let people know that the cowboy guy "in black denim" is not drunk. His name is Mark. He likes soda. —GodShamgod
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I think i know who you're talking about. He comes into G Street Pub a lot to listen to bands and drink soda. He always sits on the couch by the door. — ArlenAbraham
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Is this the same guy I call "Walking Man"? I referenced him in an earlier comment. He's always in black with a black cowboy hat. Definately not drunk. Tall, thin, maybe around 50 or 60? — JanelleAlvstadMattson
2005-11-25 16:01:43 I can't believe Dirty Santa isn't on here yet. New in town, but definitely a character. Long hair and beard dirty blond tobrown, wears matching sweat shirt and pants (sometimes UCD logo), hangs out downtown a LOT. Then you've got Guitar Guy with the super skinny dog (plays out front of the old Butera House a lot, long hair trimmed beard, really nice guy), Robbie Blackbeard the Bum (wears a baseball cap a lot, probably around 20 or so, missing some teeth), Skating Dan Dietze (Everyone loves Dietze. You don't frequent G Street Pub a lot if you don't know Dietze. He has a chipped tooth, self inflicted tatoos, and a self-inflicted burn scar of concentric circles from an electric kitchen stove on his forearm.), and what I like to call the Hobo All-Stars. Basically the gaggle of transients that kicks it by the big tree in Central Park with a boombox. —JeffSpeckles
2007-04-26 22:36:31 KDVS once had a show produced by a local "tinfoil hat lady" who was convinced that the government was beaming microwaves into her house and controlling her thoughts. She even had a webpage. Does anyone know who she was? —GrumpyoldGeek
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As an Art Bell fan (and George is growing on me), I second this. Government mind control activists, especially ones with radio shows, are decidedly "Town Characters". —JabberWokky
2009-07-30 17:58:37 Maybe Walking Man (2005 comments) is the guy I know as Stomping Man, who lived for a long time at the Motel 6 in south Davis after he was evicted from Cambridge Glen. Long, stringy grey-brown hair, all black clothes. Kicks dogs and mutters nasty things to women and children. His raison d'etre is stomping around town muttering and kicking. Saw him out stomping in Woodland once, too - that man does love to stomp around. —calvin2
2009-10-05 21:15:20 Is Walking Man the same guy as the one I'm talking about? I don't think so? He always hangs out in the Art Lounge (every time I've gone except maybe at odd night times, he's been there), wears a black jacket (although I'm pretty sure I've never seen him with cowboy boots or a cowboy hat on), has a liter of soda, and has sudoku or puzzles or the newspaper with him? I think sometimes he goes through the garbage for food. The last time I saw him he was cutting things out (coupons?) and kept muttering "damnit. Damnit!" —AlisaKim
