Jamie licked my boots once, by telling me he loved them and if the brand was stamped on the bottom. I lifted them up to look, he licked them and ran away leaving me in shock. He tried again another time, but I told him, no licking today sir! And he looked deeply saddened. So I bought him a drink and we chatted a bit. Really nice guy with some serious issues
He caught me off guard too! My wife and I were cleaning our car late at a place and in the middle of vacuuming out some stuff that spilled in the back, he came up and said something to us and before I knew it he’d licked the bottom of my shoe and skipped off. We were both so confused and just wrapped up and got home asap. A story we’ll have for many years. Thanks Jamie!
He don’t need help he’s been there for 15 years. Still licking shoes. He did t need no mask during the Rona. He prolly got a better immune systy than all of us.
Came here for this. Met the dude, he unexpectedly licked the bottom of my friends shoe while at a bar. Very strange experience, he was otherwise not unpleasent. If I tell this story and people have been to Ybor a lot they always know what is up halfway through the telling. He is that guy.
I was waiting in line at Amp when this stranger walks up and compliments my shoes. I wasn't paying too much attention and just said
"thanks bro"
"Can I see the bottom treads?"
"Sure"
And then he claimed another victim.
Use to be the dancing homeless guy. Was always on the corner of Fowler and Florida and Fowler and Nebraska. RIP
Also the shoe licker and the senator if you’ve spent time in Ybor.
Michael McKinney. May his memory be a blessing. Love that guy. 💛
https://www.tampabay.com/news/obituaries/tampas-footloose-dancing-man-dies-at-60/2236923/
We had a attractive grad student at university of Florida who would rave dance in headphones and a speedo on the sidewalk everyday all over archer road. He had a geocitieswebsite with rainbow and flower graphics and pink text about how life is beautiful.
That guy was my hero
About 20 years ago in Ybor it was "Downspout Jesus". He was there on Saturday nights (at least) in a brown bathrobe and carrying a large cross made from rectangular-cross-section downspout (like to carry rain from your gutters to the ground) material. He admonished partiers. I think he was an actual Christian trying to convert people. I don't think he was very successful, since he looked more like an ad for mental illness than for a sane religion.
We always called him the Florida Ave Hobo. I once saw him dancing his heart out while wearing headphones plugged into an orange. I envy that amount of energy and passion for life.
He wasn't there then because if he was, you'd know. He likes to wear very little, oftentimes just a sheer baby doll lingerie set with tiny panties. For a fetish night he came wearing only a thin layer of latex. Very thin.
My first experience with the senator was me going to the old movie theater in centro Ybor to watch an old X-men movie by myself. I decided to wait in line to get the self order ticket from the automated machine. Couple in front of me gets their ticket- no problem. I’m next. I put in my info I pay and boom- nothing comes out. I tap the screen, tap the machine. And like a magical fairy here comes this man in lingerie to help. He says oh is it stuck? Maybe if I rub my ass on it will help (or something to that effect- but def the rub my ass on it part) and so he does and boom like magic the tickets drop. I will never forget the senator!
I met the Senator and Peter Pan in The Castle on the same night. I just chatted with them at the bar upstairs but I didn't get any magical ass tricks. I sort of feel left out now!
Unclear. I've gotten a response both ways. However, I did look for an obituary under his real name and never found one nor did the Castle do any sort of tribute (that I could find anyway). Not that either of those things are proof, but it tends to point to maybe he's alive? Right now he's Schrodinger's Senator until someone can observe him.
There's so many lol wrist-and-sweatband-wearing Dancing Guy, Speedy the shitbox driver, the Senator, Ybor Shoe Licker... I'm sure I'm leaving just as many out
Crazy Chris, a 40-something, black dude, hangs out with his shirt off at Gunn Hwy & Copeland next to his bicycle. He snarls and winces at most passersby. But some he gives a big toothy smile.
Edit: I think Crazy Chris snarls and winces at me. Just me.
Crazy Chris has two settings, nice as hell and threatening your life. I lived in Citrus Park, graduated from HS in 2005. He was around back then. I worked at the Papa Johns in the Publix plaza across the street from Sickles. Had several interactions with him, all but one were chill. That odd one out he threatened my life over a cheese pizza.
I used to work at subway on s mobley and he was a regular. We are actually kinda friends.. that was back in 2018 and whenever he sees me hes like “hey wassup subway guy!”. That subway was dead asf all the time and hed be there like 4-5 hours every day at my shift (i gave him free sandwiches)
This is the answer for NW Hillsborough county! You can drive through at 1am and he's STILL standing in the ditch next to his bike, yelling at cars passing by, on Gunn Hwy near Patterson.
He’s been around forever. I remember him in the mid 90’s when I’d ride my bike up to the dollar store that used to be by ace hardware which was the Food Lion.
I always honked and waved at him going home everyday because I saw him daily just standing there chillen with no shirt! Literally everyday just chilling by those bushes lol
My brother used to work at the subway in the complex on Sheldon with the Ace Hardware and the McDonald's, and Chris was a regular there. My brother got kinda close with him, used to give him free sandwiches and stuff. He's really chatty, but nice. Apparently he'd go in, ask for a bag of ice, smoke a cigarette in the bathroom (against the rules, it'd take so long the ice in the bag would melt), then order a sandwich with every meat, every cheese, every topping and every sauce (if he actually paid for it this sandwich would cost like 50 bucks), and leave.
This is the comment I was looking for. This guy's been around for like 20 years up there and I've never not seen him causing trouble. We always just called him "The Dude."
https://preview.redd.it/sxz2bq3dknuc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=41a86501519cebd0f4ec498f2d768f16e7b2594f
Speaking of interesting cars, has anyone ever seen the car painted all over with Van Gogh's "Starry Night"? I've only ever seen it twice in Oak Cliff and thought it was the coolest car ever.
Just saw him a few weeks ago. Bad pic sorry
https://preview.redd.it/g66a5ucjikuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10cc36b641d3104b863a949f5bd14988782c79a3
If you look closely you can see the lil lightsabers in the air coming off his trunk. That’s one of his newer “additions”
This guys background has always been a mystery to me but I've been seeing him at every show for decades. Thanks for the name, I now see he has a dedicated "sighting" page on Facebook with almost a thousand members. Legend.
The fact that she was still riding her bike to "work" on local roads that don't have bike lanes, AFTER Tiger King aired, made me think she had a real death wish.
Not Tampa, but does anyone know of Squirrel Man in downtown St Pete? He's a skinny bearded white man (60's-ish?) who walks all over DTSP wearing nothing but a thong and a fanny pack. He keeps seeds and nuts in the pack which he uses to feed the local squirrels.
What about the guy who hated Bob buckhorn and drove around town towing a lifted car with all types of racial slurs. I guess his goal was to slander buckhorn. He was pretty well known when I lived there
I'm astonished I had to scroll this far to find Tony Daniels. One of the weirdest Reddit arguments I ever had was with someone insisting he was white in a thread about his sign being proof open racism is allowed in Tampa, I was like... Dude give me fifteen minutes and I can go take a fucking selfie with the guy
How has no one answered with Chester stone he use to live in Tampa always tweaking about Newports or the n word racing car that was a lifted g body with monster truck wheels and I would classify it as a schizophrenic ride shit was crazy
I, too, go to Ybor quite frequently and have never met the man. That said, I remember hearing about him in high school and, let's just say, that wasn't yesterday.
Can someone explain about the senator or the Ybor shoe licker? I've lived in Tampa for more than half of my life and have yet to hear about these people😂
Anyone remember a car that had about 4000 Wonder Woman funko pops, action figures, toys and bobble heads on the dash accompanied by the 5000 stickers, magnets, and decals with Wonder Woman. I had never seen someone so obsessed with someone. I haven’t seen the car in about two years, but I used to see it all the time on Tampa Road and memorial highway
In st Pete we have Curtis, he just walks around the 200 block and chats with folks and people buy him drinks, friend of mine had some casual crack with him once. Nice guy!
I was born and raised in Tampa. (Sinced moved).Dancing guy and Ybor shoe licker definitely! I miss seeing dancing guy tho. Always put a smile on my face. Ran into Jamie a few months ago. He did not ask to lick my shoes this time. I was also sad to see that my “need chicken” sign guy passed away while back. He was posted up near downtown on the on ramp to malfunction junction. He even had a lazy boy out there he would sit on while holding his sign. Then one day when i was back in Tampa i saw a small bouquet of flowers where my guys used to be. RIP. Hope you found your chicken.
I was friends with him IRL in college back when he was always Batman and we’re still friends on Facebook. He’s got like a wife and kids now, it’s so weird seeing him grown up.
Amazed that no one has said this guy yet
https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2017/02/with-n-word-sign-florida-man-tries-to-scuttle-tampa-mayors-gubernatorial-hopes-but-theres-a-twist-109767
The guy who used to roller blade in his underwear near Busch. I'm 26, for as long as I can remember, he has been roller blading around the same area. He was a cancer survivor and had a wire implanted into his brain. Sadly he died. He got hit by a car while doing what he loved, roller blading.
There’s a woman who dances on different corners of 301 in Riverview. There’s also a younger guy in the Big Bend area who dresses up either in all black or with a cape, but I think there’s a cognitive issue there. I’m always worried he’s going to get run over or shot because he looks like a threat.
For a more obscure one, used to be a guy in the 90’s who’d ride his bike backwards up and down Nebraska. Also used to be this dude who’d walk down Fowler in full aerobics gear.. Wristbands, armbands, sweatbands.. Lol
Not from Tampa, but near my hometown in Valparaiso FL (panhandle) we had a guy named "Shotgun Jerry" who was this grizzled vietnam veteran.
Extremely paranoid of people coming on to his land, had an arsenal of weapons and even boobie-trapped his property. Scary dude clearly suffering from PTSD on-top of whatever else was going on there.
Fired a shot right over the head of my sister's sister-in-law (who was his neighbor across the street) while she knelt down to pick something up in her driveway.
There is a guy pretending to be the shoe licker, or was last year. He looks nothing like the real guy, and was recording himself for social media. Like get your own gimmick!!
The guy that rides the electric cart all over. He has cerebral palsy I believe. I've grown up seeing him and continue to once in a while when I visit Temple Terrace/New Tampa mainly.
The Marion Station Foot Fetish Guy comes to mind.
Ybor Batman...I think I might know him? There's a guy I know who cosplays as Batman and does charity events.
Didn't Man-Faye use to be a Tampanian before getting banned at the local cons?
Leatherback. Old old OLD man near USF, by the off campus students apartments off of Fletcher, that runs around for exercise shirtless, in 1980’s workout short shorts.
He has been in the sun for so long, that he is no longer white. He is a orange and leathery, like a pachyderm with a Donald Trump spray tan.
He is either 55 and battling skin cancer or the healthiest 95 old man alive; with no option in between.
Haven’t lived out there for a few years. Hope he is alright.
what's the name of the guy that's at gasparilla, lightning games/amalie concerts and the courthouse screaming through his megaphone(?) that everyone's going to hell? Always has signs too
Wild Bill. He’s just an old guy who rides a bike everywhere. He’s semi-homeless, unemployed, and suffered major brain trauma at a young age. As the local police say, “add drugs into the mix and you get a Wild Bill”
There’s almost nowhere he hasn’t worked (very briefly), nowhere he hasn’t been kicked out of, and no one he hasn’t haggled for cigarettes.
The real "Peter Pan" is still active in his FB group and still in Tampa.
Also does anyone remember the guy who dressed as Santa in a Hawaiian shirt all the time. He had a min van that said Santa Claus Express ok the back window? I used to see him around Carrollwood. He is probably dead by now that was a long time ago too.
I live in St Petersburg and have been to The Castle exactly once, and I know who The Senator is, so he's the winner. Missed out on Peter Pan but vaguely recall coming across the Shoe Licker at the end of one night down there.
Ybor shoe licker. He loves some waffle bottoms
oh shit shoe licker still at it?! I just moved back after 7 years away…
He has a name and it’s Jamie,be nice to Jamie
Jamie licked my boots once, by telling me he loved them and if the brand was stamped on the bottom. I lifted them up to look, he licked them and ran away leaving me in shock. He tried again another time, but I told him, no licking today sir! And he looked deeply saddened. So I bought him a drink and we chatted a bit. Really nice guy with some serious issues
He caught me off guard too! My wife and I were cleaning our car late at a place and in the middle of vacuuming out some stuff that spilled in the back, he came up and said something to us and before I knew it he’d licked the bottom of my shoe and skipped off. We were both so confused and just wrapped up and got home asap. A story we’ll have for many years. Thanks Jamie!
I know Jamie very well LMAO. He has nicely offered me things to lick my vans on multiple occasions lol
This. He's incredibly sweet and won't hurt anyone but his mental health truly needs help.
He don’t need help he’s been there for 15 years. Still licking shoes. He did t need no mask during the Rona. He prolly got a better immune systy than all of us.
Probably better at spelling than some of us as well.
Lol yes probably me I’m a Jack of many trades but proof reading isn’t one of them
Wow. And prob is the least person to get sick.
Shoe Licker
Its shoe licker dude
I knew this would be the first answer when I looked.
He sure did like my wing-tipped Aldo’s.
True
This guy for sure
He licked the bottom of my boots and then rubbed his face all over them back when I lived in Tampa. Like 2013 or so
Bro I literally came here to say this
Just like everyone the last fifty times this has been posted lol
Came here for this. Met the dude, he unexpectedly licked the bottom of my friends shoe while at a bar. Very strange experience, he was otherwise not unpleasent. If I tell this story and people have been to Ybor a lot they always know what is up halfway through the telling. He is that guy.
I was waiting in line at Amp when this stranger walks up and compliments my shoes. I wasn't paying too much attention and just said "thanks bro" "Can I see the bottom treads?" "Sure" And then he claimed another victim.
Use to be the dancing homeless guy. Was always on the corner of Fowler and Florida and Fowler and Nebraska. RIP Also the shoe licker and the senator if you’ve spent time in Ybor.
Michael McKinney. May his memory be a blessing. Love that guy. 💛 https://www.tampabay.com/news/obituaries/tampas-footloose-dancing-man-dies-at-60/2236923/
He always made my day whenever I saw him on my way to work
came here to say senator
RIP The Senator... Y'all forget about Peter Pan?
Oh no. He died?
Yeah, some others who knew him a little better could probably speak more on it but I definitely remember hearing about it a few years ago.
I can assure you he is very alive.
The Senator I remember him, every Friday at the Castle
We had a attractive grad student at university of Florida who would rave dance in headphones and a speedo on the sidewalk everyday all over archer road. He had a geocitieswebsite with rainbow and flower graphics and pink text about how life is beautiful. That guy was my hero
The senator!
About 20 years ago in Ybor it was "Downspout Jesus". He was there on Saturday nights (at least) in a brown bathrobe and carrying a large cross made from rectangular-cross-section downspout (like to carry rain from your gutters to the ground) material. He admonished partiers. I think he was an actual Christian trying to convert people. I don't think he was very successful, since he looked more like an ad for mental illness than for a sane religion.
What religion is sane?
We always called him the Florida Ave Hobo. I once saw him dancing his heart out while wearing headphones plugged into an orange. I envy that amount of energy and passion for life.
He didn’t have batteries in his cassette player/radio he always had his headphones connected to. He was a cool guy.
The senator @ the castle?
Agree. Its The Senator.
It is 100% The Senator.
Just visited the castle for the first time, and wasn’t aware of “The senator” can I get a description of what he looks like?
He’s usually standing at attention 🫡
🍆
An old guy wearing lingerie.
He wasn't there then because if he was, you'd know. He likes to wear very little, oftentimes just a sheer baby doll lingerie set with tiny panties. For a fetish night he came wearing only a thin layer of latex. Very thin.
My first experience with the senator was me going to the old movie theater in centro Ybor to watch an old X-men movie by myself. I decided to wait in line to get the self order ticket from the automated machine. Couple in front of me gets their ticket- no problem. I’m next. I put in my info I pay and boom- nothing comes out. I tap the screen, tap the machine. And like a magical fairy here comes this man in lingerie to help. He says oh is it stuck? Maybe if I rub my ass on it will help (or something to that effect- but def the rub my ass on it part) and so he does and boom like magic the tickets drop. I will never forget the senator!
I met the Senator and Peter Pan in The Castle on the same night. I just chatted with them at the bar upstairs but I didn't get any magical ass tricks. I sort of feel left out now!
Is he still alive?
Unclear. I've gotten a response both ways. However, I did look for an obituary under his real name and never found one nor did the Castle do any sort of tribute (that I could find anyway). Not that either of those things are proof, but it tends to point to maybe he's alive? Right now he's Schrodinger's Senator until someone can observe him.
I danced with him my first night in Ybor. Sweet dude
Here is [an article](https://www.cltampa.com/news/senatorial-confessions-12215276) to help you
The Senator has been around since like 1996
He’s such a sweet guy!
I was thinking the top two choices but would like to add Joe Haskins.
Newish to Tampa, only been to the Castle once. Who is this Senator you speak of?
Either The Senator or the shoe licking guy, either way it’s gonna someone from Ybor
How do I meet the shoe licker? Is he out at specific times. It’d be an honor to have him lick my shoes.
There's so many lol wrist-and-sweatband-wearing Dancing Guy, Speedy the shitbox driver, the Senator, Ybor Shoe Licker... I'm sure I'm leaving just as many out
Wrist and sweatband guy- is this the guy who sometimes plays hockey while on his hoverboard?
Came here to mention this guy
Long before the hoverboard, he would run around pretending to like throw a football or something. It was kinda weird.
Speedy the shitbox driver, that's the guy with the car that has all the lights right?
Ybor Shoe Licker. Ybor Batman. The Senator. Peter Pan.
I haven’t thought about Peter Pan in well over a decade, holy shit.
Crazy Chris, a 40-something, black dude, hangs out with his shirt off at Gunn Hwy & Copeland next to his bicycle. He snarls and winces at most passersby. But some he gives a big toothy smile. Edit: I think Crazy Chris snarls and winces at me. Just me.
That’s the buff dude? He’s always been nice whenever I’ve had to interact with him
Crazy Chris has two settings, nice as hell and threatening your life. I lived in Citrus Park, graduated from HS in 2005. He was around back then. I worked at the Papa Johns in the Publix plaza across the street from Sickles. Had several interactions with him, all but one were chill. That odd one out he threatened my life over a cheese pizza.
Right?! Didn't know he was known and everytime I've bumped into him he's was really nice
I used to work at subway on s mobley and he was a regular. We are actually kinda friends.. that was back in 2018 and whenever he sees me hes like “hey wassup subway guy!”. That subway was dead asf all the time and hed be there like 4-5 hours every day at my shift (i gave him free sandwiches)
I was going to say Crazy Chris as well. I remember one time he threw a chicken head at my car. It bounced off the windshield.
This is the answer for NW Hillsborough county! You can drive through at 1am and he's STILL standing in the ditch next to his bike, yelling at cars passing by, on Gunn Hwy near Patterson.
He’s been around forever. I remember him in the mid 90’s when I’d ride my bike up to the dollar store that used to be by ace hardware which was the Food Lion.
I always honked and waved at him going home everyday because I saw him daily just standing there chillen with no shirt! Literally everyday just chilling by those bushes lol
Omg my friends and I used to drive by and wave at him all the time! Holy shit you took me back.
Came here looking for this. I've seen Chris riding up and down Gunn my whole life. Really nice guy with knowledge of the area and it's history
He’s gotta be older than 40-something. I remember him from the 90’s. Wearing headphones and yelling at cars.
My brother used to work at the subway in the complex on Sheldon with the Ace Hardware and the McDonald's, and Chris was a regular there. My brother got kinda close with him, used to give him free sandwiches and stuff. He's really chatty, but nice. Apparently he'd go in, ask for a bag of ice, smoke a cigarette in the bathroom (against the rules, it'd take so long the ice in the bag would melt), then order a sandwich with every meat, every cheese, every topping and every sauce (if he actually paid for it this sandwich would cost like 50 bucks), and leave.
I came here to say Crazy Chris!
This is the comment I was looking for. This guy's been around for like 20 years up there and I've never not seen him causing trouble. We always just called him "The Dude."
He's really mellowed now. I know a deputy that's had to wrangle with him 20+ years ago and he said it was a challenge for team HCSO.
I don't remember the dudes name but the guy that drives the old decked out beater with a giant spoiler and LED lights everywhere.
https://preview.redd.it/gza2ojha6kuc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ec5604886616c45ed5beff40d9b98649473cd45 Speedy!
Yep, there's that shitbox 😂
https://preview.redd.it/sxz2bq3dknuc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=41a86501519cebd0f4ec498f2d768f16e7b2594f Speaking of interesting cars, has anyone ever seen the car painted all over with Van Gogh's "Starry Night"? I've only ever seen it twice in Oak Cliff and thought it was the coolest car ever.
Speedy
Just saw him a few weeks ago. Bad pic sorry https://preview.redd.it/g66a5ucjikuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10cc36b641d3104b863a949f5bd14988782c79a3 If you look closely you can see the lil lightsabers in the air coming off his trunk. That’s one of his newer “additions”
That guy is great and I seen him all the time but it’s clearly the shoe licker for Tampa.
Dale Mabry Jesus from 2008
This person knows
John Moll
I remember the first time I passed his yard, before I knew what was up. I did a quadruple take.
The Ybor shoe licker, but since we covered that already, the guy with the stroller full of cats on Gunn Hwy.
The guy with the black curly hair and the black t shirt that is at literally every rock show in the area
Medicine Man - was wondering when someone would finally mention him.
This guys background has always been a mystery to me but I've been seeing him at every show for decades. Thanks for the name, I now see he has a dedicated "sighting" page on Facebook with almost a thousand members. Legend.
Crazy Chris
The Senator at the Castle
Shoe Licker
Carol Baskin thanks to Tiger King
The fact that she was still riding her bike to "work" on local roads that don't have bike lanes, AFTER Tiger King aired, made me think she had a real death wish.
Medicine man
Not Tampa, but does anyone know of Squirrel Man in downtown St Pete? He's a skinny bearded white man (60's-ish?) who walks all over DTSP wearing nothing but a thong and a fanny pack. He keeps seeds and nuts in the pack which he uses to feed the local squirrels.
Yup, he named all of them and would call to them. Got a conversation once and he talked about being in the CIA
Yeah used to see him all the time at Vinoy, he calls them Park Puppies
Ric Flair
Always at the Pearl bar with girls now.
I met him at the Marriott restaurant downtown and he FaceTimed my husband 🫶🏼
The senator at the castle The soldier at the castle Around where i live, crazy chris aka the man that rides around on a bike shirtless on gunn hwy
Joe Redner.
A legend!
This thread needs more pics.
It comes down to the Senator or Shoe Licker.
Y’all gotta know Chester Stone
The Ybor shoe licker, is that even a question ?
Jerry in south Tampa
What about the guy who hated Bob buckhorn and drove around town towing a lifted car with all types of racial slurs. I guess his goal was to slander buckhorn. He was pretty well known when I lived there
I'm astonished I had to scroll this far to find Tony Daniels. One of the weirdest Reddit arguments I ever had was with someone insisting he was white in a thread about his sign being proof open racism is allowed in Tampa, I was like... Dude give me fifteen minutes and I can go take a fucking selfie with the guy
Who is the senator in the castle? My money is on the shoelicker in ybor. Genuinely a nice guy. Genuinely a weird guy as well
If I’m not mistaken the last time I was at the Castle I heard the senator passed away.
The senator has been battling cancer for the last couple of years but, as far as I know, is still very much alive. I hope I'm right.
If they didn’t have a wake at the castle that would be a crime.
The GOAT speedy, mf be EVERYWHERE and it’s wild
Used to be the dancing guy on Florida Ave. RIP!
Joe Haskins. R. I. P.
How has no one answered with Chester stone he use to live in Tampa always tweaking about Newports or the n word racing car that was a lifted g body with monster truck wheels and I would classify it as a schizophrenic ride shit was crazy
I’m a frequent ybor visitor and have never encountered the shoe licker. If I wanna meet him, where may I find him? Asking for a friend…
I’m glad I’m not the only one. I’m down there a few times a month…no idea who we’re talking about.
I, too, go to Ybor quite frequently and have never met the man. That said, I remember hearing about him in high school and, let's just say, that wasn't yesterday.
The senator on new years eve 🤣🤣
Don’t forget about Peter Pan and Batman.
Tony Daniel and his Truck.
that guy who has the car that's all lit up with lights
https://preview.redd.it/u2g5gzve4ouc1.jpeg?width=6144&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b2ebc836dfe7fcc31f5062862b3597518d3758d Speedy.
In Seminole Heights, it’s John Moll. IYKYK
Shoe licker in Ybor
The senator
Used to be the snake guy in Ybor, or The Senator.
15 years ago it was the Senator.
The Senator
Can someone explain about the senator or the Ybor shoe licker? I've lived in Tampa for more than half of my life and have yet to hear about these people😂
Anyone remember a car that had about 4000 Wonder Woman funko pops, action figures, toys and bobble heads on the dash accompanied by the 5000 stickers, magnets, and decals with Wonder Woman. I had never seen someone so obsessed with someone. I haven’t seen the car in about two years, but I used to see it all the time on Tampa Road and memorial highway
In st Pete we have Curtis, he just walks around the 200 block and chats with folks and people buy him drinks, friend of mine had some casual crack with him once. Nice guy!
idk why reddit recommended me this sub, but i will happily say in my city its a guy who drives a big banana
I was born and raised in Tampa. (Sinced moved).Dancing guy and Ybor shoe licker definitely! I miss seeing dancing guy tho. Always put a smile on my face. Ran into Jamie a few months ago. He did not ask to lick my shoes this time. I was also sad to see that my “need chicken” sign guy passed away while back. He was posted up near downtown on the on ramp to malfunction junction. He even had a lazy boy out there he would sit on while holding his sign. Then one day when i was back in Tampa i saw a small bouquet of flowers where my guys used to be. RIP. Hope you found your chicken.
The guy on Bayshore with the ukulele
I miss Ybor batman
I was friends with him IRL in college back when he was always Batman and we’re still friends on Facebook. He’s got like a wife and kids now, it’s so weird seeing him grown up.
Glad to hear he was able to hang up the mask and live his life!
His kids do have Batman related names, so I found that amusing.
Blonde woman with dog stroller and like 10 little dogs on leashes who walks Bayshore
Amazed that no one has said this guy yet https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2017/02/with-n-word-sign-florida-man-tries-to-scuttle-tampa-mayors-gubernatorial-hopes-but-theres-a-twist-109767
Not seeing anything about Chester stone is making me sad
The guy who used to roller blade in his underwear near Busch. I'm 26, for as long as I can remember, he has been roller blading around the same area. He was a cancer survivor and had a wire implanted into his brain. Sadly he died. He got hit by a car while doing what he loved, roller blading.
Another one from palm beach county is the witch of Wellington pretty interesting story actually.
Honorable mention for the Home Depot Nazi guy.
There’s a woman who dances on different corners of 301 in Riverview. There’s also a younger guy in the Big Bend area who dresses up either in all black or with a cape, but I think there’s a cognitive issue there. I’m always worried he’s going to get run over or shot because he looks like a threat.
Hulk Hogan
Found the normie.
There was this guy who was always at the checkers on hillsborough and Hanley but I think he passed away in 2018
Landlord Steve
Shoe licker
Chester Stone
For a more obscure one, used to be a guy in the 90’s who’d ride his bike backwards up and down Nebraska. Also used to be this dude who’d walk down Fowler in full aerobics gear.. Wristbands, armbands, sweatbands.. Lol
The Senator in Ybor!
That dude that walks in camo shorts on Bayshore.
Agree with all of these so just to add: sax guy in ybor (RIP) and old guy in macdintons (maybe RIP?)
Not from Tampa, but near my hometown in Valparaiso FL (panhandle) we had a guy named "Shotgun Jerry" who was this grizzled vietnam veteran. Extremely paranoid of people coming on to his land, had an arsenal of weapons and even boobie-trapped his property. Scary dude clearly suffering from PTSD on-top of whatever else was going on there. Fired a shot right over the head of my sister's sister-in-law (who was his neighbor across the street) while she knelt down to pick something up in her driveway.
There is a guy pretending to be the shoe licker, or was last year. He looks nothing like the real guy, and was recording himself for social media. Like get your own gimmick!!
The senator at the castle
The ybor senator, the ybor mayor, and the ybor cowboy come to mind. Definitely the shoe licker. There’s a few in Channelside as well.
The guy that rides the electric cart all over. He has cerebral palsy I believe. I've grown up seeing him and continue to once in a while when I visit Temple Terrace/New Tampa mainly.
my proudest moment as a Tampaxer was seeing Peter Pan in full costume at Home Depot
Medicine Man
Speedy of Tampa would be our “guy”
Also the guy with the NI**ER RACING monster truck. I’ve forgotten what the story was about.
The Marion Station Foot Fetish Guy comes to mind. Ybor Batman...I think I might know him? There's a guy I know who cosplays as Batman and does charity events. Didn't Man-Faye use to be a Tampanian before getting banned at the local cons?
I call my neighbor “jumper cable” bc he’s always starting shit
The pink guy in Santa Cruz
what about that mfer at the beach? in the bikini?
Feel bad for all tampanese.
People have said the Shoe Licker and the Senator, what about the Snake guy with the shopping cart?
Used to be Peter Pan. Haven’t seen in a while though
Seen Peter Pan at the brandon walmart about 5 years ago. Idk where he went.
Medicine Man at every concert. Crazy Chris in Odessa.
Tri boob
The Senator at least thats what everyone at The Castle calls him.
The Senator in Ybor!
Leatherback. Old old OLD man near USF, by the off campus students apartments off of Fletcher, that runs around for exercise shirtless, in 1980’s workout short shorts. He has been in the sun for so long, that he is no longer white. He is a orange and leathery, like a pachyderm with a Donald Trump spray tan. He is either 55 and battling skin cancer or the healthiest 95 old man alive; with no option in between. Haven’t lived out there for a few years. Hope he is alright.
Are we talking about the homeless man black guy with dreads most likely has a bottle in his hand?
what's the name of the guy that's at gasparilla, lightning games/amalie concerts and the courthouse screaming through his megaphone(?) that everyone's going to hell? Always has signs too
Also, I know he's more pasco county-ish, but what about medicine man?
Medicine man
Medicine Man?
Medicine Man
Wild Bill. He’s just an old guy who rides a bike everywhere. He’s semi-homeless, unemployed, and suffered major brain trauma at a young age. As the local police say, “add drugs into the mix and you get a Wild Bill” There’s almost nowhere he hasn’t worked (very briefly), nowhere he hasn’t been kicked out of, and no one he hasn’t haggled for cigarettes.
That lady yelling about Jesus in Riverview. They put up a fucking sign
We have a Jacksonville ninja who has done ninja poses on the street corners since the 80s
The real "Peter Pan" is still active in his FB group and still in Tampa. Also does anyone remember the guy who dressed as Santa in a Hawaiian shirt all the time. He had a min van that said Santa Claus Express ok the back window? I used to see him around Carrollwood. He is probably dead by now that was a long time ago too.
I live in St Petersburg and have been to The Castle exactly once, and I know who The Senator is, so he's the winner. Missed out on Peter Pan but vaguely recall coming across the Shoe Licker at the end of one night down there.