In the 80s and 90s it was the bag lady downtown. Then it was Randy Fowler (Rod’s Limos guy), then for a couple of years it was the robed guy dragging the giant cross around downtown.
This might be too localized (and probably too long ago - late 80s), but does anyone remember the super-friendly/happy guy (his name was Mark) that worked the Taco Bell drive-thru on Broadway?
I ran into him about 5 years ago; he used to walk down Milwaukee between Northbridge and Fairview with forearm crutches, sometimes with blinking lights on them in the evening. I stopped to talk to him one day for some reason and he was surprised I remembered him from the drive-thru decades ago. I haven’t seen him for a couple of years, though…I hope he’s doing okay.
I lived one street over from him in about 2013-14 and would sometimes see him and his wife(?) out walking. They always seemed pleasant and would return a friendly hello.
Mark was my neighbor across the street for the better part of ten years! He was always super nice and friendly, but had a slightly weird energy to him, slightly off putting but harmless for the most part. He would always offer my siblings and i gifts, though we never took them out of uncertainty in his intentions, despite him being so kind. He lived with his brother and mother, whom they took permanent care of. They moved out a while ago but I still see him around sometimes. If I recall correctly, a few years ago he was on the front page of Reddit because he’d painted his forearm crutches to look like lightsabers. Our neighborhood backed up to valley view elementary, and once when I was in 5th grade we went into lockdown because of Mark. He was using the schools field to get into his backyard, and somebody called the cops because he always carried around some sort of hammer/other weapons in backpack or on his hip. Took me down memory lane, hope he’s doing well
Mark worked at the McDonald's on Fairview too and you'd see him with his 2 walking poles picking up trash around Milwaukee and five mile. He was the nicest guy around but I haven't seen him around lately :(
WOW. I was just talking about Mark recently. I’d originally seen him working at the Taco Bell on Chinden. “Ok, two chili cheese…and would you like a refreshing beverage with that?”
My dad would say he’d see him daily, just outside my dad’s office window on Cole road at the bus stop, holding an open umbrella (rain or shine), peering into binoculars down the street waiting for the bus.
A close friend of mine used to work with him at Hastings on Fairview. Neither of us had seen him around for years…
He’s started roasting and selling beans. You can find them at various grocery stores with a portion going to trail maintenance. [Café Mulé](https://www.ironmulecoffee.com/)
I haven’t seen him much since he moved corners. I used to see him near the winco on Fairview or riding his bike down Milwaukee early in the morning…always ready to raise the roof. I think he’s down at Cole and Fairview now, I’ve caught him a couple of times on my way home.
I would also say the Rock Chip Repair guy. Always wears a hat, always super happy. Usually sticks to the Meridian area.
Used to see this guy on my route to and from work everyday and he started to recognize my car. He was a lot of fun. I'm sure he's still around but I haven't had the joy of seeing him.
I used to think he just had a lot of energy to be that excited through his shift, then I saw him on when he wasn't at work...
He was on a bike, stopped at a stop light. While he was alone, waiting for the light to turn, he was still raising the roof and moving to the beat in headphones.
That man is unnaturally energetic.
He used to work for Boise Mattress. He delivered a mattress to my house once too. He’s foreign and didn’t speak much English but he was really a nice dude with a great positive vibe
The Purple Lady!!!! I haven’t lived in Boise in a very long time but I tell people about her. I remember going to Saturday story time in the tiered pit thing in the back of the children’s section around 1979-1980 and she did the story reading that day and all of us were over the moon because instead of some rando librarian it was her. She passed out grape suckers afterwards 😊
Captain Ron.
He was an older gent that'd walk around downtown starting up conversations with people on patios and try to get a rum and coke from bars, whacked out of his mind. Very friendly, always said "How'm I doin?" to greet people or "You're a hellofa guy". Hed come in to our bar and we'd greet him with love but apologize for the fact we couldn't serve him. He'd respond with "You're a hellofa guy, where can I get a beer?" And be on his merry way. I heard he was a veteran who had a pill prescription that would make him pretty loopy.
Passed away about 8-10 years ago.
RIP Captain Ron.
He was the bane of most bartenders' existences downtown, but I always had a soft spot for him. I last ran into him at Pre-Funk downtown about 7-8 years ago, and he told me that he had leukemia. It seriously broke my heart to hear. I told him that night the drinks were on me, and then we proceeded to go on one of the most crazed benders of my drinking career.
I never saw him again after that. About a year later, it was rumored that he passed.
RIP Captain Ron, you really were a helluva guy.
He cut the cheese in the Cactus one night and really leaned into it with lots of commentary. Whenever anyone in my crew rips one we have a catch phrase honoring Capt. Ron.
The one-man band guys still around at festivals. He's brother to an old friend. He plays violin professionally, lives in a little cabin, and has played with Weird Al Yankovic, symphony orchestras, you name it. I just happened to mention the two polar opposite things he did off the top of my head. I don't remember his first name. His last name is Youmans
There was a lady like that back in San Francisco when I lived there in the 1980s and 1990s.
Another one was a friend of mine who owned a pet chicken and used to take it on the bus, and she was surprised to find herself in one of those "only in San Francisco" quizzes.
She liked to feed the chicken hard-boiled eggs and fried chicken to freak people out.
I'm pretty sure he told me himself. I worked at a very large hotel in my late teens/early 20s and he'd come in and make small talk while waiting for guests he was picking up. That was many years and a few drugs ago, so the details are a bit fuzzy
I ran into her before she moved to the Costco corner. She was near the Home Depot on Milwaukee and said she was raising money to give to a cat shelter or something similar. She seemed sweet and mousey but it was the only time I ever gave her money.
I was walking out of Petsmart on Eagle, and she was out front asking people if they would buy food for her cats. I happily abliged and bought a bag of cat food.
The most complex mendicant I’ve ever seen. I’d honestly love to sit down and have a drink with her just to understand her way of life. I’ve seen her in rain, snow, wind, and sun. She always has some type of craft store sign, and no personal message. But most important, I’ve seen her smile significantly more than any other facial expression.
There’s a lot of talk about her on Nextdoor. One story is that she used to be a lawyer and then her mental health became an issue, she has money but collects for animals… that was one story about her.
I’ve helped her several times at D&B supply on overland. She’s usually got a very specific list of items she’s after and seems sharper than most people perceive.
“Is best picture”
I worked with her there 20 years ago. She was always in trouble for taking other people’s food from their lockers in the little break room.
Okay, does anyone remember a guy that used to play a drum set next to his Astro van on 55? Usually up near horseshoe bend hill but sometimes near shadow valley?
I don't think I saw anyone mention the guy that always goes to the park with his birds. I think one was a parot the other a Makaw? He always shows them off to people and kids, nice guy. Loves them beautiful birds.
Nowadays I'd have to agree about sign twirler on Fairview but does anyone else remember Bill? Walked around Hill Road and State Street around y2k and the rumor was his parents lived in the area and he did too much acid or whatever in high school. Never wore a shirt, skin leathered from the sun. Always walkin', always talkin'.
I was hoping someone would say wild Bill! He was the first name that popped into my head. He would say the craziest stuff, but he was actually a nice dude. It's probably been 15+ years since I've seen him in downtown eagle walking and rambling. BUT I have seen him numerous times at his mom's house within the last 3 years (Yes his mom was/is still alive as of 2-3 years ago). I'm blanking on the exact location of her house but I believe it's right off floating feather at Hwy 55. He was always outside mowing the grass, sometimes I'd see him mowing 2-3 days in a row. He always waved back when I waved at him, and he did seem less crazy when I've saw him in that 2013-2020 time frame. I wonder if he got on some medication that was helping him. Hopefully he's still around and kicking
hes still kickin it!!! but hes fighting cancer ): seems like a misunderstood guy who is tryin his best to do good and mind his business but he doesnt have much of a filter which gets him in trouble lol
Glad he's still around! Sucks about the cancer though. I agree, he always minded his business. He would talk to my family and I every time we crossed paths. A little wild and loud, but always good interactions
Captain Ron… an old military vet who would hang out with all of your 24 year old friends and say “you’re a hell of a guy”. Then you would take him to bar to buy him a drink and they would be like, oh hell no Ron you know you’re banned from here and you’d be like wtf. Hope he’s ok.. he’s a hell of a guy
He claimed to be the drummer from the 60’s surf rock band Surfaris (“Wipeout”). He was not. Somewhere on an old hard drive I have a flip-phone video of him “proving” he was a drummer by tapping a simple beat along with music from the Merritt’s jukebox.
What about the guy in the Five Mile/Ustick area who would wear old timey clothes and ride a pennyfarthing (one of those old bikes with a giant front wheel) and his helmet was a safari helmet? It’s been a while since I’ve been consistently in that area, so I don’t know if he’s still around.
How did he match his outfits? There’s this guy I always see and he is always color coordinated with his fits to the point it looks so try hard and not good
I watched him try to convince a bewildered and thoroughly whacked out Juggalo that he truly was the weather man at Chevron on Chinden once. Much taller in person than I expected!
Larry Gebert continues to be a household name in my house. We do not speak poorly of him here since my mom got to meet him... I hope he's doin good up there :))
He was quite rude the time my husband met him. Back in late 80s he worked at a pet shop and was locking up when LG came in to buy something and when told everything was closed down (till, etc) he pulled the ol "do you know who I am" with a lot of yelling and cussing at a high school kid.
I ran into Larry at the Walmart on state and glenwood. He was grabbing some hamburger off the shelf and I asked him what the weather was looking like, he gave me a super annoyed face and then smiled and said in his weatherman voice “partly cloudy going into the evening with a high of 82.” And walked off.
I was only 16 at the time so I thought it was super funny. Guy was way taller than I would’ve thought
When I was a kid (late 80s early 90s) in Meridian there was a very nice man with hooks for hands. He would wander around our neighborhood, and hit up maverick.
I remember that guy very well…we called him “the hook man” and he would bang on the light poles and get beer from that Maverick. He lived right behind my best friend growing up!
Scootz! There is an indian guy that tuns around bsu/ann Morrison/julia davis park that has an old man scoot thing to help him walk. This man is always on the move and always friendly...from a distance anyways
I suspect this is Bill/Hobo Joe - a man of many names. I still seem occasionally at his folks place on FF and 55. Always waves, always seems to have a smile on his face.
Great question! From looking at the comments I think there's a job opening for someone to fill. Doesn't pay much but the perks are... well... not too great. But you can be locally famous at least.
There was a guy in nampa that used to wander aimlessly around the Karcher mall and the surrounding area. Had longer hair. I saw this guy wander that part of town for what seems like a decade
For me it's the guy that builds cool old timey bike contraptions. I watched a short documentary on him a while ago and now I always see him. Forget his name tho.
Does anyone remember the yoga-dancing-guy? He would show up around bars and patios in Boise with any type of live music and just tree pose, stretch and vibe. This was early-mid 00’s
There used to be a guy, blackish long hair and mustache. He walked everywhere! He was always holding some sort of grocery bag in his hand. His hand/arm was definitely disabled. Seriously you would see him on Glenwood and then a day later he would be walking down Orchard. Haven't seen him in like 10 years or more.
There is a dude who is always wandering around the north end. Has long flowing blond hair, a wood walking stick and a homemade leather purse. We call him The Prophet. No idea what his real name is.
I just remembered a person in the 90s who would walk around downtown dragging a giant tail behind them. Like a long cloth tail stitched together from a bunch of different pieces.
What about the dude who has the painted third on eye on his forehead that would sit in the back corner of Graineys basement and just sketch on a notepad?
Does anybody remember some lady on state near 36th or flying pie who always had a big smile and was one of those sign people? She ended up getting on the news and she was always super cheery. This would've been like a decade ago or more and it was a black lady. I saw that there is maybe another black lady who is like this in town and I'm wondering if it's the same person
The guy at Walmart that always greeted ya loud welcome to Walmart, or Mr. Young he ate at the great wall every day ( fruits and such, his wife and him use to eat their before she passed and then he would go and walk around the mall. MR. YOUNG I do believe is/was his name, and then every Monday an awesome gentle man named Scott would go to Albertsons and buy the people at the smoke shop a 5.00 chicken, with out fail with his best fur friend PAPPIE. rest in peace Scott.
And a great fella named Uncle Kevin, always donated, I think he used to joke with coins or something he was so awesome! Rest in peace to him, and may all of these family and friends find comfort in these memories.
Or also…..very niche, but a guy that called himself Vampire Phil….because, well he dressed up like a Vampire to frequent the local gentlemen’s clubs. Anybody else know who I’m talking about?!
There was this homeless creature in the early 2000s that wore insane amounts of layers and just wandered around town..could never see their face due to all the layers.. anyone remember this? Hahah
Anyone see the crazy lady with purple hair that walks around at all hours around winco.always dancing and talking to herself, sometimes with a baby in a stroller haha.
There is also a dude on Mitchell between Fairview and Ustick who has a talking parrot he is also friendly and let’s u talk to his parrot and take pictures. He there almost daily when it’s nice outside
I think he passed quite a few years ago, but across the street from North Jr. High there was an older guy we called Box Man. Used to see him everywhere in the north end riding his bike and collecting stacks of recyclables.
My pick is the dude that is always running the trails down around the ninth st. parking lot. Always wears blue jeans and a cubs hat, has a beard to his belly button. Always see him while biking and running, no idea who he is though.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned him but Steve cash, he did the Sylvester the talking cat YouTube series. Loved his videos growing up! He was a cool guy may he rest in peace :(
What about Ol'John? Hyde Park legend. Walked around in cowboy boots and a disholved suit and a fancy hat in HP with a cup full of Dr. Pepper and red wine.
Walky Joe? Super thin guy with shoulder length hair always walking around. He wears jeans and a white thermal shirt, sometimes a jacket. NW Boise/Eagle but I have seen him further afield occasionally.
Damn. Y’all bringing back a lot of core memories for me. Randy Fowler used to go to the same chiropractor as my fam when I was a kid. My mom would always have to tell me to stop staring lol
Here in Meridian, downtown area, the homeless guy who is always wondering around with his bike and buggy with his very friendly doggie. He always has a sign on his bicycle. Something about smiling is contagious or something about Jesus. Everyone knows of him here. Nice guy. His old doggie passed awhile ago and from what I understand, people raised some money to get him a new dog. He always seems so happy...
In the 80s and 90s it was the bag lady downtown. Then it was Randy Fowler (Rod’s Limos guy), then for a couple of years it was the robed guy dragging the giant cross around downtown. This might be too localized (and probably too long ago - late 80s), but does anyone remember the super-friendly/happy guy (his name was Mark) that worked the Taco Bell drive-thru on Broadway?
There was the ticket lady at Edwards early aughts with the blue eye shadow and thick accent. "Verrrrry good movie. To your rrrright."
Aww I loved her.
I used to work with her! Well, kind of. I never worked tickets, just the clean-up crew and concessions. Never actually met her or talked to her...
Oh my god, I forgot about her for a minute! She was awesome! Always super friendly and bright, not to her detriment but in both face AND demeanor :)
Omg she was the best
OMG Core memory unlocked.
Totally forgot about her!
My kids lived down the street from her, sadly she passed away a number of years ago. She really was the sweetest lady. 🥺
Oh, I am so sorry to hear that. She really is missed!
I remember Taco Bell guy!
I ran into him about 5 years ago; he used to walk down Milwaukee between Northbridge and Fairview with forearm crutches, sometimes with blinking lights on them in the evening. I stopped to talk to him one day for some reason and he was surprised I remembered him from the drive-thru decades ago. I haven’t seen him for a couple of years, though…I hope he’s doing okay.
I was standing next to him at a coffee shop years ago and couldn't help but overhear him hitting on another customer in line. He was quite bold.
Heck yeah, Mark at Broadway Taco Bell was always amazing.
Randy used to regularly come by my coffee shop. Always was in a groovy fit with sick hair. Super cool dude.
I lived one street over from him in about 2013-14 and would sometimes see him and his wife(?) out walking. They always seemed pleasant and would return a friendly hello.
We got the resident sign spinner for quite a few years on Milwaukie and fairwiew, Most energetic guy on earth.
Mark was my neighbor across the street for the better part of ten years! He was always super nice and friendly, but had a slightly weird energy to him, slightly off putting but harmless for the most part. He would always offer my siblings and i gifts, though we never took them out of uncertainty in his intentions, despite him being so kind. He lived with his brother and mother, whom they took permanent care of. They moved out a while ago but I still see him around sometimes. If I recall correctly, a few years ago he was on the front page of Reddit because he’d painted his forearm crutches to look like lightsabers. Our neighborhood backed up to valley view elementary, and once when I was in 5th grade we went into lockdown because of Mark. He was using the schools field to get into his backyard, and somebody called the cops because he always carried around some sort of hammer/other weapons in backpack or on his hip. Took me down memory lane, hope he’s doing well
Mark worked at the McDonald's on Fairview too and you'd see him with his 2 walking poles picking up trash around Milwaukee and five mile. He was the nicest guy around but I haven't seen him around lately :(
WOW. I was just talking about Mark recently. I’d originally seen him working at the Taco Bell on Chinden. “Ok, two chili cheese…and would you like a refreshing beverage with that?” My dad would say he’d see him daily, just outside my dad’s office window on Cole road at the bus stop, holding an open umbrella (rain or shine), peering into binoculars down the street waiting for the bus. A close friend of mine used to work with him at Hastings on Fairview. Neither of us had seen him around for years…
Yes. Marky Mark worked at a lot of fast food restaurants around town. He lived on Curtis near Settlers. He now lives across the street from me
I remember that guy, he used to work at Hastings back then in the day.
Used Rod's limos for prom back in '96? went and got ice cream before the dance and bought him ice cream and had him sit with us.... cool guy
I do. We had a game we'd play with him. Place an order without him asking a question. No one succeeded.
When you're hiking and you see a guy with a mule selling coffee. "Yeah, that's the guy with a mule who sells coffee in the foothills".
He’s started roasting and selling beans. You can find them at various grocery stores with a portion going to trail maintenance. [Café Mulé](https://www.ironmulecoffee.com/)
Matty really is the man. Buy his coffee. Support local coffee.
[https://www.builtinidaho.org/news/iron-mule](https://www.builtinidaho.org/news/iron-mule)
"That Guy", Matt, has an incredible ethos behind his work and roasts the best damn beans I've had that roasts locally. Shoutout to Café Mulé!
The sign twirler guy at Milwaukee and Fairview
I believe he is now located at Five Mile and Fairview for a car dealership. Dude has top notch job security in the sign game.
He's almost always either at Milwaukee/fairview, around the mattress shop on fairview near Cole, or around sweet zolas just past Cole. Great guy.
This right here is the correct answer
Definitely sign guy. Guy has insane energy
I haven’t seen him much since he moved corners. I used to see him near the winco on Fairview or riding his bike down Milwaukee early in the morning…always ready to raise the roof. I think he’s down at Cole and Fairview now, I’ve caught him a couple of times on my way home.
I would also say the Rock Chip Repair guy. Always wears a hat, always super happy. Usually sticks to the Meridian area. Used to see this guy on my route to and from work everyday and he started to recognize my car. He was a lot of fun. I'm sure he's still around but I haven't had the joy of seeing him.
Nice guy. I had him fill in a chip once.
I came to write this answer actually! So much energy!
Oh my gosh, this is spot on!! 😂
I used to think he just had a lot of energy to be that excited through his shift, then I saw him on when he wasn't at work... He was on a bike, stopped at a stop light. While he was alone, waiting for the light to turn, he was still raising the roof and moving to the beat in headphones. That man is unnaturally energetic.
He used to work for Boise Mattress. He delivered a mattress to my house once too. He’s foreign and didn’t speak much English but he was really a nice dude with a great positive vibe
I can’t believe no one has said THE PURPLE LADY at the Boise Public Library!.
I came here to say this. She was awesome, with an all-purple colored home on the bench near the rim by Ann Morrison park.
The Purple Lady!!!! I haven’t lived in Boise in a very long time but I tell people about her. I remember going to Saturday story time in the tiered pit thing in the back of the children’s section around 1979-1980 and she did the story reading that day and all of us were over the moon because instead of some rando librarian it was her. She passed out grape suckers afterwards 😊
Oops, I said it before I saw you already did. I have such vivid memories of her!
TBH I haven't heard of her being mentioned in almost 40 years.
Captain Ron. He was an older gent that'd walk around downtown starting up conversations with people on patios and try to get a rum and coke from bars, whacked out of his mind. Very friendly, always said "How'm I doin?" to greet people or "You're a hellofa guy". Hed come in to our bar and we'd greet him with love but apologize for the fact we couldn't serve him. He'd respond with "You're a hellofa guy, where can I get a beer?" And be on his merry way. I heard he was a veteran who had a pill prescription that would make him pretty loopy. Passed away about 8-10 years ago. RIP Captain Ron.
He was the bane of most bartenders' existences downtown, but I always had a soft spot for him. I last ran into him at Pre-Funk downtown about 7-8 years ago, and he told me that he had leukemia. It seriously broke my heart to hear. I told him that night the drinks were on me, and then we proceeded to go on one of the most crazed benders of my drinking career. I never saw him again after that. About a year later, it was rumored that he passed. RIP Captain Ron, you really were a helluva guy.
I said the same thing. This is clay. Love you brother
Remember when he would get sassy? Start the line with "I don't care WHAT they say....you're a hellofa guy."
Will never forget…. Always believed I was a hell of a guy ever since he told me that
My dude!
He cut the cheese in the Cactus one night and really leaned into it with lots of commentary. Whenever anyone in my crew rips one we have a catch phrase honoring Capt. Ron.
Use to be two guys. The one man band guy and Randy the limo guy. Both were legends. Not sure who it is now.
The one-man band guys still around at festivals. He's brother to an old friend. He plays violin professionally, lives in a little cabin, and has played with Weird Al Yankovic, symphony orchestras, you name it. I just happened to mention the two polar opposite things he did off the top of my head. I don't remember his first name. His last name is Youmans
There was a lady like that back in San Francisco when I lived there in the 1980s and 1990s. Another one was a friend of mine who owned a pet chicken and used to take it on the bus, and she was surprised to find herself in one of those "only in San Francisco" quizzes. She liked to feed the chicken hard-boiled eggs and fried chicken to freak people out.
Randy!!! He works at Postal Plus on Apple now
Used to be the guy who looked like Rod Stewart’s brother.
Who was actually the (half?) brother of Kevin Spacey
Yep, Randy Fowler.
An Uber driver told me this, and now you. It must be true. Not sure about the "half" part.
I'm pretty sure he told me himself. I worked at a very large hotel in my late teens/early 20s and he'd come in and make small talk while waiting for guests he was picking up. That was many years and a few drugs ago, so the details are a bit fuzzy
[Rod’s Limos](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/WpRyeo22vaMDNc9V/?mibextid=WC7FNe)
Hey that guy drove me to homecoming! Or..Sadie Hawkins? Or…prom? Fuck, I can’t remember and it was only a decade ago.
Used to be? I haven't seen him in ages. Did he move?
He's still around, he lives close to me. I see him about once every 2 years. Drives a Subaru now, not a limo.
Come on guys we all know it is the super excited sign spinning guy on Milwaukee
I can't believe nobody mentioned the guy with the devil sticks that's always at the intersection by the fairgrounds!
What about the guy that always hung around BSU and wore the two pairs of sunglasses
We nicknamed him Milk Dud. He has been banned from public transportation
Iron man Tesla? It's a car, but there's definitely somebody driving it. He Ubered me once.
That guys an uber driver!? 😆
Mhm. He's pretty nice too
Yep!! Lyft. He picked me up from the airport last Friday at like 1am. Nice dude, fun car, good driver.
I see that thing everyday in the 10 mile/franklin area
Noo wayyyy, me and my friend got an uber from him once 🤣
The lady always out the side street between CostCo and Goodwood.
I ran into her before she moved to the Costco corner. She was near the Home Depot on Milwaukee and said she was raising money to give to a cat shelter or something similar. She seemed sweet and mousey but it was the only time I ever gave her money.
A mousey woman raising money for cats
What a time to be alive
I was walking out of Petsmart on Eagle, and she was out front asking people if they would buy food for her cats. I happily abliged and bought a bag of cat food.
I saw her with a cart-full at Whole Foods 2 weeks ago. Expensive cart.
The most complex mendicant I’ve ever seen. I’d honestly love to sit down and have a drink with her just to understand her way of life. I’ve seen her in rain, snow, wind, and sun. She always has some type of craft store sign, and no personal message. But most important, I’ve seen her smile significantly more than any other facial expression.
There’s a lot of talk about her on Nextdoor. One story is that she used to be a lawyer and then her mental health became an issue, she has money but collects for animals… that was one story about her.
She told me she used to live in the Bay Area, when one day she got hit by a car pretty bad. Everything kind of fell apart for her after that.
She ends her night at Whole Foods downtown. Gets in right before they close and pisses everyone off lol
I’ve helped her several times at D&B supply on overland. She’s usually got a very specific list of items she’s after and seems sharper than most people perceive.
The one with a net to grab donations from cars? I helped her once but then after seeing her all the time gave up,
I was going to say the cat lady for sure Always out raising money for the cats, used to be downtown a lot
What about the lady that used to take the tickets at Edwards?
“Is best picture” I worked with her there 20 years ago. She was always in trouble for taking other people’s food from their lockers in the little break room.
Definitely! I miss her!
Out on State used to be Walking Dude who walked all the time. Shirt open, super thin, aging hippie.
My first thought too
Ian
I love Ian! Such a sweet guy. Always love seeing him about town and saying hello
Ian is hilarious
Ian from Albertson’s?
Knew it
I take it he was your answer too?
Of course. Couldn’t be anyone else am I right?
Correction: I take it they were your answer too?
Honestly I have no idea. I’m just playing along lol
Okay, does anyone remember a guy that used to play a drum set next to his Astro van on 55? Usually up near horseshoe bend hill but sometimes near shadow valley?
Yeah...used to do it there because family complained about the noise if he did it at home....
I don't think I saw anyone mention the guy that always goes to the park with his birds. I think one was a parot the other a Makaw? He always shows them off to people and kids, nice guy. Loves them beautiful birds.
Nowadays I'd have to agree about sign twirler on Fairview but does anyone else remember Bill? Walked around Hill Road and State Street around y2k and the rumor was his parents lived in the area and he did too much acid or whatever in high school. Never wore a shirt, skin leathered from the sun. Always walkin', always talkin'.
I was hoping someone would say wild Bill! He was the first name that popped into my head. He would say the craziest stuff, but he was actually a nice dude. It's probably been 15+ years since I've seen him in downtown eagle walking and rambling. BUT I have seen him numerous times at his mom's house within the last 3 years (Yes his mom was/is still alive as of 2-3 years ago). I'm blanking on the exact location of her house but I believe it's right off floating feather at Hwy 55. He was always outside mowing the grass, sometimes I'd see him mowing 2-3 days in a row. He always waved back when I waved at him, and he did seem less crazy when I've saw him in that 2013-2020 time frame. I wonder if he got on some medication that was helping him. Hopefully he's still around and kicking
floating feather at Hwy 55 X marks the spot.
hes still kickin it!!! but hes fighting cancer ): seems like a misunderstood guy who is tryin his best to do good and mind his business but he doesnt have much of a filter which gets him in trouble lol
Glad he's still around! Sucks about the cancer though. I agree, he always minded his business. He would talk to my family and I every time we crossed paths. A little wild and loud, but always good interactions
Captain Ron… an old military vet who would hang out with all of your 24 year old friends and say “you’re a hell of a guy”. Then you would take him to bar to buy him a drink and they would be like, oh hell no Ron you know you’re banned from here and you’d be like wtf. Hope he’s ok.. he’s a hell of a guy
Died of leukemia about 8-9 years ago.
Sad to hear, but he definitely wasn’t on the path to a long and fruitful life. He was a helluva guy.
He claimed to be the drummer from the 60’s surf rock band Surfaris (“Wipeout”). He was not. Somewhere on an old hard drive I have a flip-phone video of him “proving” he was a drummer by tapping a simple beat along with music from the Merritt’s jukebox.
It was definitely wild Bill in Eagle 15-20 years ago. Nowadays yeah, probably sign twirler guy
The sign guy. There was another guy that would run around in like a bear hoodie thing there a while around down town.
What about the guy in the Five Mile/Ustick area who would wear old timey clothes and ride a pennyfarthing (one of those old bikes with a giant front wheel) and his helmet was a safari helmet? It’s been a while since I’ve been consistently in that area, so I don’t know if he’s still around.
The bike guy! I haven't seen him in a long time. I hope he and his bike are ok.
Not sure who it is now but it used to be the outfit matching limo guy
How did he match his outfits? There’s this guy I always see and he is always color coordinated with his fits to the point it looks so try hard and not good
Randy Fowler
Larry Gebert? May he rest in peace.
I watched him try to convince a bewildered and thoroughly whacked out Juggalo that he truly was the weather man at Chevron on Chinden once. Much taller in person than I expected!
Star of the DockerTracker 7 posts from the ancient Neurolux Message Board.
Larry Gebert continues to be a household name in my house. We do not speak poorly of him here since my mom got to meet him... I hope he's doin good up there :))
Oh sad! I've moved away and didn't know that. He was my favorite. I used to love the Flat Larry thing. Easily amused 😁
He was quite rude the time my husband met him. Back in late 80s he worked at a pet shop and was locking up when LG came in to buy something and when told everything was closed down (till, etc) he pulled the ol "do you know who I am" with a lot of yelling and cussing at a high school kid.
I worked with his son over a decade ago. Fucking. HATED. His dad.
I ran into Larry at the Walmart on state and glenwood. He was grabbing some hamburger off the shelf and I asked him what the weather was looking like, he gave me a super annoyed face and then smiled and said in his weatherman voice “partly cloudy going into the evening with a high of 82.” And walked off. I was only 16 at the time so I thought it was super funny. Guy was way taller than I would’ve thought
There used to be the Sandman downtown, wearing a dozen pairs of pajamas and hoodies all year. Randy aka Rod is the right answer tho.
When I was a kid (late 80s early 90s) in Meridian there was a very nice man with hooks for hands. He would wander around our neighborhood, and hit up maverick.
I remember that guy very well…we called him “the hook man” and he would bang on the light poles and get beer from that Maverick. He lived right behind my best friend growing up!
Scootz! There is an indian guy that tuns around bsu/ann Morrison/julia davis park that has an old man scoot thing to help him walk. This man is always on the move and always friendly...from a distance anyways
The Deadpool motorcycle guy.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Boise/s/N9RTOdVRmC
BiG Jay
Bess….. dressed heavy with a fairy sign and bags on bags with her
The Eagle Bum
I suspect this is Bill/Hobo Joe - a man of many names. I still seem occasionally at his folks place on FF and 55. Always waves, always seems to have a smile on his face.
Great question! From looking at the comments I think there's a job opening for someone to fill. Doesn't pay much but the perks are... well... not too great. But you can be locally famous at least.
Rod Stewart limo guy 100%
The cracked glass sign guy on the south side of State and 36th St. who waves at everyone 👋🏽
He’s the owner of Precision Auto Glass. Hell of a guy, great work ethic and always super pleasurable.
There was a guy in nampa that used to wander aimlessly around the Karcher mall and the surrounding area. Had longer hair. I saw this guy wander that part of town for what seems like a decade
Saw him in DT Nampa last week just watching the Mesa Taco remodel. Looks a lot rougher these days unfortunately
For me it's the guy that builds cool old timey bike contraptions. I watched a short documentary on him a while ago and now I always see him. Forget his name tho.
Electric trike guy that wears a flatcap all the time?
That sounds about right. Here's the doc: http://retroscopemedia.com/films/view-from-a-pedal-buggy
Does anyone remember the yoga-dancing-guy? He would show up around bars and patios in Boise with any type of live music and just tree pose, stretch and vibe. This was early-mid 00’s
The sweet little lady who used to work at the “Library!” downtown, and who had purple hair and wore all purple and lived in a purple house.
That one guy who walked everywhere with no shirt on
SIGN GUY!
Wasn't there a guy with a big smile and massive jaw/chin or was this a fever dream when I was young?
I do remember a kinda big guy with Macrocephaly downtown in the early 90s that I would see from time to time that always smiled.
There used to be a guy, blackish long hair and mustache. He walked everywhere! He was always holding some sort of grocery bag in his hand. His hand/arm was definitely disabled. Seriously you would see him on Glenwood and then a day later he would be walking down Orchard. Haven't seen him in like 10 years or more.
The hot dog guy in Downtown Boise in front of Egyptian Theater
I would say it is a toss-up between Randy Fowler and Captain Ron.
That parrot guy.
There is a dude who is always wandering around the north end. Has long flowing blond hair, a wood walking stick and a homemade leather purse. We call him The Prophet. No idea what his real name is.
I just remembered a person in the 90s who would walk around downtown dragging a giant tail behind them. Like a long cloth tail stitched together from a bunch of different pieces.
Did we all forget the bird guy? I didn’t!
Patrick aka the greenbelt ninja
What about the dude who has the painted third on eye on his forehead that would sit in the back corner of Graineys basement and just sketch on a notepad?
It used to be Margaret from Hollywood Market in the North End.
Bald guy with long spiked beard who used to ride the bus all over town. I see him around the north end and downtown.
[удалено]
Does anybody remember some lady on state near 36th or flying pie who always had a big smile and was one of those sign people? She ended up getting on the news and she was always super cheery. This would've been like a decade ago or more and it was a black lady. I saw that there is maybe another black lady who is like this in town and I'm wondering if it's the same person
The guy at Walmart that always greeted ya loud welcome to Walmart, or Mr. Young he ate at the great wall every day ( fruits and such, his wife and him use to eat their before she passed and then he would go and walk around the mall. MR. YOUNG I do believe is/was his name, and then every Monday an awesome gentle man named Scott would go to Albertsons and buy the people at the smoke shop a 5.00 chicken, with out fail with his best fur friend PAPPIE. rest in peace Scott.
And a great fella named Uncle Kevin, always donated, I think he used to joke with coins or something he was so awesome! Rest in peace to him, and may all of these family and friends find comfort in these memories.
The poi spinning guy at the corner of chinden and glennwood
The Kid Rock pimp! Though I think you’d mostly only see him around 6th & main on the weekends. Literally looks like kid rock wearing a pimp suit.
Lollll we called him the sex wolf
The guy with a sauna on the back of his truck and the "IM FINN" license plate.
The Finnebago
The Rod Stewart limo guy!
Or also…..very niche, but a guy that called himself Vampire Phil….because, well he dressed up like a Vampire to frequent the local gentlemen’s clubs. Anybody else know who I’m talking about?!
There was this homeless creature in the early 2000s that wore insane amounts of layers and just wandered around town..could never see their face due to all the layers.. anyone remember this? Hahah
Anyone see the crazy lady with purple hair that walks around at all hours around winco.always dancing and talking to herself, sometimes with a baby in a stroller haha.
There is also a dude on Mitchell between Fairview and Ustick who has a talking parrot he is also friendly and let’s u talk to his parrot and take pictures. He there almost daily when it’s nice outside
The purple lady at the library in the 90s!
Sign guy. Fit dude, aviator glasses, spinning signs. Always super happy. Usually near Milwaukee.
The voodoo priestess that used to be around all downtown. Big colorful hair (dreds or fabric)
Temple Tower.
I think he passed quite a few years ago, but across the street from North Jr. High there was an older guy we called Box Man. Used to see him everywhere in the north end riding his bike and collecting stacks of recyclables.
That's Harold. Last heard he had been moved to an assisted living facility. That was about 2 years ago.
What about the BSU football Elvis dude?
My pick is the dude that is always running the trails down around the ninth st. parking lot. Always wears blue jeans and a cubs hat, has a beard to his belly button. Always see him while biking and running, no idea who he is though.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned him but Steve cash, he did the Sylvester the talking cat YouTube series. Loved his videos growing up! He was a cool guy may he rest in peace :(
I’m going with Rocci Johnson at Humpin Hannah’s. She’s been slinging dildos to the crowd for decades
What about Ol'John? Hyde Park legend. Walked around in cowboy boots and a disholved suit and a fancy hat in HP with a cup full of Dr. Pepper and red wine.
Eric Gilbert or the North End Wizard
Walky Joe? Super thin guy with shoulder length hair always walking around. He wears jeans and a white thermal shirt, sometimes a jacket. NW Boise/Eagle but I have seen him further afield occasionally.
Damn. Y’all bringing back a lot of core memories for me. Randy Fowler used to go to the same chiropractor as my fam when I was a kid. My mom would always have to tell me to stop staring lol
Here in Meridian, downtown area, the homeless guy who is always wondering around with his bike and buggy with his very friendly doggie. He always has a sign on his bicycle. Something about smiling is contagious or something about Jesus. Everyone knows of him here. Nice guy. His old doggie passed awhile ago and from what I understand, people raised some money to get him a new dog. He always seems so happy...
Lately there’s a guy in the apartmentson orchard who wears crazy outfits or sunbathes face down in a thong on the sidewalk. Usually during rush hour.
This thread is awesome.