"Odd" People In Your Area

[Stasis]

So I was on my way home this morning around 9am when I see an elderly man standing on the pavement looking at something. As I got closer, I noticed he was watching a pigeon. As odd as that may seem, he then started to wave at it. I'm sure he had better things to do at 9am than wave at a pigeon, surely.

He's not the only odd person in my area. There's an old woman who carries around a picnic basket, walks out in front of traffic and reads out loud the names of every sandwich available to buy in the shop, a man who tells everyone (and I mean everyone) "did you know Jesus has forgiven me for my sins so that I can go to heaven with the Angels?", a man who sleeps in the pharmacy all day without buying a single thing, and a man who lets everyone know he dislikes Easter Eggs.

It's these people who make an ordinary day seem... less ordinary. So, does anyone here have oddballs such as the above living in their area?

[Agent York]

Do I count?

I wave at animals too, there's not much weird about it, they're living creatures too and are more intelligent than many people give them credit for. I make weird noises to myself (which are actually french words I use to emphasize how I feel) I sometimes will challenge myself out of the blue to do things like skip down a street or avoid walking on cracks or jog he whole two miles without stopping to the store, stuff like that.

However thanks to some bad incidents some people probably think we're even stranger. You see, we have some cats, and they're quite "talkative" with us so we talk back. One time my cat kept on bugging me to let it go outside like meowing for minutes when I was trying to focus on homework so I opened the back door to let it out and just was saying "The door to freedom kitty, take it with the last ounce of strength and begone!" to only notice that the neighbors across the fence were all there eating and staring at me. I felt embarrassed. I open doors for people, try to talk to people who look shy or out of place in school to make them feel more comfortable (made some great friends that way) I likely have too much trust and faith in humanity, and a billion other weird things. I'm me though, and I think my neighborhood is awesome even if I'm a weird one in it.

Being normal is boring, I'd rather be myself and be considered weird than not be myself to try and be normal, been like that ever since I was young.

Edited October 27, 2010 by Dusk the Wisp Keeper

[-Mark-]

Considering I live two doors down from a house that's being run to rehabilitate recovering mentally ill people... yeah. Thankfully they don't seem to be much of a bother.

When the house first set up for that purpose around five years ago though, there was a lady living there who was definitely bizarre. Basically, she'd wander around the street at almost any time of the day, stopping anyone and everyone who walked by and asking them if they had any cigarettes they could give her. I think she even stopped the postman in the street a few times.

If I remember correctly, I think we saw her trying to pick up and relight half-finished cigarettes that she'd found on the floor, too. >_>;

[Shaddix Leto Croft]

This guy who doesn't live in my area but he lived near my High School I went too, He looked like Santa Claus about in his mid 60's and tryed to talk to everyone who went past his house or wave at the people on the School buses with a blank stare lol I found him to be quite odd always there after school waving at people from my School inside his garden lol. There are tons are odd people where I live so I won't know where to start lol.

Edited October 27, 2010 by Alex

[Emperor Robrainiac]

As a matter of fact, I did have some, both still here and long gone. Most of the oddballs are often very secluded, as in we hardly ever see them... Heck one of them may have been a drug dealer according to my parents. However the one that takes the cake is a guy who used to live across the street, who now only lives a block away. Why they decided to move only a block away, I'll never know.

This guy's quite the lazy bum and never goes to work. How does he make his money though? By making his own bussinesses in his garage. That's right, I've seen him open up tire repair shops, window cleaning and car washing right in front of his house. He'll also sell whatever he can find laying around the house or the backyard such as tires, hot tubs and trampolines.

Unfortnately, all these small bussinesses and sales are outragously priced scams. There's never a dull moment when I pass by his house to see what scam he's cooking up today.

Edited October 27, 2010 by Inferno da danged recolor

[Nemain]

I live in Somerset. Need I say anything more? ;D

There's several different types of "odd", when you think about it. There's eccentricity, senile dementia, mental health impairments... And just plain quirky, to name but a few! You'll get the ones that are a bit sinister but most mean no harm with their quirks. There's always a story to tell behind someone's actions, and while some may make you feel uncomfortable, many of these people can't help the way they act. Bridgwater, my old college town, had a lot of people with mental health issues relocated there when a local home for people with mental disabilities closed. One used to dance for cigarettes, and another thought he was a bus and would "drive" up the street in the middle of the road. While most people were quite understanding of their little quirks, some just goaded them on and mocked them openly. That's just cruel. It's only fun when you're laughing -with- them, not -at- them.

Anyway, serious part over!

I've become accustomed to the eccentricity of the people I study with at university, especially the lecturers. I'm a geologist and it seems to be a "crazy scientist" thing we have going. One example is my minerals lecturer, who always goes off on one and gets really excited whenever talking about deadly minerals and other related stuff that will kill you. He's really quite sinister! Another would be the lecturer that thought "Screw Kevlar suits, a bin on my head and a labcoat is protection enough!" when firing ballistics at point blank range. It actually worked too. Having said this, you know you've gone off the deep end when it's YOU that causes the majority of the crazy stuff that happens in the department...

To be fair, I love the people in the background that are a little different and a little quirky. They make an ordinary day much less so, and often bring a smile to your face.

[Jonnehicles]

Well, there was this extremely odd child in my street. He was about 10. He was Irish, like myself. But he always talked in a very strained American accent, while having no American roots at all.

Normally, someone talking in a different accent wouldn't bother me, but he keeps talking in all these old TV catchphrases. And he can't stop doing it. It's very annoying.

[Badnik Zero]

Just drug addicts. There is a very beat up looking woman, she seems to be in her 30s but her face is more like 50. In the elevator she faces slightly to the wall and her hands move a lot. When she speaks it's extremely nervous and just to say hi. I always see her visiting this young straight cut looking dude who doesn't speak a lot of English.

[The-Master-Board]

I'm an odd people. If you don't trust me just ask my imaginary friends, they aren't that talkative though

I love crazies, they make life fun!

[Agent York]

I'm an odd people. If you don't trust me just ask my imaginary friends, they aren't that talkative though

I love crazies, they make life fun!

I love Crazies too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEMZwQulT1Q

C=...

Edited October 27, 2010 by Dusk the Wisp Keeper

[The-Master-Board]

I love Crazies too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEMZwQulT1Q

C=...

Truly they are kings amongst....non kings.

[Saint Nathan]

Well, there was this extremely odd child in my street. He was about 10. He was Irish, like myself. But he always talked in a very strained American accent, while having no American roots at all.

Normally, someone talking in a different accent wouldn't bother me, but he keeps talking in all these old TV catchphrases. And he can't stop doing it. It's very annoying.

This is more than likely some form of Autism. My little brother has it, and he can't really talk on his own without a minute of serious thought due to the parts of his brain that let him speak being slowed and in some parts almost completely inactive.

So he talks using thing he's seen on TV. He even (attemps) to sound like the person who said it, because it's the only way he can talk.

[Flyboy Fox]

Edit: Ninja'd on the autism part by Galaxy Man D:

When the house first set up for that purpose around five years ago though, there was a lady living there who was definitely bizarre. Basically, she'd wander around the street at almost any time of the day, stopping anyone and everyone who walked by and asking them if they had any cigarettes they could give her. I think she even stopped the postman in the street a few times.

If I remember correctly, I think we saw her trying to pick up and relight half-finished cigarettes that she'd found on the floor, too. >_>;

Severe addiction, that's all. My mum was like that when she was in her 20s. She would beg for cigarettes from strangers and even pick up fag-ends from the floor and try to get a puff out of them. Very sad. Fortunately, getting pregnant with me gave her the final drive to quit, which she'd never been able to do before. But yeah, addiction will drive people to do bizarre and anti-social things that they would never even THINK of doing under normal circumstance.

Well, there was this extremely odd child in my street. He was about 10. He was Irish, like myself. But he always talked in a very strained American accent, while having no American roots at all.

Normally, someone talking in a different accent wouldn't bother me, but he keeps talking in all these old TV catchphrases. And he can't stop doing it. It's very annoying.

This is a CLASSIC example of autistic behaviour. I can't diagnose from a couple of sentences, of course, but many people on the moderate to severe end of autism learn all of their language from rote phrases they pick up from TV/movies etc. They lack the ability to speak naturally and only 'parrot' back whatever else they hear and copy all the verbal inflections of whatever they picked the language up from. I'm sorry that you find it 'annoying', but if, like you say, he 'can't stop doing it', then it really isn't his fault.

Ahh... I hate when I get all preachy like that. Autism is just a hot topic with me. Even if that kid isn't autistic, I've seen so many people get pissed off at autistic kids' behaviour and it just makes me sad ):

Aaaanyway! I suppose I could contribute a few odd people myself. One who stands out is the 'Jesus man' in Sutton where I used to live. He was basically just an old man with a beard who dressed in a white robe and stumbled around the streets in the town centre claiming to be Jesus. He would call everyone "my child" and try to touch people as they walked by to 'heal' them. I just felt sorry for the guy and wondered why there was no one looking out for him and keeping him indoors, especially on cold days. It was impossible to find out anything about him though, and the police wouldn't do a think since he's 'harmless' (well what about harm to himself??). Ugh. The way society treats the mentally unwell really irks me. A lot of stuff irks me. I am a grumpy old geezer!

But really I think I'm probably the 'oddest' person in my immediate area. I'm sure anyone who knows me anywhere outside of SSMB will agree. I might not 'act' as strange as some of the examples here, but believe me when I say that my headspace is probably even more bizarre =P I guess that's another reason I get peeved at 'z0mg weirdos!' stuff. I empathise. I really do. I'm a crazy person myself, by all current/accepted standards. And so what? If it harms none, do as you will (Wiccan creed - no, I'm not Wiccan or Pagan, I just like the creed).

[Glenn]

Funny you should mention your "Jesus Man" experience, Flyboy, as my old hometown had a crazy old man who once approached me in the street, took me by the shoulders, came over with a wonderful expression of recognition and gasped "Jesus!" I politely smiled back, took his hands away from my shoulders and replied "No, my name is Glenn. Like Jesus, but all the letters are different." He then mumbled something about armageddon, and I thought it best to leave him alone with his thoughts.

Bless him, he was never violent towards anybody, and my friends all had various stories about him that we all thought were quite sweet!

[Ebby]

In NYC, there's crazy homeless people all around. All the time. So yup... I've seen some doozies! Especially on the train!

[eXtaticus]

Those damned kids.

And the guy called Steve who lives in my brain - he forgot to pay the rent again...

[Scar]

Gosh darn it.

I knew a lot of odd people.

One old lady used to just sit on the benches of the nearby train station and watch trains go by with a rather blank, almost sad expression on her face. She always used to say hello to passers by, and occasionally talk to the pigeons and squirrels. She passed on a couple years back. Honestly, now that she's gone, it feels wierd not having someone greet you at the train station, when you leave and when you return.

[Kevin]

This is a CLASSIC example of autistic behaviour. I can't diagnose from a couple of sentences, of course, but many people on the moderate to severe end of autism learn all of their language from rote phrases they pick up from TV/movies etc. They lack the ability to speak naturally and only 'parrot' back whatever else they hear and copy all the verbal inflections of whatever they picked the language up from. I'm sorry that you find it 'annoying', but if, like you say, he 'can't stop doing it', then it really isn't his fault.

Edited October 28, 2010 by Kevin

[eXtaticus]

Come to think of it, there aren't actually very many weird people where I live - it's just that most of them are so far up their own arses that they've effectively created an infinite loop for themselves to live in. A gross thought, but true nonetheless.

Actually, I probably am classifiable as the village weirdo; a strange kid with an unspeakably odd dress sense who almost never goes outside, - especially not when it's sunny - generally doesn't know anything about what's going on in his surroundings, (in terms of people and social groups) has a very tight friendship circle, is eerily skilled with computers and technology, listens to music/ watches movies/ plays videogames that no-one's ever heard of, has hair which is at least as long as his mum's (if not longer) and - despite loathing sport and never exercising - is strangely good at swimming.

And I only have one friend who lives within a 6-mile radius of me...

[Flyboy Fox]

And I only have one friend who lives within a 6-mile radius of me...

That's one more than I've got (; ... I swear I'm the biggest hermit ever. People would think me odd... if they ever saw me XD Which happens so rarely.

But hey, what are specialised forums like SSMB for if not for bringing together weirdos from across the globe? ♥

[JonoD]

I have a couple of people who are around where I live.

First one that springs to mind is this elderly looking gentleman with a walking stick. None to strange sounding so far, however I see him out and about at the most peculiar of times and places and all the time, there he is swinging his walking stick around a lot like somebody in a musical number might... At first me and a few others thought he was simply drunk. After repeatedly seeing him out though and watching him behave in exactly the same way we now think It's likely to be something else.

Another is... Well, interesting to say the least. It's a case that he's either there or he isn't. Every day around a certain time (This is sounding more, and more like a game of Pokemon by the minute...) will be who everyone simply calls the 'A38 man'. He just stands there by the same lamp post every day in full protective gear (shin pads, breast guard, knee pads, face shield etc) whilst he dances and whips this one lamp post... I think it's believed he realised he had a certain illness and so this is how he is now choosing to live the rest of his life... Either way, he's gained the interest of a Facebook group!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=231044322644 (I'll remove the link if it's a problem to link to Facebook or other places)