RSS FeedMegaphone Male Broadcasts The Good News
Our downtown neighborhood has its share of pedestrian actors and all lots in life traverse our shared sidewalks. In one way or another we’ve come to appreciate them all, and all the world’s indeed a stage and we are merely players. The three that come to mind most easily are Exercise Man, Take 5 Guy, and the less observed but more recently arrived Barbell Dude. We’d like to add another person to the roster and he is the guy who broadcasts his religious convictions to passers by via a handheld electronic megaphone (click the photo to zoom in). Usually found near or on the east steps of the American Art Museum/National Portrait Gallery, how do you know it’s him? Easy. He mouths the reverb and echo sound effects himself, elongating words with an unmistakable tenor. Yesterday he was checking to see if we all had attended church or not. Are there any others who should be up for consideration?
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Comments
I don’t consider this guy to be broadcasting his religious convictions – maybe I’m reading too much into it, but his rambling chants veer all over the place, and he doesn’t really come across as a street preacher (despite the multiple renditions of “Jesus Loves Me” I’ve heard him perform).
If the “Take Five Guy” is the one outside Hard Rock who more often plays “The Pink Panther” and the theme from Sesame Street, and now, Christmas music, I am sure some consider him a treat. There are those of us who find the music that is far louder inside buildings than out. I hate to ruin his income but then .. some days the loud and awful music is pretty .. loud and awful.
the sax player is nothing but a nuisance. apart from the poor playing, and the repetition of the same songs over and over (sometimes multiple times per evening)….there are also reports of inexcusable behavior directed towards some residents as he sees them passing by.
That guys is a huge pain – he is not new though, he comes and goes, but has been around for a couple of years. I made the mistake of making a disparaging comment to him as I walked by him over near Fords theater a couple of years ago and he proceeded to follow me through the neighborhood harassing me on the speakerphone calling me a racist, etc. etc. etc.
I actually circled around the neighborhood until he left me alone because i didn’t want him to know where i lived. I should have probably done something at the time and called the Police or something, but I am not sure he technically did anything illegal and didn’t want to waste my afternoon on it.
I’m with @LiveAndWorkinPQ. I did the same thing once and he did the same thing. I finally had to alert the police to get him to back off.
Bottom line is, this man is insane. I’m serious. Do not engage him.
What ever happened to the bucket drum guys? I have seen them packing up with police there twice in the last month — once at Verizon center and another time at the Natural History Museum. Do you have to have a permit for that?
The very best is the Dancing Man in the flashy jumpsuits! Don’t confuse him with Excercise Man who stays close to 7th St. Dancing Man has much better moves. He hops on one leg, claps his hands, spins in circles and performs terrific leg kicks, all while shouting “Hey” every few seconds. I have to find out what music he is playing!!
Seeing Dancing Man makes my days so much better. He only comes out on pretty days and a “Dancing Man Sighting” makes up for all the supid tourists that clutter the streets at the same time.
The mega-phone man is very entertaining. One night my wife and I stood a few feet in front of him and watched him perform. He acted like he did not notice us, but he knew we were there. It was funny to see how the people reacted to him and funny to hear his ramble. We liked it !
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He is by far the most annoying person in DC. So loud, not necessary. Look, if you want to preach then more power to you. Use your VOICE. But a megaphone is too much. I feel for those that live above Clydes.