Nov 24 2008
The Bush Man of San Francisco
He’s been on the streets since the 1980’s scaring tourists for a living. He picks a spot along Fisherman’s Wharf, usually in a high traffic area and will hide behind some Eucalyptus branches and jump out at unsuspecting passersby. He claims to earn a good living doing this from about $40,000 to $50,00 per year. And just the fact that he’s been out there so long is a testament to his earnings. I remember him being there years ago.
There have been times, in fact one that I remember recently where he scared a tourist to a point that she fell off the sidewalk and injured herself. Although she did not sue the merchants in the area complained and tried to get rid of the bush man. For liability reasons they wanted him gone. He has been charged with a few misdemeanors however the cases are always thrown out of court. Some tourists are annoyed by his presence though most like him. It is one of those oddities, the only in San Francisco types of entertainment. Because I live here I always know where he is and have never been “scared” because while walking past, I’ll either look and smile or say hi to him.The way I see it he’s an entrepreneur making a living, enjoying what he is doing and providing tourists with some great stories and photo opportunities when they arrive back home. He’s really harmless and a nice guy. So, if you are ever in the wharf area and see some eucalyptus branches on the sidewalk that look as if they don’t belong there - beware, the bush man. The video above I found on YouTube and is a clip of Mr. bush man in action.
