strange man in black

[GoblinGilmartin]

I was on the Seattle-Bremerton ferry, and i saw a very strange man. He had long light brown hair, round glasses, and was completely dressed in black! he had on a Van helsing-style hat, a wooden cane, and a long black trench coat. And a small blue cross tattoo between his thumb and pointer finger.

I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about his person or people like him. Is he a preist? Exorcist? Wizard? Vampire hunter? Or just a weirdo?

the guy just had a strange vibe around him. anyone know anything about this?

[Moff Chumley]

You're in Seattle. As a long time resident of the San Fransisco Bay Area, I feel comfortable in saying that Pacific coast cities can cultivate weirdos like very few others. :smalltongue:

[Circle of Life]

That... sounds rather like a description of an (excuse me if I use the wrong term, I'm not familiar with the culture) orthodox Jew? You didn't mention a beard, but the rest seems spot on from what I know.

Edit: Aside from the tattoo.

[Tragic_Comedian]

A folk-dancer.

[DeadManSleeping]

A guy.

Seriously, I know someone who dresses like that. Obviously not the same guy, since my guy doesn't have glasses or a tattoo, but otherwise, yeah. He's probably a bit of a nerd is all.

[Moff Chumley]

That... sounds rather like a description of an (excuse me if I use the wrong term, I'm not familiar with the culture) orthodox Jew? You didn't mention a beard, but the rest seems spot on from what I know.

Edit: Aside from the tattoo.

Tattoos are strictly forbidden to orthodox Jews, unless I'm very much mistaken...

[Ravens_cry]

Mastergilgamesh, your weirdness threshold seems awfully low.
Watch 10 episodes of Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo and call me in the morning

[Kris Strife]

Mastergilgamesh, your weirdness threshold seems awfully low.
Watch 10 episodes of Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo and call me in the morning

Are you trying to kill him? :smalltongue:

5 episodes of Excel Saga will be plenty. :smallbiggrin:

[arguskos]

That dude was like this (http://www.johnnywander.com/comics/221) dude, just heading about his day and lookin' sharp while he does. Enjoy the scenery change and roll with it. :smallcool:

[Worira]

Yeah he's probably a wizard

[Ravens_cry]

Are you trying to kill him? :smalltongue:

5 episodes of Excel Saga will be plenty. :smallbiggrin:
At least he'll die happy.

[Seffbasilisk]

Describe the tattoo in further detail if you can. Was it a solid cross? Was it a celtic cross? An ornate outline, with runic hatching within? Was it a series of outlines getting smaller as it goes further inward, like a portal?

[Eldan]

Did his cane have any runes on it, or was it more the kind that contains a sword or unfolds into a sniper rifle?

[shawnhcorey]

Did he have a beard? If not, he's OK. If so, run! (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BeardOfEvil)

[IonDragon]

Clearly it's someone in Hellsing cosplay. http://fanchaos.com/fanplusfriend/c2/Hellsing_Cosplay_Alucard_Jacket_C00283_01.jpg

[Worlok]

Did he have a beard? If not, he's OK. If so, run!
Hey, now! Judging from OP's description that guy is practically me sans goatee. You wouldn't want to imply that I'm evil, would you? Because people doing that has a way of making me sooo mad... :smallamused:

[Juggling Goth]

Did he have facial features? Was he Slender?

[LaZodiac]

Ask your local news dipository if they have any weird news stories they arne't going to run, like some crazy dudes proclaiming to have seen extra terrastrials and the like. You may of just met a legit MIB.

[GoblinGilmartin]

Some clarifications.
the man did not have beard, his cane was pretty natural looking (like someone took a stick and added a cap to the bottom) and more specifically, what he was wearing was like a three piece suit, but all black, with the trench coat over it and the hat.

He wasnt wearing as many buckles as people are thinking, but he did have some pretty bitchin' boots.

I'd say he was in his early forties. Kinda...husky i'd say? the guy had some pretty wild eyes. may not have blinked much, i cant remember...

and his tattoo was so faint i could hardly see it. It looked like a small, light blue cross.

And it isnt like i'm trying to hunt this specific guy down, i'm just trying to find out about people like him.

[zeratul]

I was on the Seattle-Bremerton ferry, and i saw a very strange man. He had long light brown hair, round glasses, and was completely dressed in black! he had on a Van helsing-style hat, a wooden cane, and a long black trench coat. And a small blue cross tattoo between his thumb and pointer finger.

I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about his person or people like him. Is he a preist? Exorcist? Wizard? Vampire hunter? Or just a weirdo?

the guy just had a strange vibe around him. anyone know anything about this?

.....You mean goths? just go to wikipedia if you want to learn about them :smalltongue:.

About half of that description ( long light brown hair, dressed all in black, trench coat) describes me pretty well on a fair amount of days, and its not all that odd to see people in that style wearing those vanhellsingish hats or bearing canes, those glasses are rather common as well.

[Eldan]

Yeah, all jokes aside: a dude in a black suit, with a hat. What's so special about that? I mean, true, hats aren't à la mode anymore in mainstream society, but not that rare, are they?

[Orzel]

Pfft. As a New Yorker, that guy wouldn't register on my weird-dar.
I saw a guy with an eye-patch, a sachel, and a wooden stick of his height get on a bus two hours ago.

I don't know the natural stange level of Seattle though.

[Heliomance]

Sounds like a pretty sharp dresser actually. I'mma join with the people saying "it's just a guy".

I've dressed similarly on occasion.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Alternate theory: the guy is an Orthodox Jew from the former USSR. Really light blue cross sounds a lot like a Russian prison tattoo. Both the ink (light blue) and the location (back of the hand). Of course question remains why he'd be in a high-security jail in the first place, but still.

[Adlan]

Alternate theory: the guy is an Orthodox Jew from the former USSR. Really light blue cross sounds a lot like a Russian prison tattoo. Both the ink (light blue) and the location (back of the hand). Of course question remains why he'd be in a high-security jail in the first place, but still.


There are Jewish 'mafias'. But I don't think They get inked. But orthodox Jewish clothes are also traditional russian wear (quite antiquated).

[GoblinGilmartin]

I will reiterate. black three piece suit. black shirt, black vest, black tie, black pants, awesome black boots.
and from what i can tell, a cross tattoo on the hand denotes christian faith.

[Don Julio Anejo]

There are Jewish 'mafias'. But I don't think They get inked. But orthodox Jewish clothes are also traditional russian wear (quite antiquated).
In Russia it's more a jail rite of passage to get ink (i.e. denoting the length of your sentence and what you were convicted of). Nothing to do with the faith itself. By the same logic:


I will reiterate. black three piece suit. black shirt, black vest, black tie, black pants, awesome black boots.
and from what i can tell, a cross tattoo on the hand denotes christian faith.
A cross can mean something completely different, like "armed robbery." Although I've never really interacted with an ex-con so I have no idea how much of that is true.

Also, I've honestly never heard of Christians per se getting cross tattoos for the hell of it. Wearing crucifixes? Yes. Sewing them into their clothing? Yes. Ink? Leave that for the bikers.

[WampaX]

I will reiterate. black three piece suit. black shirt, black vest, black tie, black pants, awesome black boots.
and from what i can tell, a cross tattoo on the hand denotes christian faith.

Its not a cross, its an X . . .

Great,
now I have to send out the cleaners.
They're usually better about not being noticed.

[mootoall]

Did he have tiger's blood? How about Adonis DNA? If so, he my well have been a warlock. Was there a lot of winning going on around his general vicinity?

[Winter_Wolf]

Did he have tiger's blood? How about Adonis DNA? If so, he my well have been a warlock. Was there a lot of winning going on around his general vicinity?

You made me chuckle with that.

The guy sounds like a person who thinks that dressing that way is fashionable. I'd dress that way if I could find a hat that I liked and it wasn't like thirty degrees warmer than hell around here these days.

And if that guy's weird for Seattle, it would be only because he's not wearing Birks and acting all granola.

[GoblinGilmartin]

"acting all granola"?:smallconfused:

[Admiral Squish]

Saw an old dude in a restromm yesterday. I think he was blond oricinally, but the top of his head was completely bald, and he'd dyed all the remaining hair and his beard bright green and braided them. We have the most AWESOME hippies here.

[Juggling Goth]

Also, I've honestly never heard of Christians per se getting cross tattoos for the hell of it. Wearing crucifixes? Yes. Sewing them into their clothing? Yes. Ink? Leave that for the bikers.

Nah, I was at university with a Christian girl with a giant, gorgeous Celtic cross on her back. It was a lot better done than this one sounds, though.

[The Succubus]

Nah, I was at university with a Christian girl with a giant, gorgeous Celtic cross on her back. It was a lot better done than this one sounds, though.

How did she manage to smuggle a giant into university? Also, was the cross on her back or the giant's? :smallconfused:

...

Was it our Giant? :smallsmile:

[Jack Squat]

"acting all granola"?:smallconfused:

Basically being a hippy minus the drugs and tye-dye.

[Winter_Wolf]

What Jack Squat said. It was a really common saying at my university.

[Lycan 01]

I'd have gone up and asked where he got the hat. :smallbiggrin:

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

I'd have gone up and asked where he got the hat. :smallbiggrin:

dye your avatar black, Lycan, and there's our 'mystery man'
I scarcely look twice when a zombie walks onto the bus, so this is normal for me. Generally, if a pack of zombies get on a bus, it's because some movie just wrapped up shooting nearby.

[RandomNPC]

dye your avatar black, Lycan, and there's our 'mystery man'
I scarcely look twice when a zombie walks onto the bus, so this is normal for me. Generally, if a pack of zombies get on a bus, it's because some movie just wrapped up shooting nearby.

I would have so many problems with my "Smash the zommies" reactions.... I'd be on a first name basis with the prison guards for so many accidental assaults. One can never be to sure.

[rogueboy]

As someone who grew up just outside of Seattle, I'm going to add my vote to the "not actually that weird" group. Not exactly typical, but I knew a couple people like that at my high school, and my senior class was 40 people. Yes, I went to a tiny school.

Also, the description sounds only vaguely reminiscent of what an orthodox Jew would wear: "all black with a hat". As was mentioned by Moff, tattoos are expressly forbidden in orthodox Judaism. Also, the lack of beard is a pretty solid giveaway (of not being orthodox, that is). I say this having been raised as a reform Jew and knowing several Hasidic (branch of orthodox Judaism) rabbis through my college years.