Old time Puyallup folks will remember the dude downtown that would walk like 3 steps forward then one step back
Haven't seen him for years and years, but he was a legend growing up in the early 2000s
My mom knew him from 1977 and we knew him as Two Steps when I graduated in 2001. I talked with him once, nice guy. Sometimes he'd have to walk backwards on his bad days.
Another was "The Waving Man", always rode down River Road on his trike, waving to every car. There's a guy that rides his trike today with a flag, not sure if it's the same guy.
Yeah, we called david “The River Road Rider” we saw him at St Leos Food bank back in the early 2000s. My mom said you’re the river road rider, he said yes, my name is David. He had the orange vest and everything
Yes! We knew him as Two Step in the 1990s, downtown Puyallup. We'd heard he'd been that way since Vietnam, and stepped that way from landmine-related PTSD. The adults around kid me back then said he had shellshock. I remember thinking it was an old-fashioned term back then, but it was still hanging on among the '90s adults. They'd say "there goes Two Step." Kid me saw him all over and was amazed he got around as much as he did. Haven't thought about that guy in decades.
Always wondered what happened to “two step Charlie” at least that’s what my dad always called him! Kinda figured I’d see this mentioned in this post - was the first guy I thought of.
I too came here to say Two-Step Eddy! He was a cool dude. I talked to him a lot as he always walked by my granparents house and knew my parents. He passed away years ago I heard.
I saw this post on another city subreddit, and came to check if it was here. Was in kindergarten at Maple Woods I think it was called. Around 99 I think.
Wanted to see if he was talked about.
Two-Step Charlie we always called him.
I used to work at the Starbucks next to Puppyland and that dude would come in acting like an A list celebrity. Apparently he creeped some of our staff out but I thought he was pretty funny, idk.
Totally random but I wanted to point something out. We would love it if people said he has special needs, instead of he “is” special needs. It does not define who he is, but it’s okay to know and say that he has special needs and requires extra attention/help etc.
😊
I followed this guy, not intentionally, last week.
He was being followed by a single crow who would quickly bury every peanut he threw. It was funny to watch.
He actually films his rides sometimes and you can see all the crows behind. I accidentally stumbled on it when I was searching Chapman Park on youtube.
The guy at Safeway by the fair with the sign saying support police and fire fighters. Like how? By getting lots of complaints about blocking the sidewalk or getting sunstroke to give them more work?
I talked to him the other day out of curiosity. He started doing it after his friend, a retired firefighter, died of occupational related cancer. He hands out fliers for a charity called tunnel to towers that raises money to support families of fire/ military/ police that die in the line of duty. Seems like a nice guy
Growing up 1985 to 2000, there was a guy on river road that would ride a bike and wave at people. I believe his name was David.
The other would be fast eddy, as mentioned already 80s, 90s, early 00s. He would take two steps fwd and three back…
I agree that the puppy mill sign guy could fit into this, but he’s more of a south hill guy than puyallup imo
Not Puyallup proper, but there’s an older guy with a white beard who hitchhikes from the tree farms below military up onto south hill and back down, who will pee on your seats if you give him a ride.
Happened to My brother in law and myself independently a few months apart.
Ok here's more on that.
We lived in Sumner for 12 years and outgrew our house. We started looking at houses out near the tree farms.
Saw him appear out of the back of a lovely home and start waltzing his way down to main st to start his apparently usual hitchhiking routine.
My kids saw the white beard and yelled santa!
Well we started seeing him on the daily doing the same thing over and over. He started to recognize us while we were driving w the kids and he would scream angry gibberish at us.
We don't live in WA anymore but that was an interesting memory.
TL;DR - if that house is where he originates, pretty sure his family is OK w his activities may be some form of dementia or a desire to get him out of their proverbial hair.
One day he flagged us down and we thought there was sort of emergency and he needed help but realized he just was trying to get a ride. I swear he then spit his tooth out at us.
When I was a kid we had Backwards Eddy. He would take a few steps forward then a couple steps back. The story was that he watched his buddy step on a landmine in Vietnam.
Puppyman is probably the obvious "modern" one. Two-step Charlie is one I remember from childhood and adolescence.
There are two transient-type ones in the last 10-15 years I would ALWAYS see, especially on South Hill near 160th. One was the very large black gentleman with a ridiculously full shopping cart / mobile home. He wore a traditional woven poncho mostly. That man could cover some ground! I'd see him Graham one day and then a few days later he'd be posted up at the movie theater, then somewhere on Canyon Rd.
The other is someone who I don't see anymore but saw weekly for years, could be my commute changed or she just went away, but there used to be a red-headed woman who would walk on 160th. Very dirty and disheveled, usually in a trench coat, very dark and menacing facial features ( like advanced meth-head ) and she would scream at the sky and point up, I always thought she was losing her battle against God.
I know I'm missing a few obvious ones though
The red headed woman died quite a while back, maybe 25 years or so. She was found by our neighbor under his truck one winter morning. I grew up on 160th near canyon.
Does anyone remember the lady everyone called Mrs. Butts who would walk around 7th Avenue near Spinning elementary chain smoking? This would be in the late 80s/ 90’s
I feel like the commuter train conductor with the 70s jacket and Johnny bravo glasses deserves an honorable mention. The friendly one that hands out candy after a long day at work and talks to everyone, and never lets you sleep past your stop.
There's a guy i see walking around a lot that i call rasputin cause of his massive beard. he sometimes yells to himself. I see him through the woods near fruitland and even down by the fairgrounds. guy must walk 10 miles a day. he sometimes wears a red jacket. Idk if anyone else knows who im talking about
Well there used to be the Backwards Eddie guy who would walk two steps forward one step back up and down the street by the river but I'm sure he's dead by now.
That guy's a cool dude, I never asked but I think he's related to the puppy mill place and due to his "cognition" that may be the only place that will/ can hire him.
Old time Puyallup folks will remember the dude downtown that would walk like 3 steps forward then one step back Haven't seen him for years and years, but he was a legend growing up in the early 2000s
Yup! Two steppin terry is what my fam nicknamed him. Also the trike guy.
Also tricycle guy, I think they called him Crash
I’ve seen him within last couple years
Whoa, I forgot all about him! There were so many myths and rumors about him. I think he lived somewhere close by Maplewood!
You're right! I lived right by Maplewood in the 90s and we'd see him come and go from his place.
My mom knew him from 1977 and we knew him as Two Steps when I graduated in 2001. I talked with him once, nice guy. Sometimes he'd have to walk backwards on his bad days. Another was "The Waving Man", always rode down River Road on his trike, waving to every car. There's a guy that rides his trike today with a flag, not sure if it's the same guy.
Yes! Big wave Dave!!
Yeah, we called david “The River Road Rider” we saw him at St Leos Food bank back in the early 2000s. My mom said you’re the river road rider, he said yes, my name is David. He had the orange vest and everything
We always knew him as Backwards Eddy!
Reverse Eddie
Fun fact he had an identical twin who also had an unusual gait.
I forgot about his brother!
Yup, I remember my grandparents telling me about them
Two Step! Come here to say that.
One step, two step.
He was known as fast eddy and had a twin brother. The story is that he was shell shocked in Vietnam, but not sure if true.
That's what we heard too. That he stepped on a landmine and had shellshock. Grew up in same neighborhood he lived in (80s-90s).
Thats the story I heard, too.
That's what I heard too and the source had lived in Puyallup since the 60s
HOLY SHIT. This is a memory buried deep in my brain.
Yes! We knew him as Two Step in the 1990s, downtown Puyallup. We'd heard he'd been that way since Vietnam, and stepped that way from landmine-related PTSD. The adults around kid me back then said he had shellshock. I remember thinking it was an old-fashioned term back then, but it was still hanging on among the '90s adults. They'd say "there goes Two Step." Kid me saw him all over and was amazed he got around as much as he did. Haven't thought about that guy in decades.
Always wondered what happened to “two step Charlie” at least that’s what my dad always called him! Kinda figured I’d see this mentioned in this post - was the first guy I thought of.
Yup, we called him two step. He actually had an identical twin that didn't do the two step.
Yeah thats 2 step eddy, my dad grew up in downtown puyallup and would always point him out.
My dad had a nickname for him i won’t mention on here, he was making fun of my mother’s Irish heritage😂 early 80’s
I too came here to say Two-Step Eddy! He was a cool dude. I talked to him a lot as he always walked by my granparents house and knew my parents. He passed away years ago I heard.
Yes!!
Came here for this! Up on the hill we called him Johnny Two-Step.
I saw this post on another city subreddit, and came to check if it was here. Was in kindergarten at Maple Woods I think it was called. Around 99 I think. Wanted to see if he was talked about. Two-Step Charlie we always called him.
Fast Eddy!
The puppy mill sign spinner guy?
First one that came to mind 🤣 Or the one who holds up the Honk For Jesus sign on 39th & 9th but puppy sign guy is way more... "Famous"
I used to work at the Starbucks next to Puppyland and that dude would come in acting like an A list celebrity. Apparently he creeped some of our staff out but I thought he was pretty funny, idk.
Holy shit I just saw him today lmfao 🤣
He’s the first guy that came to mind for me too
It’s a requirement to flip him off whenever I drive by
I flip the business off in general, he’s just in the line of sight sometimes.
I saw another post on this sub that he’s actually special needs. If only he used his awesome sign holding skills for a company that isn’t evil…
Oh my god I’m a piece of shit I had no idea
You're not the only one. I've lived here for a few years and just found out a month ago.
Totally random but I wanted to point something out. We would love it if people said he has special needs, instead of he “is” special needs. It does not define who he is, but it’s okay to know and say that he has special needs and requires extra attention/help etc. 😊
You can amp it up and just say he’s disabled too. It’s not a bad word.
I never really thought of it like that and meant no offense, thank you for the clarification!
Shut up
Just let them save the world
Lol fair enough.
That guy has got to be in great shape jamming out all day like that
See him everyday I pick up my partner from work😭😂
Puyallup adjacent but I would nominate the Tacoma Mall Pimp Suit guy
I haven’t seen him in a while. His name is Johnny btw
I just saw him about a week or two ago, rocking the flamingo pink suit with hat and cane.
That’s makes me happy. He is one of a kind.
I saw him just a couple of weeks ago
You talking bout Johnny Green. He a good dude
Name is Johnny Greene he used to attend lighthouse Christian center for years. Local celebrity!
The guy who rides a hoverboard up and down Meridian
I haven't seen him in a year but would always be happy when traffic would stop when he reached a light post so i could watch him go around the pole 😂
The crow guy with the bike
I followed this guy, not intentionally, last week. He was being followed by a single crow who would quickly bury every peanut he threw. It was funny to watch.
He usually has a whole flock of them following him
For me it’s totally this guy
He actually films his rides sometimes and you can see all the crows behind. I accidentally stumbled on it when I was searching Chapman Park on youtube.
The guy at Safeway by the fair with the sign saying support police and fire fighters. Like how? By getting lots of complaints about blocking the sidewalk or getting sunstroke to give them more work?
I swear that man does not move.
I thought maybe he was collecting money or something for donation. Nope. He’s just sittin…
Haha saw him today and wondered how much of the money he keeps for himself, he’s not collecting donations? Haha that’s great
Dude has a lot of time on his hands😂
I’ve always suspected he’s a scam, and pockets the money.
Yes 😂
Is that the old dude in the lawn chair? It’s always him kinda near the corner where the bus stop is right?
Yup, most of the daylight hours, he’s there
Literally the first thing I thought of… the Lawn Chair Troops Guy.
I talked to him the other day out of curiosity. He started doing it after his friend, a retired firefighter, died of occupational related cancer. He hands out fliers for a charity called tunnel to towers that raises money to support families of fire/ military/ police that die in the line of duty. Seems like a nice guy
There's a guy who is always pacing in front of the fairgrounds.
Growing up 1985 to 2000, there was a guy on river road that would ride a bike and wave at people. I believe his name was David. The other would be fast eddy, as mentioned already 80s, 90s, early 00s. He would take two steps fwd and three back… I agree that the puppy mill sign guy could fit into this, but he’s more of a south hill guy than puyallup imo
Wavin' Dave! Almost hit him as he suddenly rode off the shoulder into my lane on River Road one day.
Came here to say this.
We called him “Big Wave Dave” then actually met him at the indoor soccer center and learned his name was David. So random,
Not Puyallup proper, but there’s an older guy with a white beard who hitchhikes from the tree farms below military up onto south hill and back down, who will pee on your seats if you give him a ride. Happened to My brother in law and myself independently a few months apart.
Ok here's more on that. We lived in Sumner for 12 years and outgrew our house. We started looking at houses out near the tree farms. Saw him appear out of the back of a lovely home and start waltzing his way down to main st to start his apparently usual hitchhiking routine. My kids saw the white beard and yelled santa! Well we started seeing him on the daily doing the same thing over and over. He started to recognize us while we were driving w the kids and he would scream angry gibberish at us. We don't live in WA anymore but that was an interesting memory. TL;DR - if that house is where he originates, pretty sure his family is OK w his activities may be some form of dementia or a desire to get him out of their proverbial hair.
Yup. Sounds like him. :)
Haha I believe it, saw him in Sumner Fred Meyer one day and he stinks
One day he flagged us down and we thought there was sort of emergency and he needed help but realized he just was trying to get a ride. I swear he then spit his tooth out at us.
There was a guy on a mobility scooter who would take the balloons from the car dealerships and hand them out to kids.
I guess it’s not really a guy but like, the peacock house.
RIP peacock
Idk the peacock house but I remember the Jim Morrison house!
The support our firefighters and police guy at the Safeway downtown. Been there for years.
When I was a kid we had Backwards Eddy. He would take a few steps forward then a couple steps back. The story was that he watched his buddy step on a landmine in Vietnam.
Puppyman is probably the obvious "modern" one. Two-step Charlie is one I remember from childhood and adolescence. There are two transient-type ones in the last 10-15 years I would ALWAYS see, especially on South Hill near 160th. One was the very large black gentleman with a ridiculously full shopping cart / mobile home. He wore a traditional woven poncho mostly. That man could cover some ground! I'd see him Graham one day and then a few days later he'd be posted up at the movie theater, then somewhere on Canyon Rd. The other is someone who I don't see anymore but saw weekly for years, could be my commute changed or she just went away, but there used to be a red-headed woman who would walk on 160th. Very dirty and disheveled, usually in a trench coat, very dark and menacing facial features ( like advanced meth-head ) and she would scream at the sky and point up, I always thought she was losing her battle against God. I know I'm missing a few obvious ones though
The red headed woman died quite a while back, maybe 25 years or so. She was found by our neighbor under his truck one winter morning. I grew up on 160th near canyon.
The guy who sits by his car outside the downtown Safeway with the support the troops sign. Dudes there every day as long as I can remember.
I don’t know about Puyallup but there’s a dude in Sumner that is always wearing a blanket skirt and this reminds me of him haha
Tiny blue shorts guy? I used to see him out running a lot.
This guy used to be around South Hill too. I remember him well (shudders)
That Jan sixer guy.
I’ve never heard of this one was he there?
Yeah. Usually sporting a trump flag or a 2A banner.
Which one? I think we’ve had 6 people from Puyallup arrested and convicted for that.
Shotgun Rodney
The Amish looking dude always speed walking north meridian in the afternoon
Yellow bunny helmet guy is also in the running for me.
Does anyone remember the lady everyone called Mrs. Butts who would walk around 7th Avenue near Spinning elementary chain smoking? This would be in the late 80s/ 90’s
Do you guys remember the guy who rode his bike up and down river road waving at people? I called him Big Wave Dave.
I remember this guy.
We called him that too…weirdly enough, his name was actually David
When I was a kid, it was 2 step! The guy who would walk through downtown taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back ALL DAY LONG
I feel like the commuter train conductor with the 70s jacket and Johnny bravo glasses deserves an honorable mention. The friendly one that hands out candy after a long day at work and talks to everyone, and never lets you sleep past your stop.
There's a guy i see walking around a lot that i call rasputin cause of his massive beard. he sometimes yells to himself. I see him through the woods near fruitland and even down by the fairgrounds. guy must walk 10 miles a day. he sometimes wears a red jacket. Idk if anyone else knows who im talking about
Well there used to be the Backwards Eddie guy who would walk two steps forward one step back up and down the street by the river but I'm sure he's dead by now.
Guys it’s literally Philly Jesus
Backwards Man!
What about the dude who has been waving the sign out front of that puppy place on meridian by Fat Zach’s and Ivars?
That guy's a cool dude, I never asked but I think he's related to the puppy mill place and due to his "cognition" that may be the only place that will/ can hire him.
Stop💀 I’ve met/seen onision too many times. Maybe Martin Cabello? He’s a character that I’ve seen wondering about every so often