True, most times he’ll just spout off leud or homophobic comments sung to the tune of Batman as you walk by. And other times he’ll get so wasted on the sidewalk across the street from your house that he starts talking Tea Party nonsense, or he’ll climb inside Yoko-Ono’s window. But sometimes, just sometimes, he offers you a pizza when you really need a pizza.
For a little bit of the back story behind the craziness, Omer is 50 years old and comes from San Diego and lives in one of the SROs on Mission Street. I had a rather lucid conversation with him one time and it sounds like he is on disability and has been getting cancer treatments at SF General periodically.
I guess I just see him as another struggling member of the Mission community. I find him ironically less annoying that all the bridge-and-tunnelers that come to our neighborhood to vomit on the streets every Fri and Sat night. He’s certainly been here a hell of alot longer than most of the folks reading this blog (including myself).
I have seen dude around for many years.
If being around the Mission a long time let you off the hook for being an annoying asshole, I would have a lot more friends than I do.
Even more annoying are the spoiled 20-somethings that don’t work for a living and contribute to the gentrification of Valencia Street – it used to actually be an awesome funky place before all the little kitschy boutique shops and uptight coffee nazis mowed down it’s soul.
Oh well, at least we’ve still got Mission (except for “La Lengua”, which is currently being raped by whitey).
- Whitey
Blah blah blah.
you understand so little but you talk so very much.
SECOND THAT! greenlight on Dr Douchebag.
Whitey: Yes, he IS more annoying.
‘cranky’ can be endearing, but you’re just a pathetic asshole with a keyboard and a point and shoot for a friend.
While you have…?
He looks like a miniature David Lee Roth! Panama!
Best name I’ve ever heard for him is “Bum Jovi”
He also has an amazing Yelp page:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/omer-travers-san-francisco
Didn’t the dudes at Different Fur record some of his songs back when he could play more than the same three chords? I remember McGuirk giving me a copy sometime in the late 90s and it was kind of rad!
You should here is version of “Blackbird” substituting all the lyrics with “Fuck You.” I heard the whole version over lunch once at the old Saigon Saigon (this was well before C. Lo Green).
Oh man do I miss Saigon Saigon, that place was soooo good.
Omer is a nice person who- in lucid moments- remembers my name and always thanks me for art supplies. He also sings Christmas carols out of season, which I like.
The guy is sick and really frightened Yoko and Sean. Keep that in mind.
duly noted, but, that was 25 years ago, and although he burgled them, he didnt hurt anyone. the mentally ill are more often the victims of violent crime than the perpetrators.
That’s actually a pretty significant upside for most sane people.
20 years ago he was not raving. He was more or less sober. He did busk a little but was not very good. Over the years he’s gotten weirder. He appears to me to be a smack addict.
who says ‘smack’? I haven’t booted horse since the 70s.
I’ve always referred to this guy as David Lee Crack Rock.