Homeless Guy @ South 1st and Ben White

Mr.Wizard

Mr.Wizard

1,000+ Posts
I think he was known as the "gnome" or other similar names.

He was the very big man, who wore hoodies(in all types of weather), jeans, and a giant beard.

Had a couple of shopping carts covered with blue tarp, was always at the bus stop near South 1st and Ben White.

Apparently he passed away, as a memorial is now set up at the bus stop and his shopping carts are gone.

Anyone know what happened?

He was a fixture in South Austin for quite a long time.
 
When I lived on S. First, my roommate took him to that 7 Eleven on the corner and bought him a couple of sandwiches a few times.

I always wondered what his story was.

RIP
 
for some reason, this makes me very sad. i didn't know anything about that man, except that he would be in that area when i drove thruogh. he was like a fixture of south austin.

i'd like to know his story, but i imagine we'll never know it.
 
Damn. Yeah, that guy certainly was a fixture. I don't recall him ever pandhandling or bothering people. Sucks to hear of his passing.
 
I dont know of that guy but it still sucks to hear about.

My favorite guy in college was the man at slaughter and 35. He flashed the peace sign to each car as they drove by. Is he still there.

My new favorite is a lady with one leg cut off at the hip. Her sign says "on my last leg". She is usually around parmer and lamar.
 
Didn't he hang around with the dude with the drum sticks? I used to work up the street from that bus stop. Drove by them every day for years. That sucks.
 
image_6649895.jpg


statesman
 
On a sidenote, it amazes me how long someone can live on the streets. Other than the odd handout every once in a while and if they don't panhandle all that much, do they eat out of dumpsters? What about water?
Extremely sad story though...
 
I was at Texas in the mid-90's. Anyone remember that lady that used to hang out around the drag that would walk around with a stick with branches? Looked like she was water-dousing or something.
 
I drove past the bus stop today, a lot more flowers now.

It is quite an interesting thing, a plaster body-cast which looks just like the guy. Head slumped forward with hood pulled low, 3 shopping carts are parked nearby.

It is eerie how much it seems like he is just sitting there.
 
stuff like this is why i love Austin and have called it home in the 27 years of my life.

texasflag.gif
 
Wow that turned from a sad story into an awesome story. I mean come on...some people feed the homeless, others take them into their homes and take care of them. That's incredible.

We lived right down the street and always wondered what that guy's story was, and now it's great that he's better off now. Or at least until he decides to leave.....but dude, watching sci-fi movies and drinking coffee all day.

Sweet.
 
thanks for the update benson, and yea anyone that beats an old homeless man like needs to burn in hell
mad.gif
 
As a longtime South Austin resident (well, Kyle since December), I referred to him as Santa Claus at first, then took to calling him The Survivor. That dude could stand anything. The harsh elements, life on the street, and yes, the unwarranted cruelty of his fellow man.

I used to give the guy a new blanket and tarp every winter. Sometimes he would get suspicious or anxious if you approached him directly, so I would drop blankets and whatnot into one of his carts. I would occasionally see him eating breakfast at the Taco Cabana on Ben White near Manchaca.

One morning inside the TC, a bunch of young fratty-looking dickheads were giving him a bunch of **** as he sat and ate. They didn't realize that he was deaf, and started getting louder with their "get a job, you ******* bum" and "just go die , you waste of space" taunts. Luckily before I got up and confronted these idiots alone, the manager of the Taco Cabana had heard what was going on and had had enough. He asked the young "men" to leave and they copped an attitude. Everything in that place kind of came to a stop and everyone of us in there having our breakfast stared those guys down until they left. All of us in that place knew that he never hit anyone up for money and never bothered anyone.

For the record, I never saw him panhandle or hold up a sign. The dude scavenged, foraged, and relied on the kindness of his South Austin neighbors. There are a lot of people who helped look after him, especially the guys at the Fire Station on South First just south of Ben White. It sickens me to hear that Jerry endured regular beatings, but I'm glad to hear that someone is providing a better home for him. Here's hoping that he has a better life.
 
I knew a guy that used to hang around 2222 and Lamar. He was - legitimately - taking prescription drugs. He had some arthritus-like condition in his legs that wasn't arthritis, I forget the name of it. He said he got beat up / held-up at knifepoint by other homeless guys who just wanted to get addicted to the stuff so much he just stopped taking it. Never could get the police to help him out with that although they were more than obliging enough to write him tickets for loitering or sleeping in public places (= by the side of an abandoned service station).
 
Drove by him pretty much every day for a year (worked just south of ben white off south first)

Homeboy would be wearing multiple layers of clothes and that huge winter jacket in 100 degree heat. I don't know how or why he did it, but it must have been toasty.
 
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