Richard Rrby is the Tallahassee string bikini bicycle guy. He rides his bicycle along Appalachee Parkway and Lafeyette Street wearing nothing but long white socks, loafers and a thong.
A lot of people thought he was an exhibitionist or a weirdo. On May 6, 1972, Richard was a 17 year old kid in Orlando when he was hit by a car. He spent 11 months in a coma, after which he had to learn how to walk and talk again. He remains disabled and, it turns out, completely unaware of his local celebrity status.
According to this wonderful story in the Tallahassee Democrat, Richard wears a thong because it's comfortable and he simply doesn't realize his appearance makes people uncomfortable.
Reporter Brian Ramos happened to meet up with Rrby because Rrby was walking -- his bicycle is broken down. The Classy Tallahassee Bikini Bicyclist Fan Club on Facebook has over 3,000 members, some of whom plan to meet with Richard and raise money to help him buy a new bike.
Ramos's article is a sweet story about how Rrby retains his mobility in spite of disability, and it's heartening to see that Rrby's Facebook fan page is about celebrating his mobility and individuality.
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Wow. And I worry about showing even a hint of butt crack when I'm riding... I even just posted about it! That is one groovy dude. Nice post, Fritz.
ReplyDeleteI read the story linked in, and no thong... just a bikini bottom. Cool story, though.
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