Laptop Bob
I ran into Bob on Friday at the Mural Amphitheater stage on my way to a NEDA event that was taking place in the Center House. “So, are you going to take a picture of me taking my picture?” Bob asked.
“Sure, if that’s alright” I replied. Bob had noticed me walking by the stage with my camera, adjusting settings and looking a bit aimlessly for a shot. He was hunched over on the stage delicately adjusting his webcam and microphone, pecking away on his laptop preparing to record himself delivering a few poems for eventual publication on his cable access show. No one was in the audience at the amphitheater but that wasn’t the point; Bob had just missed his latest psych evaluation because of a social worker’s scheduling mix-up and wanted to blow off some steam.
“People call me Laptop Bob” he told me after his reading. Bob is a poet, blogger, and will shoot his next cable access show March 25th at Bop Street Records. (Map: 5219 Ballard Avenue NW) Here’s a short video of Bob reading two of the poems I heard in person.
Bob has been homeless for two years.
He lives life as he wants to, and from what I’ve seen he’s doing a pretty great job.
UPDATE
This post has generated a lot of email, and I think for good reason. Here’s Bob’s take on our exchange. He’s written up a very nice piece.
“When my first book gets published, this will be the photo on the back cover…the Mural Amphitheater is hereby renamed “Serendipity Central” in my world.”
Thanks Bob.
Alex,
Thank you for the kind words and the photographs. As I’ve told you privately, no-one has done a better job of capturing my essence. I’m working on my livejournal entry about our metting, it should be up later tongight. Thanks again.
Just so you know, Laptop Bob is a total fraud.
worried about laptop bob (not the name I knew him by for ten odd years)
The original post, and all other stories I run across, are from 2006. “Fraud” comment is from this year.
Okay, fraud, but alive?
Laptop Bob’s not a fraud and near as I can tell he’s alive having posted elsewhere online Dec. 17th + 18th. Then again who knows? Much can happen in the space of ten or eleven days. I haven’t had chance to speak to him in awhile though, hope he’s doing well.
Thanks for the update Ravdoss.
Why homeless and where is his next of kin?
I’m not sure where Bob’s family is. From what I gathered part of Bob’s lifestyle is choice, part of it is determined by mental health issues and troubles holding down a job. That was back in 2006, I’m not sure what’s up with Bob today.
A very peculiar character….with all due respect he must have been a hippy reverting to his own lifestyle after ages I presume !
@ Alex et al…
I hadn’t planned on stopping back this way but just to update… Bob has a brother living in WA but not in Seattle. They don’t communicate much which I think has more to do with his brother not accepting his choice of lifestyle. That said he does have friends both homeless and not homeless in Seattle to lean on so he’s not alone.
The issues he had in 2006 still remain for him today. Thankfully he’s got his wits about him and Seattle has been good to him. I got a message from Bob last night (after not hearing from him in months) that he’s doing good. He’s without a working laptop right now so his internet access is limited but I hope to be in touch with him soon.
You are entitled to think whatever you like about “Laptop Bob” but the truth of the matter is that he is a Fraud and a Con Man and very good at it. There is a long list of people here in Seattle who Bob has lied to, taken advantage of, stolen from, conned, destroyed the property of, and abused. Bob has become known to some of the people of Seattle for doing this which is why he burns through people so often, especially when they figure him out for what he is. Most people suspect his claims of mental illness are a Ruse, and he is merely a lazy Bum who chooses to leech off the people who buy into his persona instead of working and being a productive member of Society.
I suspect some of the people commenting here know Laptop Bob only from his Internet persona and do not know the real him. Bob is very good at constructing an image of himself and he is intelligent and articulate enough to con people into believing he is something he is not. This is often to obtain money or a place to stay. I personally watched him destroy the life of a beautiful and talented young man who allowed Bob to get close to him. As a result, this Angel is no longer of this world. I trust the Drunk or Drug addicted folks who roam the streets of Seattle more than I do Laptop Bob. At least they do not hide what they really are. Bob is a Snake. You have been warned.
I am Laptop Bobs niece, and came across this page by accident. For those wondering, Bob does have family, we are all in washington. Bob has chosen to live this way, despite my father (his brother), mother and many of us reaching out to help him numerous times. We have done interventions, my parents have rushed to his side during all medical emergencies. It has been hard for all of us to understand why he wants to live this way, But he is a grown man, and is living the way he chooses. This is clearly not the life we all thought he would be living. For those wondering, he is alive, and is still in seattle. Living in his van. For those who say he is a fraud, and a con man, I am sorry if he has wronged you. I am sorry that his actions and choices in life have personally affected you. Just know that we (the Family) all wish things were different.
@RA wrote:
“There is a long list of people here in Seattle who Bob has lied to, taken advantage of, stolen from, conned, destroyed the property of, and abused.”
Isn’t it interesting, this internet that affords people the ability to make wildly unsubstantiated claims, allegations and outright disparagement of others? From attacks launched at business entities to celebrities, from pseudo celebs to school ground bullies (and sometimes their parents)… the relative anonymity has spawned forth an unprecedented amount of vitriolic spite filled rants.
Rants from individuals who would *never* address those they rant about – directly.
Not to be completely dismissive of your claims RA, but I’ve seen all kinds of negative spew online that turned out to be wholly false on closer inspection. With regard to your claims in particular, the theft and destruction of property are easily criminal offenses which means Bob should’ve been incarcerated by the Seattle PD.
Now, if anyone out there knows Bob’s birth date… I’d be more than happy to run a criminal background check and we can see if RA’s allegations have any merit. Bob’s niece? anyone? If Bob is so very terrible let’s do more than make winded accusations and lower ourselves to name calling … let us see truth!
@RA wrote:
“I personally watched him destroy the life of a beautiful and talented young man who allowed Bob to get close to him. As a result, this Angel is no longer of this world.”
Now that’s huge, I mean really huge or is it little more than hyperbole? Taken literally, RA “watched” someone’s life get destroyed first hand and did nothing about it. If the words of RA are to be believed, wouldn’t standing around watching something criminal (but doing nothing to stop it) count as being an unwitting accomplice of it? Perhaps not but you’d think if someone has a chance to stop something bad they’d step up and take it.
Oh but then that takes something more, a certain proactive nature, a certain gumption. I guess it’s much easier to muster that from behind a keyboard. No proof needed, just a flurry of keystrokes to make one look like they’re doing something when in reality… they’ve done nothing at all. Now I think Bob may have done something to tick RA off, clearly possible. However, a singular incident (or two, I’ll be generous) does NOT necessarily make someone as heinous as commentary posted here suggests.
It’s all too easy to forget that, in this realm of ones and zeros, anything and everything can be said but very little (if any of it) bears the truth.
Hi Alex,
First of all, I apologize for the waste of bandwidth. I am somewhat… humoured by the fact that someone-no, two someones-took the time to slander me here. But since they did, and my brother Ravdoss has used his valuable time to defend me in absentia, I feel I should respond before I give you a quick update.
I have nothing to say about the fraud allegation since the poster did not leave a name or any clue as to its identity. “RA”, on the other hand, is a person called Richard Andrews. Oh, how I wish I was at a point in my life where I like ripping people new ass*oles. This guy is a complete gutter snipe…oops, sorry. Here are two links that I’ll leave as my only other comment on the matter. The first is a livejournal post of mine about my friend, Todd Kennemer. The second is an excerpt from an e-mail I received a short time after Todds death. The similarity of the tone and wording of the letter is I think enough to identify “RA” as Andrews.
http://chaosinorder.livejournal.com/86614.html
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BUTProjuAVDm0z_RRJdLAK41oscYeN1BLZW_dPmJMjU/edit?hl=en_US
That’s not real fun stuff for me to rehash, so I think I’ll do that update when I don’t feel like throwing up.
BTW, March 13th, 1957. I’d be interested to know what anybody can dig up on me:)
All my best
LB
I could honestly say this is the funny shit I’ve ever seen. Whom ever actually knows laptopbob, they’d know he’s one of the most harmless people in the world. A criminal, anyone who says they’ve never committed a crime is a liar, Lapopbob is NOT in any way a con-man or a fraud. Those who think differently are have either never met him, or they need to go in for a mental health evaluation.