SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is full of surprises, and there’s one that will surprise you.
Known as the Bay Area Bushman, he is a local legend that terrifies unsuspecting tourists.
“You never forget when a bush just pops up on the street,” said Cory Barnette, the man behind the bush.
Twice a week, Barnette heads to the boardwalk and dons his vine and bush costume, planting himself in the middle of the action, ready to ambush unsuspecting victims.
“I love a good jump scare,” said Marie Marks, a tourist from Indiana.
“I like to prank people, so I appreciate a good prank.” Cassie Lujan, a Sacramento mother, said she took her children to San Francisco to prank them.
“It’s the ultimate surprise. You have to be on your guard,” she said.
Generally people seem to take it in good humor, although not always. Barnette said a man once threw a cup of hot coffee at him after he was startled.
“It was cool. He came back and apologized,” Barnette said.
The joke is rooted in tradition. When he was just a little boy, Barnette’s father would take him to the Wharf to see the original Bushman, David Johnson, who had been scaring tourists in the same spot since the 1980s.
Two years ago, long after Johnson retired, Barnette, a delivery driver from San Jose, decided to forge a new path and bring the Bushman back to the place where it all began.
It’s hard to say why people seem to enjoy being scared, but Barnette has a theory.
“I think it’s just that adrenaline rush,” he said. “And then you realize it’s just someone dressed as a plant. That’s when the liberation comes.”
He makes his money by sharing his jokes on social media and collecting tips from the people he surprises.
It’s all about bringing people a little joy in these difficult times, he said.
“There’s so much going on in the world and it just gives you an opportunity to laugh,” he said.
