Light Within: The Zip Code Guy

The Zip Code Guy
Sunday, 26 October 2008

Tags: Entertainment, Zip Code Man, Fun, Art, Owais Mughal

In Boulder, Colorado there is a very famous walking district called the Pearl Street. It is an experience of its own kind to walk through five blocks of Pearl Street. Street performers from all over the country come here, gather people around and show their talents or tricks. They proudly call themselves to be part of an institution called the 'Street Theatre'.

I've seen amazing feats performed by these seemingly unknown performers. I've seen them riding bikes on a rope, throwing a card by hand (1 card from the peck) without folding it, to the roof of a building. My favourite performance to date however, remains as the one given by the Zip Code Guy.

This guy knows each and every postal (ZIP) code around the world and also knows some famous attractions in each and every ZIP code area around the world. If you tell him your Zip code, he will tell you the city you are from, will talk to you in your native language (only a few words, of course) and will also tell you the local attractions of your area. He told a lady that she was from Kieve, Ukraine. Another one from Rutgers, Holland, one from Denmark, Japan etc.

I was however, still not impressed so to test him, I raised my hand and told him that I am from Postal Code 75950. And Ka-Boom!!!!These were his exact words" My friend you are from Pakistan, and a city called Karachi and a place called Federal-B-Area in Karachi". He was right. Federal-B-Area Karachi is where I grew up and the postal code there is indeed 75950. Then he asked me in Urdu "aap kaisay haiN?".

The people around me and myslelf were just dumbfounded. It was very impressive. Then he asked Zip codes at random of 25 street people. And then by pointing to each one of them he recalled correctly their zip codes, their cities and some attractions in their area like famous restaurants etc.

At the end of the show, he asked for voluntary donations by saying "Pay me or I know where you live". A roar of laughter went in the air from the crowd and everyone paid him some amount.

The home page of the Zip Code Man: http://www.zipcodeman.com

Update: Zip Code Man is writing a book titled "The Story of the Zipcodeman" that is coming out by this winter. This book will tell us how he became the Zipcodeman.

Labels: Owais Mughal

posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, October 26, 2008,

10 Comments:

At 9:27 AM PKT, chosha said...: I LOVE street performers! Five whole blocks of them sounds like a great sunny day out.
At 1:26 PM PKT, Anonymous said...: This is amazing! Best, rama
At 2:45 PM PKT, Sidhusaaheb said...: And to think that I often can't even remember the postal code of the place where I live... :D
At 7:17 PM PKT, Alina said...: Interesting guy! Especially since I really have no idea which is the code of the area I live in (all codes in Romania were changed a few years ago and the postal office has an online tool helping you to determine your code, therefore I never needed to actually know it).
At 8:19 PM PKT, Anonymous said...: LOL Wow, I've seen this guy too (I live only 20 minutes away from Boulder)... It's a small world, isn't it, Shirazi? :-D
At 10:12 PM PKT, Anonymous said...: I am already looking forward to reading the book Owais. You have to tell us when it is out!

~Attu~
At 4:40 AM PKT, irving said...: Just Amazing! No doubt he has a photogaphic memory and read all the worlds zip code books, plus guides to all the hot spots in each place. What a guy.

I can just see the look on your face lol

Ya Haqq!
At 2:25 AM PKT, Rose said...: I wondered what our community would look like here in St. Louis with street performers. That's doesn't happen in my home town.
At 10:56 PM PKST, henry james said...: I live about a half hour outside of Boulder Colorado and I have seen "The Zip Code Man" on quite a few occasions on Pearl Street. I also just happen to catch his crew with him one day a couple blocks away from where he does his act. By his crew I am referring to the two other men with laptop computers that sit quietly in nearby sitting areas with ear pieces listening to him repeat the zip codes outloud so they can then use WIFI internet to zero in on where the zip code locations are. So by the tail end of the act, they retrieve the zip codes and relay those locations to him with a tid bit of extra info to make the unsuspecting sucker in the audience think that he has actually passed through that place while on his worldly travels.

He wears a very small ear piece and a hidden microphone to communicate with his crew. I am not making this up, I really did see his two helpers watching his pile of crap one afternoon while he was off somewhere relieving himself. They were careful not to let all the tourists on Pearl Street see the three of them sitting together, but I decided to stick around and watch the act come together. When the "Zip Code Conman" returned to gather his junk, him and his two associates had a brief chat and they split up. The two men with the laptops went into quiet sitting areas on either side of Pearl Street and they were careful to sit in positions where random people could not see the computer screens. They both had very visible ear pieces on, I assume communicating with "The Zip Code Conman's" microphone. As soon as he finishes his act and takes a break, the two guys with the laptops instantly stop using the computers and begin people watching. As soon as the next act starts, they are right back glued to their computer screens.

Simple fact, don't believe everything you see. One thing is definite, "The Zip Code Conman" and his crew make a nice load of cash on a summer evening when Pearl Street is crowded. Lots of stupid people give that clown a tip because they are foolish enough to believe that guys bullshit. One nitwit woman actually dropped that guy a $10 bill. RETARD!!!!!!

A word of advice, if you see that conman on the streets, don't give him a dime, don't watch his silly side show and tell him to get a real job instead of being a thief.
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