The Thong is Gone

Richard Irby

Last June I was sitting at an outside table at Jenny’s Lunchbox on Mahan Dr, when he came rolling on by. If you have spent any substantial amount of time in Tallahassee, you have likely run into Richard Irby, better known as Thong Man. Nothing more than shoes, socks, a headband, and a colorful thong is the attire of choice for Thong Man as he rides his bicycle through the streets of Tallahassee. He is completely shaven, except for his hard to reach back, which is thick in dark brown back hair. Like many citizens of Tallahassee, I was shocked when I had my first encounter with the Thong Man. My friend who was sitting with me quickly grabbed her camera to take a quick picture, which was immediately loaded onto Facebook. All the occupants of Jenny’s Lunchbox had their faces smeared up against the windows watching and laughing as well.
Thong man’s favorite Tallahassee roadway to ride on is the dangerous Appalachee Parkway, which leads him to areas of the Capitol buildings and the campus of Florida State University. Motorists somehow manage to not crash as they grab a quick picture on their cell phone, while many yell insults at the man. No matter what someone says, nice or mean, Thong Man simply raises up two fingers, to show the peace sign towards the voice. Thong man has turned into more than just another strange creature from the streets of Tallahassee; he has begun to have a cult like following. His fans created The Classy Tallahassee Bikini Bicyclist Fan Club on Facebook, where there are thousands of subscribers. As well, when Thong Man’s bike broke last June, fans joined together to raise enough money to buy him a new bike. Sadly, all good thong stories have to come to an end. Three Tallahassee residents accused Thong Man of exposing his genitals in late September of last year. A judge ordered Richard Irby to no longer wear thongs will riding through town, in order to not run the risk of having something unwanted fall out again. Thong man is gone for good, but his legend will live on through the hearts of Tallahassee residents.
Above picture obtained from http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/specials/weirdflorida/blog/bikini_bicyclist-thumb.jpg