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The Bushman giving a scare

David Johnson also known as the World Famous Bushman, is a busker (street performer) who has been entertaining passers-by along Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco since 1980. His current act began after he tried dressing as a robot but found there were too many others doing the same thing.^[1] Johnson hides behind branches and waits for unsuspecting people to wander by. When they approach, he jumps out and startles them. Crowds gather to watch him work,^[2] often including those he has previously scared.^[1]

Crowds usually watch Johnson in front of Joe's Crab Shack, located across the street from where Johnson usually sits, to see Johnson entertain people.

In a "good year", Johnson claims to earn $60,000.^[3] He employs a bodyguard to protect him against attacks by the unamused, to distract his targets, and to alert him to the approach of elderly people so he can avoid scaring them.^[1]

The police have received a number of complaints about the Bushman, and Fisherman's Wharf merchants have tried to shut him down.^[4] In 2004, he was charged with four misdemeanors, but a jury cleared him. The District Attorney subsequently dropped several remaining public nuisance complaints.^[2]