SF's Top Eccentrics - Crank Calls from Omer Travers

By Lauren Smiley

Omer Travers has never reached the level of fame playing his guitar daily on Valencia Street as he did in the ranks of the infamous by breaking into Yoko Ono's New York City apartment back in the 80's. (A big Yoko fan, Travers says he did her a favor by showing her security was sub-par.) But after our interview, he started getting very worried about the ensuing article and turned my voice mailbox into his personal diary.

Though Omer and I had already had some conversations about how he doesn't want to be portrayed as the "cutest bum on Valencia Street," his insecurities started to mount with the news that his SRO was threatening to kick him out.

Then he started to go through some heavy self-image issues.

(More beneath the fold.)

Next came the guilt trip with tears--feigned, we think.

Then Omer brought out the subtle threats.

Next in line: the odd namesakes.

Just when it seemed he couldn't despise me anymore, he had a revelation that perhaps he's been too hard on me.

Post-publication, Omer's mood started improving, and all of a sudden he loves the article. His reference to Howard Stern is him calling the show several times after he broke into Yoko Ono's apartment in the 80's.

Then, he starts getting giddy with his newfound fame, requesting more copies for the Mission so the maximum amount of people can read about him...

Omer's self confidence started going through the roof.

But sadly, the good mood couldn't last. Omer ends up crestfallen by my characterization of his laugh as "demonic."