New York is well known for its plethora of curious and strange characters and this man is no exception. I present to you the Human carpet. I literally bumped onto ‘Georgio’ at a party in Brooklyn. It was a rusty and dirty auditorium annexed to what seemed to be a church or chapel. Hundreds of people exuberantly dressed as brides and grooms for the ‘Winkel and Balktick Wedding’ party. Underneath the bar, a strange figure laid wrapped under a carpet. He was wearing big black eye googles as to disguise his identity. He urged people to stand on him. Party goers had no other option but to do so if they wanted to order a drink as this man was clearly in their way. It quickly dawned on me this was the famous Human Carpet, a rumor and novelty amongst the nightlife of New York. I reached for my camera, the closest friend and snapped away:

The more people who step on the carpet, particularly if they are women in heels, the happier the man is. Some are timid, others are audacious. Some dance on the man. Some step on him while ordering their drinks, completely unaware that a live body is underfoot. Some just stand there, frozen, looking totally freaked out.

The New York Times has a great article on him, giving you a little insight on this strange man from Malta.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/fashion/14carpet.html?_r=1

You can also see the rest of my ‘Wedding of Winkle and Balktick’ party pictures here.