Bob Hurt waving on 7th and PCH Photo by Randy Baransky
For some of you, Bob Hurt is part of a daily routine. Standing on the corner of PCH and Seventh Street from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Hurt smiles and waves at passing drivers as they inch toward the freeway. But he never leaves.
The story of how Hurt arrived at the intersection is as brief as the exchanges he makes with commuters: He’s learned his lesson with alcohol, he says, but doesn’t offer much beyond this. His son, born at Long Beach Memorial, lives in Arizona; they don’t speak. He also doesn’t speak to his older brother. Now, living under a bridge, Hurt supports two other men—his younger brother and a friend—with what he pulls in standing on Seventh.
Long Beach became home to Hurt at the age of 5, when his father landed a job as an electrical engineer and moved his family from Indiana to California. Memories from his childhood reveal our city’s forgotten history: He remembers getting into dirt-clot fights along the edges of the town dump, which would later be paved over and become Loynes Drive. Daydreaming of one day owning his very own bait-and-tackle shop, Hurt also fished in the city’s channels. And he recalls chasing rabbits in a dusty plot of land not too far from where he stands today. It’s now the Ralphs shopping center.
A genuinely happy, warm, engaging man, Hurt is filled with stories that he is all too happy to share. And while he could certainly use whatever you have to spare, he says, “I know times are hard for everybody. The goal is really just to make people happy!” Don’t worry if you pass by empty handed; wave back, then give when you can. Bob Hurt just wants to make your day. // CAITLIN CUTT
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