Bob Filner’s random public drop-ins have inspired a corp of civilian paparazzi.

Since he was sworn in last December, Filner has shown up at so many community gatherings, often unannounced, that it’s spawned a Twitter hashtag — #filnereverywhere — to track his whereabouts and we created a website to compile those tweets.

Many of those breathless sightings include unforgettable photos. We pulled together some of the best photos San Diegans have tweeted since Filner’s inauguration.

The Cycling Mayor

Filner joined some South Park school children for an early morning bike ride on April 22 and like any responsible rider, he wore a helmet. Photo courtesy of Ursula Cunniff.

Filner’s Earth Day Red Carpet

Filner gives some fans a sly look at Earth Fair at Balboa Park on April 21. Meanwhile, a cameraman lurks. Photo courtesy of Gretchen Newsom.

Filner the Organizer

Filner was an early Civil Rights organizer and during the mayoral campaign, he told us he was “genetically programmed” for that activism. He shared that spirit at the Cesar Chavez Day March on April 1. Photo courtesy of Mariana Almaraz.

The Brawler Calls for Civility

Filner was one of the featured speakers at University of San Diego’s Conference On Restoring Civility to Civic Dialogue on Feb. 20. Later that day, he crashed City Attorney Jan Goldsmith’s press conference, resulting in some tense and awkward exchanges . Photo courtesy of Joe LaCava.

Here’s a photo I took of Filner and Goldsmith at that press conference:

Filner Signs Anti-Violence Pledge

In February, dozens of women marched to protest violence against women and girls in downtown San Diego. Filner signed the group’s pledge and he and former Councilwoman Donna Frye marched with the group. Photo courtesy of Jerry Hall.

Filner Crashes Voice of San Diego

We couldn’t resist plugging our own Filner drop-in. The mayor crashed Voice of San Diego‘s office on Feb. 7 and almost immediately headed to CEO Scott Lewis’ office for a photo. Photo by Sara Libby.

The Kid’s Not Impressed

Filner poses with San Diego Free Press writer Brent E. Beltrán after a press conference in Barrio Logan. Beltrán’s son is not pleased. Photo courtesy of Brent E. Beltrán.

Filner Chows Down

Filner donned a kippah to light a menorah at the Chabad Hebrew Academy Hanukkah ceremony on Dec. 12 and enjoyed a jelly doughnut during the ceremony. Photo by Sam Hodgson.

San Diego’s Sleepy Mayor

Days after he was sworn in, Filner fell asleep at one of the two back-to-back school board meetings he attended. Photo courtesy of Lauren Steussy.

Lisa Halverstadt is a reporter at Voice of San Diego. Know of something she should check out? You can contact her directly at lisa.halverstadt@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.325.0528.

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Lisa is a senior investigative reporter digging into San Diego County government and the region’s homelessness, housing, and behavioral health crises.

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