Carnival Dave’s Ride of a Lifetime
Dave Miller, 62, began his journey in east Cleveland. By the age of 26, he had been through his share of pain from addiction and chose to leave his home to better his lifestyle and challenge himself. He enlisted in the Navy, this being his “ticket out of town.” He started basic training near the Great Lakes in northern Illinois and was eager to work with a team and serve his country; unfortunately, a previous knee injury from childhood prevented him from completing. He moved back home, bouncing from the food industry to construction work, where he stayed steady for 10 years. Then, his life led to a new kind of service: providing fun to the public.
In 1999, he met a man named Mr. Bates, the owner of Bates Amusement. This seemed like the perfect lifestyle for him: he could travel and provide joy for adults and children. He loved working for the carnival and took great pride in his work, setting up rides and making sure the carnival goers were safe and secure by inspecting, testing, and retesting rides as necessary. He enjoyed working with the carnival and his fellow ‘carnies’ and meeting new people. When asked what he liked about the carnival environment, he mentioned the camaraderie there. “I consider us like a family, because like, you're staying next door to somebody else. And you have the wicked uncle. Or the bitchy aunt. You have the mom figure, the dad figure, the uncles and aunts.” What was Dave known as? “Crazy Dave. But that was in a good way,” he said. Year after year the carnival visited the same towns, and kids who didn’t have funds to get in knew they could always rely on “Crazy Dave” to get their tickets. “It’s called the amusement business and amusement means fun,” he said.
Ultimately, he worked 20 years in the carnival business with four different companies: Bates Amusements Inc., Bates Brothers Co., Gambill Amusement Co., Myers Carnival. By the end of it, he realized he had always lived his life providing entertainment to others, yet neglected himself. His stress, depression, mental, and emotional struggles piled up. He knew he wanted a change, and Dave was ready to settle down and get his own life under wraps. But, this would prove a challenge. After moving to Wheeling in 2006, he didn’t initially have a place to land. He bounced from shelter to shelter and from tent to tent. He finally secured an apartment in South Wheeling in 2017, but this was after seven years on the streets.
Much like a carnival ride, his life has been full of the unexpected, dipping into high points and low points. Yet, he recognizes this as a part of the human experience. “I don't think I've ever been on a straight path my whole life. I have my ups and downs, I think just like anybody else,” he said. Dave now sells the Mustard Seed Mountain street paper at local events and replenishes stock at Mugshots, a coffee shop on Main St. in downtown Wheeling. As much as ever, Dave loves making a new friend, so if you ever see him (usually garbed with Cleveland Brown merch) say hello and grab a paper.