police pulled man on over route 29 in silver spring last week because of problem plates. not ordinarily make international news, car black lamborghini, license plate batman symbol, , driver batman, dressed head-to-toe in full superhero regalia.
holy moving violation!
didn’t take long before images of dark knight’s encounter law enforcement began turning everywhere washington post cnn london tabloids.
jokers emerged instantaneously too. “let him job,” 1 commenter urged on post web site. “batman has expensive taste,” noted another. meanwhile, questions batman’s identity mounted: “did make him take off mask?” asked.
no, did not. montgomery county police honor superhero code of conduct, howard county officers once helped him flat bat tire. batman told officers real name not bruce wayne lenny b. robinson, , real tags in car. (he not ticketed then, has been before heavy bat foot.)
caped crusader businessman baltimore county visits sick children in hospitals, handing out batman paraphernalia up-and-coming superheros first need beat cancer , other wretched diseases.
know batman. parents dear friends of wife’s family, , see him @ holiday dinners 4-year-old son believes real-life bruce wayne. “daddy, he’s batman, too,” son whisper me. though batman has long been aware i’m journalist, has never suggested write him. not crave publicity. comic book namesake, doesn’t seek credit does.
“i’m doing kids,” says.
in light of him going viral — “gotham city on verge of chaos,” anderson cooper informed cnn viewers — asked him whether unveil man behind mask. acquiesced suggested accompanying him cancer ward @ children’s national medical center in northwest washington superhero party thrown hope henry organization.
on monday, pulled in black lambo yellow batman symbols on doors, floor mats, headrests — pretty everywhere — , dressed in heavy leather , neoprene uniform bought professional costume maker.
carried 2 large bags of batman books, rubber batman symbol bracelets , various other toys front desk, check-in attendant asked him name.
“batman,” said.
lenny b. robinson , wonder woman (leslie vincent cast of thousands) visit patients @ annual hope henry superhero celebration @ georgetown university hospital. (allen goldberg) camera phones snapping. man in line said, “that’s guy got pulled over.” asked robin was, , batman replied, “home studying sats.”
check-in attendant asked identification. batman said in batmobile. check-in attendant, doing job, asked real name. “lenny,” announced. “b, in batman. robinson.”
took batman approximately 20 minutes reach elevators. stopped hand out batman toys every child saw, picking them pictures, asking them how feeling. laton dicks snapped photo of batman standing behind son deleon in wheelchair. she’d recognized batmobile on way in hospital. else, she’d seen tv report on him being stopped speeding , protested, “you can’t pull on batman.”
when batman reached elevator slow ride cancer ward, see face sweating behind mask. told me loses 5 6 pounds in water weight when wears superhero uniform. paid $5,000 it. spends $25,000 year of own money on batman toys , memorabilia. signs every book, hat, t-shirt , backpack hands out — batman.
batman 48. self-made success , has bank account prove it. sold, pile of cash, commercial cleaning business started teenager. became interested in batman through son brandon, obsessed caped crusader when little. “i used call him batman,” told me. “his obsession became obsession.”
batman began visiting baltimore area hospitals in 2001, teenage son brandon playing robin. once other hospitals , charities heard car , cape, batman put on superhero speed dial children’s causes around region. visits sick kids @ least couple times month, more often. visits schools, too, talk bullying. not birthday parties.
superhero work limited doing deeds, part of maturation process in own life. in earlier years, acknowledges displayed unsuperhero-like temper , got occasional trouble law. putting on batman uniform changes , steadies him.
lenny b. robinson, a.k.a. batman, behind wheel. (jonathan newton - washington post) “eventually, sinks in , become him,” batman told me. “it feels have responsibility that’s beyond normal person. , responsibility there kids, strong them, , make them smile as can.” understands might sound corny, doesn’t care.
batman stepped off elevator on fourth floor of children’s. spider-man , wonder woman there — both professional actors talent agencies, on clock. picked little boy , said, “i have present you.” shook hands father , handed him yellow rubber batman bracelet, saying, “this bring luck.” father said, “we need luck.”
parents that.
batman asked each child or name. lifted every child. many weak, hair thin chemo. told them, “i have present you.” when little girl ran away, perhaps bit scared, batman said, “that’s story of batman’s love life.” (he divorced.)
batman overheard mother tell toddler going home next day, , holding toddler, , hugging him gently, batman said, “i’m glad feeling better.”
stephanie broadhead of california, md., leaning against wall while 10-year-old daughter claire having face drawn artist. claire has leukemia. batman stopped marvel @ picture , hand claire gifts. “this makes hard thing deal little easier,” claire’s mom said.
superhero visits hospitals let kids kids in scary, adult place, activities indeed therapeutic, too, chief doctor on cancer floor told me.
“these visits provide immediate boost these kids,”said jeffrey dome, oncology division chief @ children’s. “some of these children have stay weeks or months @ time. wears down children , wears down family. have keep morale. visit superhero sort of fantasy in middle of hard-core therapy.”
batman wandered around child child, asked him, “isn’t hard?”
children healthy. children healthy.
“we lucky,” said. “all can very, lucky.”
party began winding down. spider-man changed out of costume. wonder woman changed out of hers. said goodbye batman, still working floor, posed photo patient’s father. father thanked batman , said, “i saw on news — route 29.”
“i think saw me on route 29,” batman acknowledged. asked nurses @ front desk whether there children couldn’t come out of rooms see him.
assured there weren’t, batman headed down batmobile, followed mother of baby girl cancer , healthy 4-year-old son, goal in life @ moment see batmobile. when boy saw car, thought eyeballs going separate body. (batman in process of having just-like-the-movies batmobile built $250,000, it’s not ready yet.)
batman revved engines , blasted audio system — batman theme song. na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, batman! revved engine more. little boy didn’t want goodbye, mom told him, “batman needs go fight bad guys.”
little boy cried.
“i want go him fight bad guys,” said.
mom said, “you need go sister fight cancer.”
batman sped away.
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