Does your town have costumed people with signs by the road?

justam wrote:

Heather, I tend to think they wouldn't be doing it if they didn't need whatever it is they are being paid but I worry and wonder about them.

I know, but that is why we have labor laws. People do get desperate and others can take advantage of them without laws. I hope they are at least getting minimum wage. I would bet not. I find that shameful on the part of the employer and personally wouldn't use their services.

People standing on corners with "homeless" signs make more, if these others aren't making minimum wage!

I'm willing to bet that these jobs are obtained through a temp service.

My employer has an employee dress up the last tuesday of the month. 50% off sale storewide. The employee gets their regular wage and they also receive a walmart gift card as incentive to do it. Dress up like a clown and wave a sign. Shop V.O.A. Thrift!!!!

Heatherj43 wrote:

mickeyrat wrote:

I'm willing to bet that these jobs are obtained through a temp service. My employer does this the last tuesday of the month. 50% off sale storewide. The employee gets their regular wage and they also receive a walmart gift card as incentive to do it. Dress up like a clown and wave a sign. Shop V.O.A. Thrift!!!!

Too bad he uses a temp service. If he just hired off the street, he could pay the costumed person more money, cuz he is paying more to the temp service than what the worker is getting! The service takes part of it. Too bad for the person out in costume! That sux! I know around here, it would be easy to just get people off the street at any given time.

Oh no, WE don't don't use temps. We have a regular employee who CHOOSES to go out there. The incentive to do it is the gift card. Still making their regular days pay. In rereading my post I can see where I was confusing.

jimed14 wrote:

Nor Cal sandwich shop ... Mr. Pickles. :?

OMG that's the one in livermore right? that's the first image that popped in my head when i saw the title of this thread

whenever i see these costumed goofballs, i smile.
they must have a tremendous sense of humor.

there are a lot worse jobs.

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

QuarterToTen wrote:

whenever i see these costumed goofballs, i smile.
they must have a tremendous sense of humor.

there are a lot worse jobs.

I like how labor laws, and minimum wage laws, are talked about here...

Can you imagine making THAT phone call?????

"HI, I would like to report a guy down the street from me. He is dressed in a big PICKLE costume, and I am afraid he is an illegal immigrant, who is probably making less than mimimum wage"

from what i can gather, most folks voluntarily stepped inside those costumes.

and whether they are appropriately compensated or not isn't their first concern.
although i'd imagine there are some sorts of laws somewhere addressing injustice to gherkins.

i'd much rather dress as an olive than clean sewers, minimum wage or no minimum wage.

In our town we have two people that dress up who don't actually have to for a job. They make me smile whenever I see them. One lady has incredible matching accessories, she'll be wearing black top and skirt and then put on a pink feather boa, oversized pink glassess, a pink cowboy hat and fairy wings, she'll be wearing a matching pink belt and tights, for example. It must take her ages to get ready in the morning and she is always immaculate. The other lady always has some item relating to America/Statue of Liberty. She was shopping the other day with a grey/green Statue of Liberty dress/robe on, carrying the torch, and wearing the spiky hat. I've also seen her on a number of occasions wearing full outfits made out of the stars and stripes.

I think both people have mental health issues(actually I know this via work), but if it makes them feel happy dressing up that's fine by me. As long as noone takes the piss, which to be honest I've never witnessed.

That actually doesn't relate to advertising anything so I don't know why I'm posting it. I just quite like seeing people dressing up.