"Who put canned laughter into my crucifixion scene?" - Charles Simic
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Guy With The Sign
Don't get me wrong: I'm glad this guy has a job.
But, whenever I see one of these guys on the side of the road (there's a guy who puts a little extra verve into his act--swinging his sign around, pointing at cars and singing--at a mini-mall near my house), I become uncomfortable.
I never even notice what they're advertising because two thoughts rush to my mind when I see them:
1) I could never do that.
2) I wonder how that person feels about what they're doing.
I also wonder what the companies and franchise owners think they're accomplishing when they hire people to hold signs. I see more and more roadside sign holders in my area of Cincinnati, so I would guess there was some value in it for the companies. It's just vaguely creepy to me. Something about it seems exploitative, and I have a hard time imagining a person whose ambition in life is to do a job where their biggest competition for promotion is a yard post.
But what do I know?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I feel kind of the same way you do Spencer. I see the person and think about that person and never see who or what they are promoting.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of "Old Gil" from The Simpsons.
ReplyDeleteI recognize your feelings.
ReplyDeleteDoubt those who hold signs are reflecting ambition; probably need.
Scott: the ambition line was tongue-in-cheek. Just venting a visceral response.
ReplyDelete