I've never understood this phenomenon.

A company pays a guy to stand on the corner and twirl a sign. It's got to pay minimum wage. One of two things always seems to be the case.

1. Because it's minimum wage and sign twirling you're attracting some lazy oaf who stands around and does very little but hold the sign. Why not, in this case, just put out the sign?

2. Even though it's minimum and sign twirling some guy has decided that he is going to be the best damn sign twirler in the country. Why try that hard to twirl a sign for minimum wage when clearly that type of energy should be able to get you something more.

I thought of all this as I was coming back from lunch today and we see this guy sitting on the corner, holding his sign. He wasn't twirling it. He wasn't standing. He was bored out of his mind. Now, we probably have a law that says you can't just put any old sign on a street corner, but put some lazy schlub there holding the sign and everything is A-OK.

My apologies to any current FOFC sign holders. I'm sure you're doing good work.

I've seen some ads in the paper looking for sign twirlers that paid pretty good actually. $9-11/hr. It really doesn't seem like a bad way to spend an afternoon. I know there are worse ways that's for sure. I mean, you get to have a IPod or something to listen to, and the work is pretty mindless.

1. Because it's minimum wage and sign twirling you're attracting some lazy oaf who stands around and does very little but hold the sign. Why not, in this case, just put out the sign?
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I'm pretty sure that putting out a sign might violate a city sign-ordinance; otherwise everyone and their mom would set out signs.

I'm pretty sure that putting out a sign might violate a city sign-ordinance; otherwise everyone and their mom would set out signs.

I'd set out signs about everyone and their mom :cheesy:

I know the couple of times I've done the sign holding bit for a political candidate, I was spending a lot of time twirling it. Mostly, because of a combination of boredom and being cold (November mornings in Minnesota, brrr)

I'd set out signs about everyone and their mom :cheesy:

Then that violates most side ordinances for "Obscene matter" :D

(Are these MILFs??)

Someone was listening to KROQ this morning

Must be something about NJ/NY...I've never seen any sign holder twirling signs.

2. Even though it's minimum and sign twirling some guy has decided that he is going to be the best damn sign twirler in the country. Why try that hard to twirl a sign for minimum wage when clearly that type of energy should be able to get you something more.

My apologies to any current FOFC sign holders. I'm sure you're doing good work.

Hey, Brad, it's probably because most of the sign twirlers I've seen are either drunk, high, or both.

Someone was listening to KROQ this morning
Wow, did Kevin & Bean do something on this? I haven't listened to them since I got Sirius.

Strange, but true.

Actually, those guys get paid pretty well.. I've heard of instances of them making between $15-$20 an hour.

Actually, those guys get paid pretty well.. I've heard of instances of them making between $15-$20 an hour.


But in some places is 15-20 dollars just above the minimum livable wage?

If they paid that much here, I would quit my job as an electronics tech, and take a pay raise!

I also suspect that it's human nature to actually see someone holding a sign whereas it's much easier to not see just a sign. I know that's what happens to me more often than not and visibility is the whole point of advertising.

Well, when Jack in the Box starts at $10, maybe.. but I'll twirl a sign before I scoop fries, I think.

Wow, did Kevin & Bean do something on this? I haven't listened to them since I got Sirius.

Strange, but true.

Well, they had someone call it yesterday because they were laughing at sign twirlers and how stupid of a job it was actually and this guiy called in and said he's a professional sign twirler. So they gave him some free crap to hold a KROQ sign out in front of the Federal building in down near Westwood all morning

this guiy called in and said he's a professional sign twirler.

I don't think this line can be used to pick up chicks.

Guy: "Hey baby, I'm a professional sign twirler"

Girl: "Then twirl off, loser!"