I hate to be critical of someone’s profession but what job
satisfaction does a person receive from waving a “Cash for Gold” sign all day
or waving to passersby while wearing a Statue of Liberty costume? I suppose Lady Liberty could be an employee of
the firm who has been chosen to represent out on the sidewalk for a few hours
similar to the Chick-Fil-A cow but the “Cash for Gold” sign waver, on the other
hand, seems to be a whole new job classification.
I have seen these brave, new workers all over
Nashville. The lucky ones get assigned a
corner spot of a busy intersection from which to entice passing motorists. The less fortunate are relegated to a
sidewalk in front of a business where they pace for hours. I have tried on several occasions to snap a
picture of one of these sign wavers with my cell phone as I idle at a red light
but with little success. They are an
elusive lot.
Sign Wavers seem to form into two groups, enthusiastic or
complaisant. It is easy to spot the
enthusiastic. One’s eye is drawn to
their swirling antics. It is a new art
form almost. The enthusiastic sign
wavers are overwhelmingly young men. After
all, a person would need to be strong to keep that board moving constantly for
what? hours? The complaisant ones basically just stand
there with the arrow-shaped board in their hand only moving it when they see a
car approach. You can tell their heart
is not in it. These young men would
rather be home playing video games but they need the cash for a new skate
board. There is, of course, the
occasional old Santa or “Cash for Gold” guy but they are rare. Sign waving is a young man’s game.
As I drive around Nashville and observe sign wavers, I also
ponder their financial situation. How
much are these folks get paid? I assume
they are paid based on the number of hours they wave the sign but do they get a
bonus for being creative in their display?
Do they get an uptick in their pay when customers actual come through
the door of the store they represent? I
am assuming they get the normal benefit of periodic bio breaks or, in the case
of a costumed character, time to go inside and cool off but is that it? What drives a person to a life as a sign
waver? Is it the money alone or the
glory of the performance?
On particularly difficult days when I come home empty-handed
after a sales appointment, I will see a sign waver on the corner and he seems
to be having so much fun. He does not
seem to have a care in the world and I must admit I am jealous of his carefree
lifestyle. If you are reading this and
you are a sign waver, would you give me a call at the number below? I have a lot of questions plus I would like
to take your picture.
