Sign Men

ShriekingSheet

I passed a roundabout today that had a guy standing in the middle of it, dressed in a large sign / advertising hoarding and wearing a cowboy hat. It was for some kids fun day or something. Same deal as the guys in Grafton St holding the sign posts.

Would be interested to know what others think if this kind of thing. For me, I think it's incredibly demeaning for the person, so much so that I can barely look. It's heartbreaking. It struck me far more so seeing it in the suburbs as opposed to city centre. I suppose it's just an awful sight to see a middle aged bloke standing in the middle of a roundabout all day.

Yes, these people choose to do the job, and yes, they may have no employment otherwise, and who am I to judge what is and isn't a dignified line of work. I see the rationale there, but I just can't not be really put out by this.

The background, I assume, is advertising reg / planning law, where you can't just erect a sign, but a person is entitled to stand there. Probably similar to the ads on wheels (old trailers etc) you see. They never move but because they are technically mobile, they are legit.

Anyway, even from a commercial / marketing point of view, I certainly would be put off a business that advertises this way.

Miserable.

wyndham

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

For me, I think it's incredibly demeaning for the person, so much so that I can barely look. It's heartbreaking. It struck me far more so seeing it in the suburbs as opposed to city centre. I suppose it's just an awful sight to see a middle aged bloke standing in the middle of a roundabout all day.

Jesus, don't ever go to India.

SEPT 23 1989

Would you prefer if they sat on their arse unemployed?

fair play to them i say

frag420

It's a sign of the times I guess....

dxhound2005

It's probably one of those water protest people.

WeHaveToGoBack

I know a guy who did it once, twenty quid for standing with a sign for an hour and a free pizza from the advertising establishment; put it this way; I wouldn't have minded doing it :P

jamesbondings

i did it once for some concert....got 100 blips and free tickets. regretted doing it though as i never brought a seat.....

Desolation Of Smug

It gets them their sandwich money.

shruikan2553

How do people get those jobs? I never see an ad in the windows of these places. Shop Street, Galway is full of them. I would just bring a seat and a book with me.

The Diabolical Monocle

shruikan2553 wrote:

How do people get those jobs? I never see an ad in the windows.

They're probably listed as internships/jobsbridge.
Candidate gains experience in mobile portable mass advertizing technologies.

thelad95

I'm from Kilkenny, and there's some law meaning businesses can't have permanent signs up advertising themselves. As a result, local businesses often employ people to hold a sign up for a few hours. I did it once and got €50 and a €25 gift voucher for 5 hours of sitting there with the sign. Not a bad days 'work' I must say.

Eeden

shruikan2553 wrote: »

How do people get those jobs? I never see an ad in the windows of these places. Shop Street, Galway is full of them. I would just bring a seat and a book with me.

They did used to sit and read years ago, but I think some bye-law was brought in saying that they're not allowed to sit anymore.

corner of hells

thelad95 wrote: »

I'm from Kilkenny, and there's some law meaning businesses can't have permanent signs up advertising themselves. As a result, local businesses often employ people to hold a sign up for a few hours. I did it once and got €50 and a €25 gift voucher for 5 hours of sitting there with the sign. Not a bad days 'work' I must say.

Did your sign say you were from Kilkenny ?

Rhyme

Eeden wrote: »

They did used to sit and read years ago, but I think some bye-law was brought in saying that they're not allowed to sit anymore.

I've seen a few different iterations on the sign man, with a few of them being able to sit.

Some of them stand together and have a chat which doesn't seem too bad. Most have earphones in which, if you had something good to listen to (music, book MP3, podcast, educational tapes) the time would fly.

There's a great guy on Henry st. advertising a suit shop, he's always wearing nice suits and moves around his sign chatting with folks and the other sign guys. I mean, he could be a burning cauldron of hatred inside, but on the outside he is personable, kind and a definite boom for the business he works for. I hope he gets paid well for the positive interest he seems to generate.

hfallada

Its a job.You one is forcing them to take it. Some people might find it soul destroying. But having worked retail and dealing with customers BS. I would happily stand with a sign, than deal with customers BS.

Sir Osis of Liver.

Not sure id do it myself but fcuk it,a job is a job.
No room for snobbery when you have mouths to feed.

NachoBusiness

If it has a racist slogan on it, might be to prevent a terrorist attack.

FunLover18

There are a lot more demeaning jobs you could do OP.

ollaetta

Interesting that no-one has taken up on the point that a guy with a sign in the middle of a roundabout is potentially a distraction to motorists and could be the cause of an collision. Some of our drivers are bad enough at roundabouts without also trying to see what some lad in a cowboy hat is advertising.

FunLover18

ollaetta wrote: »

Interesting that no-one has taken up on the point that a guy with a sign in the middle of a roundabout is potentially a distraction to motorists and could be the cause of an collision. Some of our drivers are bad enough at roundabouts without also trying to see what some lad in a cowboy hat is advertising.

Sure there are signs with directions at most roundabouts. If they cause an accident trying to read a sign some lad is holding it's their own fault.

My name is URL

ollaetta wrote: »

Interesting that no-one has taken up on the point that a guy with a sign in the middle of a roundabout is potentially a distraction to motorists and could be the cause of an collision. Some of our drivers are bad enough at roundabouts without also trying to see what some lad in a cowboy hat is advertising.

Someone should tell that to our politicians too

http://i.imgur.com/CyO0vmA.jpg

ollaetta

My name is URL wrote: »

Someone should tell that to our politicians too

http://i.imgur.com/CyO0vmA.jpg

Fair point indeed.

Sky King

I saw the sign, and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign.