Sign twirlers

[draggar]

There's been this new trend here in the US over the past year or so - sign twirlers.

They're usually kids (teenagers, maybe very low 20s) who are paid to stand out at intersections and twirl signs (for a store, apartments for rent, etc..).

I really hope this is not across the US but the ones who are hired in my area seem to not care about the cars and people walking / biking by them.

Countless times I've seen them hit cars with the signs (accident and deliberate), fling the sign out in front of cars and today was the worst.

Due to my biking path, I had to pass one three times today. The first time he wasn't paying attention and missed by face by a few feet. The second time he was looking right at me and flung the sign right on my face, almost hitting me again. The third time he didn't seem to notice me and didn't do anything (thank god).

I did tell him to watch it the second time since I know it was deliberate and not an accident.

I'm sure if he had hit me I would have called my lawyer but I may call the office of where he was promoting for tomorrow to let them know how careless he is being with it.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I would complain to whatever place they're advertising if they are causing a safety hazard.

I haven't seen any sign twirlers (except on TV)...around there the big thing seems to be clown wigs. Around Halloween I noticed people in costume advertising the Halloween stores but since then I've noticed others as well. I passed a person today wearing a sandwich board and a giant orange clown wig, advertising a new hair place that just opened.

[calulu]

This sign twirling stuff is big in the Virginia burbs of DC but the kids usually look more bored and put upon than dangerous.

I'd call and speak to the place this kid was advertising. Here they hire kids as young as 14 and pay them 14 bucks an hour.

[JLRodgers]

You mean this job isn't just a TV thing? Huh.... and to think the first time I saw it on TV I relized how dangerous it could be to people not knowing the person's there or something.

[jedimaster91]

There is an intersection near my house that ALWAYS has either the sign twirlers or people with change buckets. I always feel bad for people that stand out in those rediculous costumes (the tax places are advertising this way ATM) and the change bucket people just annoy me.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Outside my highschool, all... day... long...

And you know, all the rest of the days too.

Lately I've noticed a number of cycleists wearing Save Phace masks, though it may be unrelated.

[malmalthekiller]

Around here they don't so much as twirl, but stand there and look angry.

The only place that dances around is that tax place that makes them dress up like the statue of liberty.

[Nyoibo]

Wow, and here I thought it was just something they had on NCIS once.

[AdminAssistant]

Wow, and here I thought it was just something they had on NCIS once.

I thought of that, too!!!

[Dreamstalker]

There is an intersection near my house that ALWAYS has either the sign twirlers or people with change buckets.

What annoys me about the change-bucket people (around here it's typically groups of inner city schoolkids), is that they think nothing about walking in/between the lanes on an insanely busy intersection (yes, it's when the onramp to I-93 has a red light, but still...it's a multi-directional, confusing traffic crossing and a lot of drivers aren't completely sure how the signaling works) Mom always maintains someone is going to get killed...and why the are the adults telling the kids it's OK to do this?

[protege]

What annoys me about the change-bucket people (around here it's typically groups of inner city schoolkids), is that they think nothing about walking in/between the lanes on an insanely busy intersection

Ugh. The absolute *worst* of that sort, are the volunteer fire departments in NJ. Every damn year, they manage to back up traffic on most roads as they seek donations from tourists. It's always when July 4th approaches, and no, I don't give them anything. Sorry, but I have better things to do than sit on I-95 in Delaware, because some fire department is holding up traffic. I help out my local firemen when I can, but otherwise, I want to get on with my vacation, dammit!

[Stormraven]

We have the sign twirlers around here (SF/Bay Area) but I've never seen them get that close to the curbs, much less threaten to send those signs out into traffic.

[Amina516]

Around here they don't so much as twirl, but stand there and look angry.

LMAO! I was thinking the same.

[malmalthekiller]

LMAO! I was thinking the same.

Probably because it's so damn cold, even on the "Nice" days where they put them out there.

[Bosch]

They are on the west coast too.

Big time in the San Fernando Valley in LA, mostly hispanic guys or teenagers advertising either store sales or home developement open houses. Up here in Seattle/Bellevue its stores closings. The guys in LA had much more flair though I could see if you were on a bike on the sidewalk it would be dangerous(and you don't bike on the street in that part of LA you will be killed or hit, I was.) but up here in WA they just stand there trying to stay warm.

I just get pissed off since I need to see around them when making a right turn and I can't see other pedestrians for the stupid signs.