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Title: Being A Human Sign Is Just Another Job Robots Will Do--And For Which Immigrants Aren't Needed
Source:
http://www.vdare.com/posts/being-a-human-sign-is-just-anothe
URL Source: http://VDare
Published: Aug 5, 2013
Author: Steve Sailer
Post Date: 2013-08-05 13:56:32 by Big Meanie
Keywords: None
Views: 151
Comments: 14
Back in 2006, I pointed out that the rapid spread from Mexico to California of "human directionals," people paid to stand on street corners and jiggle giant arrows pointing to real estate open houses exemplified the 21st Century's Cheap Labor / Expensive Land economy. As I wrote in a 2008 short story "Unreal Estate" about a house-hunting trip to Antelope Valley: 2013 But, robots are now taking over the Human Sign profession. From the L.A. Times: Although male mannequins are available, "the females outsell them 99 to 1," Levy said. "We have a busty model and one with a regular figure. The regular one is more popular: I personally think the busty one is overdone." Passing motorists find the 65-pound sign wavers convincingly realistic. "I was at a convention in Las Vegas last weekend, and several guys came up and tried to talk to the sign dolls," Levy said. Bar customers, he said, sometimes pose with the mechanical female sign waver parked in front of a nearby shop. The makers of robotic mannequins tout their creations as ideal workers who are always on time, never need a lunch break and never complain about being underpaid.
Once off the highway, you see at least one person standing at every intersection twirling or jiggling a giant arrow pointing to an open house. “Human Signs,” nods Travis. “Like back in the Depression when guys would walk around wearing sandwich boards reading ‘Eat at Joe’s.’ But this is the opposite of a depression. Real estate commissions are six percent, so, on a $400k house, that’s $20k, which pays for a lot of twirling.”
Levy imports his battery-operated mannequins from China. They rent for $370 a month or can be purchased for $797. The plug-in electric models go for about $50 less. <
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#1. To: Big Meanie (#0)
I knew of an older guy who would stand on the street corner in suburban Chicago. He held a sign that said, "REPENT" and also a non-powered megaphone to tell everyone why. Don't know whatever happened to him, though. ;)
Probably progressed upward to Skid Road Bum.
Skid Row in Chicago was on Halsted St., just west of downtown. There were plenty of flop houses there, where you could get a room for the night, and pretty cheap also. There were also a lot of bums down there, and most of them were drinking cheap wine or some other cheap booze. ;)
#13. To: BTP Holdings (#10)
IIRC, I think it was on Madison St, just west of Halsted. Yup, I spent many a night there for $1 a night in the winter of '68. I resent that. I can't stand the taste of beer or wine. I was just broke.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestBeing A Human Sign Is Just Another Job Robots Will Do--And For Which Immigrants Aren't Needed
#3. To: BTP Holdings (#1)
I knew of an older guy who would stand on the street corner in suburban Chicago. He held a sign that said, "REPENT" and also a non-powered megaphone to tell everyone why. Don't know whatever happened to him, though. ;)
#10. To: Original_Intent (#3)
Skid Road Bum.
Replies to Comment # 10. "Skid Row in Chicago was on Halsted St., just west of downtown."
"There were plenty of flop houses there, where you could get a room for the night, and pretty cheap also."
"There were also a lot of bums down there....."
".... and most of them were drinking cheap wine or some other cheap booze. ;)
End Trace Mode for Comment # 10.