Meet a guy who wears a Statue of Liberty costume to work
You can count on two things in January: an ugly, post-holidays credit card bill in your mailbox and sightings of people dressed in Statue of Liberty costumes dancing on city corners waving signs.
These folks work for Liberty Tax Service, the third largest tax preparation company in the market. And they are cheerful. I mean, really cheerful and super high energy. They're smiling, waving, dancing around. Aren't they cold? Aren't they resentful of a seasonal job that requires them to wear a velvety, turquoise robe and crown to work?
Earlier today, I stopped at Locust and Holton Streets and chatted with Victory Green, a 42-year-old working the job for a second tax season. I asked him the questions I have wondered for dozens of tax seasons now.
OnMilwaukee.com: How long are your shifts?
Victory Green: Four hours.
OMC: How much do you get paid?
VG: $7.50 an hour.
OMC: Do you ever get cold out here?
VG: Not if I dress right. (He has a sweatshirt and a winter coat on under the costume).
OMC: Does your employer tell you to dance around?
VG: Yes, it's part of the job.
OMC: Does it work?
VG: It works. You get a lot of waves, horns, people bust smiles. I like to see people smile.
OMC: Do people yell stuff out their windows at you?
VG: I've gotten some middle fingers and once in a blue moon you get something really un-nice.
OMC: Do you like this job?
VG: It's all in how you look at it. And it beats nothing.
Talkbacks
sandstorm | Jan. 30, 2012 at 8:50 a.m. (report)
the person is out there because they want to get paid.
if they miss a day due to poor weather they don't get paid.
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Hckyboy00 | Jan. 27, 2012 at 7:20 p.m. (report)
The fact that they put those people out there in even the worst conditions really turns me off to trying them. Its one thing to do it during normal winter temps (20's) but to see them out in freezing rain, subzero temps and blizzard conditions, i feel bad for the poor guys, and i dislike that the company puts them out there.
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