# If you had to do a menial job, what would it be? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 16, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678 "2009-05-16T20:19:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![YoungKusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3e96dc/32.png) [@YoungKusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoungKusher)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/61 "2013-12-25T20:32:32Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > A person who stands on a street corner and holds an advertising sign. Or, in some cases, rapidly flips them around so the people driving by can’t tell what they’re advertising. > > Little Caesar’s is most notorious for this. > > The Chik-Fil-A in my area often has someone standing out by the road in a cow suit. I’ve seen people do this in 100-degree weather. I saw on _a thousand ways to die_ that somebody died doing this. The corner of the sign hit him in the jugular while he was spinning it really fast. he bled out. Leave it to an idiot to make sign-flipping dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/62 "2013-12-25T23:24:22Z")
Movie extra. I did it on a part time basis for nearly a decade, and it doesn’t get more menial than that. No skills required, except to be able to follow simple instructions. I’ve heard that newly released jail inmates are directed to Central Casting as a job possibility. I’m a SAG (now SAG-AFTRA) member, so I got union wage, but non-union extras get minimum wage. On the upside, usually they feed you. Some of the jobs I had required real acting, but most often, it was several hours of sitting in “holding” interspersed with a bit of walking up and down the street or whatever. Sometimes I sat in holding all day, while my car did the real work, parked on the street or in a parking lot. I “retired” from extra work a few years ago, for a variety of reasons, but if I got laid off from my day job, my first stop would be Central Casting to sign up again. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/63 "2013-12-25T23:36:47Z")
I was a stocker at a grocery store as a teen. Loved it! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/64 "2013-12-26T00:05:23Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > As for my menial job, I’m going to become a high-rise window washer. The views you must get, both of the city & on unsuspecting people inside must be awesome. Did you see any of the news reports over the past few days of window washers at children’s hospitals dressing up as Santa and his elves? ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/65 "2013-12-26T00:48:22Z")
I once spent about a year running the tongue saw at a slaughter house… ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/66 "2013-12-26T03:25:43Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > A person who stands on a street corner and holds an advertising sign. Or, in some cases, rapidly flips them around so the people driving by can’t tell what they’re advertising. > > Little Caesar’s is most notorious for this. > > The Chik-Fil-A in my area often has someone standing out by the road in a cow suit. I’ve seen people do this in 100-degree weather. Ah, I see. Thanks. Not sure I’ve ever seen one. I’ve seen people in goofy costume get-ups for advertising purposes but not with signs. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/67 "2013-12-26T03:46:22Z")
A few thoughts: - Pulling stock at a warehouse (like maybe one of the Amazon or Netflix fulfillment facilities). - Library page (shelving books–I did this as a teen and enjoyed it) - Cashier - Grunt-level tech support Dunno if any of these count as “menial,” though. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/68 "2013-12-26T04:25:33Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > shepherd. "I wanna move up to Nashua, get a nice little spread, get some sheep and tend to them. " ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/69 "2013-12-26T16:01:32Z")
Lighthouse keeper. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/70 "2013-12-26T16:31:15Z")
> [@CutterJohn](#): > > I have a menial job! > > Well, half my time is anyway. I work at a factory that produces printing ink(If you have ever drank a bottle of bud light in the last year, chances are good that I am directly responsible for its colorfulness. 😃 ), and every other day I get to fill up containers with pigment to be dumped into the mills. Hefting 50lb sacks, cutting them open, then dumping the pigment dust(its like flour, really) into containers. The pay is adequate for my needs, and I get filthy. Colorful, but filthy. Do you have a mask, I hope? What color are your lungs? I’d go with landscaping, like lawn mowing and trimming. Menial, but at least I’d get exercise. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/71 "2013-12-26T16:33:41Z")
Depends on the definition of menial. I could mow grass, be a security guard, or work as a computer salesman. Really as long as I’m not expected to clean the restrooms most jobs would be fine with me. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/72 "2013-12-26T16:39:58Z")
Truck driver. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/73 "2013-12-26T18:01:07Z")
Fluffer. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/74 "2013-12-26T18:43:00Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > Fluffer. Fluffee. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/75 "2013-12-26T18:49:21Z")
You two should get a room. ---
**Author:** ![RedBloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dbc845/32.png) [@RedBloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedBloom)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/76 "2013-12-26T19:50:28Z")
Data Entry. Seriously. Alone at a computer entering data and taking 1-2 calls per day. Low interaction, quiet, predictable. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678/77 "2013-12-27T02:40:14Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > Fluffer. > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Fluffee. I used to know the guy at Eden Club in Bangkok who was tasked with trying out the new girls. Eden Club is a unique place, a straight-up brothel, they chase you out if all you want to do is drink, and there’s a two-girl minimum, with all girls bisexual. **NSFW** website: [www.edenbangkok.com](http://www.edenbangkok.com). They called him up whenever they had a new applicant. But he didn’t get paid anything for it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-do-a-menial-job-what-would-it-be/496678.md?page=3)