Chainsaw solution A1OK.
Another vote for telemarketers. As long as the human signposts stay off the road, they’re just another pedestrian, as far as I’m concerned. They’re mildly distracting, but less so than, say, the person with a (stolen) shopping cart filled with his/her worldly possessions, wandering along the shoulder of the road. THAT’S a distraction, as I don’t know what state of mind this person is in, and whether or not the voices in his/her head will tell him/her to wander out into traffic.
I wouldn’t want to be a human signpost, but I would guess that it’s a job that doesn’t require much in the way of skills. A kid could do it, or someone who needs some extra cash, or someone who needs a first job.
Another poster that didn’t read the OP. An admin no less. The complaint is NOT about the signs, but having to stand to hold them.
I was replying to another poster, not the OP. Just like I’m replying to YOUR response right now, and not your original post. Threads tend to go off in tangents.