Carnival workers are either temporary or seasoned veterans, known as “carnies”. They may work on rides, food service booths, or game booths, and turnover is high. Some workers may have legal or substance abuse issues, leading to a negative reputation for the industry. However, some enjoy the transient lifestyle and freedom of movement. Applications are available at local events or the company’s base of operations.
Carnival employees tend to fall into two categories: temporary workers or seasoned veterans. While a temporary employee may only travel with the organization for a single season, a carnival veteran may be on the road for years. Such a seasoned funfair or carnival is known as a carny or carnie. A carny often lives in a company-provided trailer or stays in local hotels while traveling the circuit at state fairs and sponsored carnivals.
A carousel may be responsible for setting up and operating a particular carnival ride, such as the Ferris wheel, Tilt-a-Whirl, or Scrambler. Assembling these rides requires mechanical aptitude and physical stamina, along with a working knowledge of electricity and safety rules. A typical work schedule for a carousel might be a full day spent building and testing a carousel, then selling tickets or operating that carousel each day during the carnival, and finally spending a day taking the car apart before moving on. at the next carnival concert or vice versa at the company’s base of operations for repairs and inspections.
Other wagons may work the food service booths or one of the midway game booths, though a veteran can generally pick his or her preferred work assignment and perform those same tasks year after year. Others may cross train on various rides and attractions in the event that a temporary employee leaves or is unable to travel. An experienced rideer may also act as supervisor of a ride construction crew or oversee remote food or gaming operations.
Because the turnover rate of many carnival organizations can be high, new employees may not face rigorous background checks before starting work. As long as they are willing to work long hours in dangerous conditions, new carnival workers and experienced floaters are usually left alone by their employers. Carnival work is very transient, making it attractive to those who would rather stay on the road than maintain a more permanent address. A carny’s mail can be sent to the organization’s base of operations and held until the employee can pick it up, for example.
However, there are some downsides to the carny lifestyle. Some carnival employees may be on the road constantly to avoid arrest or other legal trouble. Others may have significant problems with drug or alcohol addiction, which would make it very difficult to find other forms of work. Because the job is so transient, some unscrupulous carnival workers have been known to commit minor or even major crimes while working in a city for a short time. At the time of reporting, the offender may already be en route to another location.
This reputation for substance abuse and criminal activity has severely affected the entire carnival industry. While most of the carnival employees respect their customers and abide by the law, some take advantage of their circumstances and commit illegal acts. However, efforts to discipline or fire veterans for these violations can prove problematic for companies, so violators are often punished financially or kept off the road as a punitive measure.
The life of a true carny is definitely not glamorous, but some people find they appreciate the transient lifestyle and freedom of movement that the carnival industry provides. Applications for employment are often available at local carnival events or by contacting the carnival company’s main base of operations.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
