Struggling New York actors find work busting bedbugs

[marmar]

from the Wall Street Journal:



By MELANIE GRAYCE WEST


For struggling New York actors reduced to waiting tables for a living, there's finally an alternative career path: bedbug hunter.

Ever since the city began suffering from a widespread infestation of the pernicious bugs last year, demand has soared for people to get rid of them. Actors, it turns out, make the perfect bug busters.

"Actors have great personalities and follow directions well," says Janet Friedman, owner of Bed Bug Busters NY, who employs many people from the theater world to clean up the vermin. She favors entertainers, she says, because they can improvise, work quickly and are used to the drama of a stressful situation.

Meagan Gilliland, a 25-year-old actress who moved from Chicago to New York in September 2009, secured a gig with Bed Bug Busters before arriving.

While she'd rather be acting, she says her new job doesn't bug her. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703805004575606353673399406.html?mod=mktw

[lonestarnot]

1. Do they look for crabs too?

[Donnachaidh]

2. they are also used to waiting on vermin

Many actors hold down bartending or wait jobs in the Wall Street area. That's some serious infestations in that area.

[Angry Dragon]

3. I thought those were more snakes and reptiles.............

[Donnachaidh]

6. they all fall under the moniker of Vermin n/t

[pinboy3niner]

4. "I'd like to thank the Academy--and the bedbugs--for this award...

...but especially the bedbugs. I never could have done it without them. This award truly belongs to the bedbugs, too. Thanks, guys! I love you! (Even though I had to kill a lot of you. It wasn't personal, really.)"

[Solly Mack]

5. Method acting goes to the bugs.

'What's my motivation?'

'To kill bedbugs. Be the exterminator! Become one with the exterminator!Feel the struggle. Woman/Man against bedbug. Feel the conflict....You love nature but natue has now infested your house...the soul of your harmony.'