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Permalink Reply by Dodgem Roger on September 27, 2011 at 3:01pm

I agree, you would need a time machine to get a show worth watching.

candy slinger said:

Hi all just wanted to reply. A then and now would be great. I went to visit the show I work for and took along my longtime friend Cindy. We were shocked at how the agents were sitting around not calling people in. we looked at each other going we would have chased them off the lot. Our motto was if you got time to lean you got time to clean!!! Some of those games needed vacumned out cleaned up OMG what a mess. Now the ones that were owned by another person were clean and they were trying to get people in but whew wee..So as we progressed down the midway it was like everyone complaining about gas and how prices went up. Well back in the day!! We had a huge discussion about how we couldn't afford diapers and always shopped at Aldi's we use to buy sugar at Aldi's and all other ingrediants we could. We slept in tents with kids not these HUGE fifth wheels with everything convienent..We use to wash diapers out by hand and hang them on the tent to dry...Come on these kids just don't know what traveling is all about. They have the privilage of a bunk house with shower and a/c and heat and tv we didn't have any of that we were lucky to have a fan in the tent as in my hand fanning a fan! lol Aaahhh the good old days taking a tarp and making a make shift shower so us girls could get clean!!! The stories we could tell!!! I think the then would be way more interesting then the now.

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Permalink Reply by William Joseph Dixon on November 25, 2011 at 9:07pm

Spend a season on the road.Get job.Bring your own lunch.Save bus money to go home if you cann't stand the fun.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Padgett on November 27, 2011 at 10:05pm

I move a alpine bobs ride setup one open day the next every week i have five guys on my crew and a family and a truck and trailer to move. and two dogs....come film me i will make u some good tv..the season starts with being in the shop then we hit the road.. 

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Pytlik on January 11, 2012 at 1:20pm

What you need to have is a cross country hopscotch race. Many carnival workers travel from show to show in order to play large spots or to reach other destinations. I haven't found another industry that allows such ease of transition. You would need to find carnies who have skills in games, concessions, & rides to ensure they could fill any hole in any show.

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Permalink Reply by john royall on January 11, 2012 at 2:16pm

Yes but I'll have to get back to you this evening after 7:00

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Permalink Reply by john royall on January 11, 2012 at 10:29pm

many, many years ago when i was in my early 20's a guy showed up on one of our lots saying he was working on the making of a movie about the carnival and the workers. he would come and go through out the season,  taking pics and doing alot of writing.

i worked on a roller coaster called the Toboggan. he had alot  of pics of this ride from set up, operation and tear down. he even got pics of the rides leaving different fairgrounds. like i said he was around off and on all that season. i've never seen nor heard from him or anything about his movie.

the carnival is a life style most people can't deal with. like being a hard core biker. you always wonder what it would be like, but were to affraid to try. i have retired from the carnival buisness after almost 40 yrs, but i invite you to find yourself a show to hang out with for a while and see if it's really a job you'd want to do.

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Permalink Reply by mike murray on February 5, 2012 at 9:53pm

HEY I JUST WANT TO ADD TO THIS I HAVE BEEN WITH IT SINCE 1979 AND IT HAS CHANGED ITS NOTHING LIKE IT USED TO BE !!! at all !!! IN ANY WAY 90 PERCENT OF THE SO CALLED CARNEYS NOWOF DAYS DONT HAVE A CLUE THEY COME OUT AND PLAY A SPOT OR TWO AND THINK THEY CAN CALL THEM SELFS CARNEYS IN THE OLD DAYS U HAD TO EARN THAT RITE THEY HAVE NO IDA WHAT HEY RUB OR WITH IT OR ANY KIZARNEY TALK IS  BACK IN THE DAYS THATS ALL WE TALKED IN WE WAS FAMILY AND TOOK CARE OF EACH OTHER GIVE IT 20 MORE YEARS AND IT WILL BE LIKE WORKING AT DISNEY LAND NO REAL AGENTS JUST CLERKS AND LUGANS

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Permalink Reply by Tonya Belden on February 21, 2012 at 3:00pm

You have to pick a show and get the ok from the show owner.I would do the show from the free market aspect.Show the difference between the independent lot and the main midway.Show the difference between jointies and ride jocks.Between owners and independent contractors.The electricians behind the scene and the shit women have to put up with to make a living on the road.

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Permalink Reply by Tonya Belden on February 21, 2012 at 3:08pm

Mike is right.There are people who love the life style and there are people who work at the carnival.I am one of those carnies who is always trying to get off the road.I happen to be good at what I do.I can't seem to make the money I need in the real world,so I find myself back in the free market that the carnival provides.The last free market in america.

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