Who is that guy?

There is a guy that stands at the freeway exit I take almost everyday from work.  No, he's not homeless or someone pleading for money-- he's the Mattress World sign holder.

I just don't get it.  This seems to be a new trend in the past year or two-- you have a business, you want people to come to your business so you make someone stand out by the curb holding a sign and waving at the passersby.  I think it makes sense for a business like Jiffy Lube to hold a sign that says, "Open Bay!" so you can get a quick oil change or maybe Domino's Pizza whose sign reads, "Fresh Pizza $5.99".  But Mattress World?  Who drives by on a Tuesday morning and sees the sign and all of sudden realizes they need a mattress?  I'm sure it has plenty to do with name recognition and all that (yes, I was an advertising major, I know why they do this), but I guess what I don't get is the guy himself.  Who is that guy?  Who wants to stand by the freeway, all day, everyday and hold a sign?  It's always the same guy and sometimes, they even make him wear a mattress costume.

To get some insight, I called Mattress World.  They "accept applications for that position but currently don't have any openings."  They wouldn't tell me how much the position pays.  

Ok, ok, I know I shouldn't judge.  I know the economy is looking bleak right now and it's work and he probably needs it.  But there are a lot of jobs out there.  I think what I don't get is that it just seems like a lazy job to me.  There are so many people out there working so hard to make a go of it and this guy is choosing to do this.  He applied to do this.  What does this say about us?