Local News

Some Jobs Are Hotter In The Summer

FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ― Texans know it by looking at the intense sun, cloudless skies and heat waves dancing above roads. Tourists can't imagine it until they get here.

"Oh, it's hot out here!" Yvonne Hill said as she strolled around the Fort Worth Stockyards wiping away sweat. "We're not used to it. We're from Philadelphia. We're not used to this heat at all!"

Kevin Eyes Like Sky hears it all day long. Dressed in authentic Native American garb -- complete with war paint, a large beaded chest protector, leather pants and furs around his waist – he's ready to pose with any tourists willing to tip. But added tourists can save the complaints: He's hot, too.

"Between the furs and the elk skins and the make up, it gets pretty warm," he quipped.

At the cleaners where many of the Fort Worth Stockyard costumes are sent, workers said they have it worse.

There is an almost constant hiss as clouds of steam billow from pressing machines of all sizes. With no air conditioning, the half dozen or so workers add heat to heat and humidity to humidity at a blistering pace.

"Well, on a good day if you really work at it, you can lose five or six pounds," said Jaron Abrams who owns Dry Cleaning Supercenter in Arlington.

Sometimes he allows people to go behind the glass doors separating customers from the steaming presses on the other side.

"There's a few that once in a while want to go to the restroom or change into a garment or something like that," said Abrams. "And then they come out and they have a little bit different kind of face than when they went back in there. They're like 'Whoa! I may need to leave this one here,' " Abrams said, shaking his shirt as if it was sweat soaked.

Harold Powell works at Paisley's Car Wash not too far from the cleaners.

"Good, cold ice water," he said after he drew a long drink from his Styrofoam cup.

It's tough to stay cool at the carwash when no one can tell when the hottest part of the day really is.

"Usually three, four," said one man as he wiped down a freshly washed car.

"I think it's between 11 and 2, really," said his female co-worker doing the same chore on the other side of the vehicle.

Workers here dry and touch up an endless procession of cars emerging from the car wash onto an uncovered parking lot. They're on pavement so hot that water evaporates before the car can get out of the wash. Some have floppy hats and long sleeve shirts to save their skin from the blistering sun. They admit they have to adapt or their jobs are washed up.

"I feel good," Powell said as sweat poured off his face and soaked his shirt. "I sweat the pounds off. You ain't got to drink the Slim Fast!"

So, Eyes Like Sky can tell the tourists the heat is nothing. "They all act like it's 5,000 degrees and it's not that hot yet," he grinned. But after a slight pause Eyes Like Sky adds, "But Colorado is looking pretty good right now!"

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