A young Los Angeles actor in need of a second job to pay his bills has come with a brilliant way to supplement his income – people walking.

Chuck McCarthy originally considered becoming a dog walker to earn some extra cash, but soon realized that the job required more than walking canines on a leash. “I didn’t want to pick up dog poop, and that’s kind of what you’really being paid for, for dog walking,” he said. But people don’t usually poop when they’return out on walks, so after taking dogs and leashes out of the equation, Chuck realized there was money to be made waking people around Los Angeles instead.

It might sound like a joke, but the People Walker, as he calls himself, is very serious about his new job. For $7 per mile, he offers to walk with clients around L.A., listening to their problems or simply making conversation and offering them a sense of security. At 6-foot, 2-inches, and sporting a bulky figure and bushy beard, Chuck doesn’t look like the kind of guy you’d want to mess with.

According to one of the promotional flyers he has put out throughout the City of Angels, his services are aimed at people who need a motivational boost to go walking, those who don’t feel safe walking alone in some areas, and those who are afraid that people might see them walking by themselves and think that they have no friends.

“I wear my The People Walker shirt upon request and on the first walk with a new client, so they can be 100% sure it’s me,” McCarthy says. However, he admits some people are a bit uncomfortable with this policy, as they don’t necessarily want everyone to know that they’re being walked.

Believe it or not, McCarthy’s bold business endeavour has been incredibly successful. He already has another five people walkers employed, covering various areas, like downtown L.A., Hollywood, Eagle Rock, Las Feliz or Fairfax. Once he posted signs around the city, his phone started ringing and clients began rolling in. And with all the free publicity he has been getting in the press lately, he has been overwhelmed with requests.

While he hopes that his acting career will pick up soon, in the meantime Chuck is very happy with his people walking business. After all, it’s literally a walk in the park and it pays the bills.

via LAist