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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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Bizarro Travel-Industry Jobs

Gigs that straddle the line between necessary and absurd

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(Newser) – From Parisian sewer guides to a coconut safety engineer in St. Thomas, some travel industry jobs straddle the line between necessary and absurd. Travel and Leisure highlights some of the strangest.

  1. Tourism ambassador, Japan. Diplomacy never looked so soft and cuddly after Japan appointed elder statesfeline Hello Kitty for PR duty in Hong Kong and China.

  1. Karaoke taxi driver, Helsinki. With 5,000 songs to choose from, it's the journey, not the destination, that might drive you crazy.
  2. Manners cop, Venice. Besmirch the city with your shirtless lifestyle and a badge-wearing manners-minder may direct a policeman—and fine—your way.
  3. LEGO professional gluer, LEGOLAND, California. One building requires 140,000 LEGOs and 1,300 hours. Any questions?
For a tour of travel's other odd occupations, click the link below.

CARLSBAD, : Dustin Blanchard, 12, from Chandler, Arizona, leans on a high-rise building in the New York City section of Legoland in Carlsbad, California. The theme park features objects built in miniature from Lego building blocks.
CARLSBAD, : Dustin Blanchard, 12, from Chandler, Arizona, leans on a high-rise building in the New York City section of Legoland in Carlsbad, California. The theme park features objects built in miniature...   (TOM KURTZ/AFP/Getty Images)
Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tetsuzo Fuyushiba (L) appoints the character Hello Kitty (R) as the new goodwill tourism ambassador in Tokyo. Japan appointed mouthless feline cartoon character Hello Kitty as a goodwill tourism ambassador in China and Hong Kong, with the aim of promoting visits to...
Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tetsuzo Fuyushiba (L) appoints the character Hello Kitty (R) as the new goodwill tourism ambassador in Tokyo. Japan appointed mouthless...   ((KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images))
Seating from eight to 13 passengers, Finland's Karaoke Taxi's offer their passengers the chance to sing-a-long while cruising downtown Helsinki. At an hourly rate of $115, make sure you've got enough left over to tip the driver.
Seating from eight to 13 passengers, Finland's Karaoke Taxi's offer their passengers the chance to sing-a-long while cruising downtown Helsinki. At an hourly rate of $115, make sure you've got enough...   (www.karaoketaxi.fi )
VENICE, ITALY: Hundreds of pigeons are seen in Saint Marks Square in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY: Hundreds of pigeons are seen in Saint Marks Square in Venice, Italy.   (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
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