By Lisa K. Berton
Every June in Madison, Wisconsin a new pack of eager ambassadors attends Hot Dog High where they earn their Bunder Graduate Degree after two weeks of training. One can only mustard the intense grilling required before being handed keys to a hot dog on wheels. Hold the onions.
Two people are assigned to each of the half dozen Wienermobiles and then split up and sent out on the open road. So as not to confuse one iconic vehicle with another, they are named: Our Dog, Oh I Wish, Weiner, Oscar Mayer, I Wish I Were, and Big Bun. Before hitting the hot dog highway, trainees are educated by the Madison Police Department.
I recently met up with Sofia aka Smokey Sof and Sean aka Hot Diggity Dogger (they chose their nicknames) outside the Stop and Shop grocery store in Dedham, Massachusetts. They had made stops around the Spirit of America state for the past few days and this was their Wienermobile's final appearance before enjoying spring break with other Hotdoggers in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After baking in the sun, they were set to visit New Hampshire.
One might wonder, what is life like driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. To put it simply, it's fun. Imagine putting smiles on strangers' faces every day. It's wienderful. They spend six months traveling one region of the United States and then switch partners (condiments?) and finish the last six months of their one year contract in another part of the country. With an infectious smile, Sean referred to it as a coast to coast wiener roast.
Hotdoggers (drivers/brand ambassadors) receive cool stuff like this backpack, jackets, shirts, and more. Expenses including overnight hotel stays are paid for by the company as well as fuel. Vacations come around Christmas and March during which time Wienermobiles go to a preassigned garage for any needed maintenance.
Fans, or frank fanatics as the company adorned them, who visit a Wienermobile may luck out with giveaways. The day of my visit, Sean and Sofia handed out Wienermobile whistles and stickers. Unknowing but delighted locals who came to buy groceries pulled out cell phones and took photos inside and out.
But it was Kay Anderson, a woman who is an all-natural Wienermobile historian and collects memorabilia (her co-workers bestowed more upon her when she retired) who got the best "prize" ever. After telling Sean and Sofia about the contests she entered and how being a Hotdogger is one of her dreams, they did what they could to make it possible. Sitting shot bun, Kay got to smile and wave at folks while we were driven around the parking lot. She relished every second. And yes, the horn plays the jingle, "I wish I were an Oscar Meyer wiener." If only they had driven her home and left the giant hot dog in her driveway, could she have been even happier.
Download the app from Google Play or Apple's App Store if you'd like to see an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and when you do, take a selfie, smile and say, "cheesy wieners."
Should you want to spice up your year and drive for the 135 year old company, applications are available online.
Some upcoming events:
April 29, 9 am - 3 pm
Kroger
1284 Knox Ave, North Augusta, SC 29841
April 29, 9 am - 12 pm
Kroger
3165 S. Second St, Louisville, KY 40208
May 3, 9 am - 1 pm
810 White Horse Pike, Egg Harbor, NJ 08215
May 5, 8 am - 2 pm
Murphy's Markets
666 Stokes Rd, Medford, NJ
May 6, 1 - 4 pm
Henning's Markets
290 Main St, Harleysville, PA 19438
May 6, 9: 30 am - 2 pm
Touch-a-Truck
2300 Patriot Blvd, Gleview, IL 60026
May 7, 1 - 4 pm
Harding's
8900 Gull Rd, Richland, MI 49083
Funny read. Gotta check it out…the hot dog mobile.