Outside Workers Find Creative Ways To Beat The Heat
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – On one of the hottest days of the summer in the Twin Cities, there were plenty of people who simply had to be outside.
Pouring concrete, standing over a hot grill and biking people around, they're all jobs that invoke some sympathy when you have excessive heat warnings like we've had this week.
We went to some of the brave employees today to ask just how they do it. Universally they said maybe the only thing more important than an adequate water supply is a good attitude.
Steve Ramlow runs a food truck in downtown Minneapolis and said Wednesday on Twitter he's 10 pounds away from his goal weight in a weight-loss plan. Just one more day out in the heat might take care of that.
He's even thinking about renaming his food truck "Simply Steve's Sauna."
"It's a total sauna," he said.
But the most extreme weather conditions can never stand in the way of a good turkey burger.
"We've had days from well over 100 to below zero," said Ramlow. "It's barely over 90 right now, so not a problem really."
He tracks the outside temperature with a meat thermometer he keeps in his pocket. At its highest point, the device goes up to 130 degrees. He said the heat wears on him, but he has to keep a positive attitude.
"Yeah it bothers me, but what are you going to do? You gotta try and make a living," said Ramlow. "During lunch when we're cooking, you know the flat top's going real good, the broiler is going good. That's when the heat kicks in."
He beats the heat by taking a little bit of ice and putting it on the back of his neck to stay cool.
Pedi-cab bikers also have to find creative ways to beat the heat downtown.
Marcus Smith has a water supply in his backpack hooked up to small hose that he can take a drink out of whenever he needs some cool relief.
"I just kind of suck on it throughout the day," he said. "You're carrying about 300 to 400 pounds up one of these hills, you're huffing and puffing. You just drink lots of water and keep going."
They sweat profusely on days like Wednesday, where it's incredibly hot and humid. But on the upside, business is good and so are their quadriceps.
"You get in shape, and then it's not as bad," said Smith.
As far as Wednesday's Torchlight Festival goes, officials are putting portable water fountains all along Hennepin Avenue to make sure people stay hydrated.
Officials at Target Field also had large Gatorade containers filled with free water in the concourse for baseball fans to stay cool in the heat. It was so hot Wednesday that the Lifetime Fitness 5K run that's part of the Aquatennial was postponed.
Fans found a variety of ways to stay cool at the ballpark this week. Some took their shirts off and used them as fans, others wore hats to cover their heads and it was really all about staying hydrated. Many brought their own water bottles to the park and refilled them on several occasions.
Twins Fans Find Creative Ways To Stay Cool At Target Field
