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Fuel prices threaten way of life for carnies

Carnival workers, unable to compete with the rising price of diesel fuel, could be forced into new careers.

By S.I. ROSENBAUM
Published October 7, 2005

GIBSONTON - Paul Smith, 50, has been in the carnival business 37 years, running concession stands at fairs from the Florida Keys to Bangor, Maine.

He's seen good times and bad. But now, for the first time, he said, "I'm trying to get out."

It's hard for carnies to walk away from their unique traveling life. But Smith said,"When you're not making money, it becomes real easy."

Spiking fuel prices have carnival workers weary as they prepare to return to Gibsonton for the winter. The prices have eaten away at profits in an industry that depends on mobility.

Carnivals run on diesel, said Bob Pugh, a manager with Reithoffer Shows, a large traveling carnival based in Gibsonton.

"The whole carnival moves on about 120 trucks, and 90 percent of them use diesel fuel," he said. On top of that, generators that power the lights, rides and games all run on diesel.

Pugh said that prices have rocketed since the spring. "It's killing us," he said.

Worse, carnival workers can't compensate by raising their own prices.

"People who come to a fair or a carnival are going to pay so much to ride a ride or play a game or eat cotton candy," Pugh said.

"We can't recoup this," he said. "It's very devastating to the entire industry."

Mario Rojas, a fourth-generation carnival and circus worker who runs Mario's Concessions, agreed.

"We don't have a big (profit) window," he said. "If you take the bargain out of a fair, you take away the concept."

He said he wasn't sure about the future. "I'm still doing okay, but it's time to evaluate," he said.

Pugh said the Reithoffer carnival is in the position of having to calculate the profitability of each leg of its summer route. They don't want to drop sites that have been profitable in the past, he said. But the cost of getting there is prohibitive.

"It's discouraging," he said. He predicted that the topic would be a hot one at the upcoming trade show in Las Vegas in November.

"We have to draw the line," he said. "We just can't afford to go on any further."

As for Smith, he's thinking about changing the way of life that's supported him for his entire adult life.

"I'm trying to supplement my income by getting something more stationary," he said. "Like a restaurant."

S.I. Rosenbaum can be reached at srosenbaum@sptimes.com or 661-2442.

[Last modified October 6, 2005, 08:26:07]