Move Over, Dog Walkers! There’s a People-Walking Service in L.A.

I thought it was interesting when Rover came out and you could schedule a dog walker or cat sitter via an app at any time. But this is even more bizarre.

Around Los Angeles, Chuck McCarthy is known as the People Walker. This is actually how he makes a living: by walking people, not dogs. 

The Los Angeles Times reports that McCarthy started his business "partly fueled by the human need to connect" after getting bummed out by how little interaction there was at his local coffee shop, where patrons sat in silence staring at their screens. Now McCarthy has investors in his people-walking business. He even has an app and a fleet of people-walking employees. Because what is your business really without an app.

If a person wants another person to take them for a walk, they tap their location into the app to learn if there are any professional walkers nearby. Some of McCarthy's walkers are bilingual and will even try to teach you a second language as you stroll.

"I'm sure it seems crazy, but it's cheaper than a gym, it's been quite beneficial, and I get good stories out of it," says People Walker client Sam Pocker.

I don't know if I see this coming to or working here around the Treasure Valley, but if you remember, there's a local cuddling business that has really taken off, so there's really a demand for anything and everything no matter where you're at apparently.