Nearly one month into the government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal workers remain on furlough.
Isaac Stein is one of them. Normally, he's a lawyer for the IRS who writes tax regulations. But on a sunny Sunday afternoon on a corner in his Washington, D.C. neighborhood, he's wearing a suit and tie, working his hot dog stand, "Shysters Dogs." Its motto: "the only honest ripoff in DC."
"I am having a grand old time slinging hot dogs," Stein said.
A hot dog and a drink runs $10 or $17, with a bag of chips tossed in if you buy two dogs.
The stand is a realization of a childhood dream for Stein. While his classmates enjoyed playing basketball, he said, he had more fun manning the concessions stand. This summer, he decided he wanted to open a hot dog business of his very own.
"I got all the permits in late September, and then I was furloughed on October 8th," Stein said.
So with his newly free time, the side project he started before the shutdown turned into a seven-days-a-week gig. It's a simple menu: a "correct hot dog," or a "hot dog with the wrong toppings."
"I'm trying to incentivize people to do what I think a correct hot dog is, which is mustard and sauerkraut," Stein said. "If someone wants other things, that's totally, totally fine. No judgment. But I do reserve the right to assess an additional dollar as a penalty."
The rest of the menu is similarly cheeky, including RC Cola (which Stein thinks is the best cola), MoonPies, dog treats and branded stickers. He offers a 5 cent discount for customers who "briefly recite the historical significance of MoonPies and/or RC Cola." Also available on the menu: "SHIRT OFF MY BACK".
"If someone coughs up a solid grand, I will literally strip half naked, take the shirt off my back, call it a day and walk home," Stein said.
No one's taken him up on that offer just yet.
Stein said he sells about 50 hot dogs a day. He's looking forward to getting back to his IRS job as soon as possible.
"But I'm definitely not giving this up," Stein said. "This is going to be a weekend project, I think, for life."
He hopes it can bring a laugh to the community — even if he has to charge you a 10% tax for ordering a dog with the "wrong toppings."
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