Everyone on the Big Board mass email knew that the day would come when the floor of the stock exchange would be turned into Colonial Williamsburg; that time is now. With almost two-thirds of the bodies being cut and the survivors pretty much standing around twiddling their thumbs (floor traders handle only 18% of trades now, versus 86%, pre-electronics), the logical thing to do was to start giving out tours to the public and dressing in drag. The Post reports that “storied floor” has become a major hotspot for out-of-towners, and a good way for employees to pass the time.
Head tour guide is John O’Shea, chairman and CEO of Westminster Securities, who, by finally “realizing his career-long goal of qualifying as a floor broker” earlier this year, is now bestowed the great honor of escorting couples from Peoria dressed in Hawaiian shirts and BluBlocker Clip-Ons(tm) around the living history museum. "We can now bring down four people at a time, when in the past it used to be just two," he told the Post. "There's more free space." No word on the rumored plan to widen aisles even more to accommodate 6 large tourists astride.
Jonathan “Nat” Niles, living in denial, sees it differently: “If the exchange is not careful, this place will become just a tourist attraction.”
Traders Say NYSE Floor Still Hot Venue-- For Tourists [NYP]
Posted by , May 21, 2007 10:56AM
the nyse floor is such a joke. this is truly embarassing.