DETROIT (WXYZ) — In frigid temperatures and wind chills like what metro Detroit is experiencing this week, most enjoy the luxury of retreating indoors. However, for the people who clean our cars and keep our deliveries moving, it's another day at the office.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below:
For gig workers like DoorDash drivers, time is literally money. For Jaison Clark, every minute spent working in the bitter cold can feel twice as long.
"Getting in and out of the car is brutal, especially in the wind. I'll try to make sure I'll pay attention to the wind and I'll position my car, so I'm blocking some of the wind," he told 7 News Detroit.
On frigid days like Monday, Clark knows the side hustle requires more than a GPS. It takes heavy footing on ice walkways and a heavy-duty wardrobe. Before hitting the road, he makes sure he's prepared for a deep freeze.
"I layer up. I got some thermal socks and an undershirt and another longer sleeve shirt. I usually have a hat, but I forgot it today," Clark said.
A few miles away, Rosalind "Rocky" Stewart is facing a different kind of cold. At the car wash where she works, the air isn't just freezing. It's damp.
As the wind whips through the wash tunnel, she relies on a strategy that is partly practical and part spiritual.
"Well, actually what I do is this (blowing hands). And I always pray, so I put my hands in my pocket because it's really cold out here. Nobody should be out here working. But we have to get the job done," she explained.
That get-it-done attitude isn't lost on people who go through the car wash.
"I appreciate the car washes being open and being able to get a car wash. Everybody likes a nice, clean car," customer Anthony Anderson said.
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"They're tell you to be careful, or they'll leave an extra tip because they know how cold it is. I've had one lady give me some water — that's something."
The common thread between Clark and Stewart working in the frigid temps is resilience and knowing the shift will eventually come to an end.
