PORT ANGELES — Staff at Tranco Transmissions in Port Angeles introduced an ersatz employee to the community last week, and he’s received a warm welcome.
Tranco owner Rick Melvin put “Jim” the mechanic outside his shop at 703 E. First St., complete with push cart and car transmission to work on, “just for fun.”
‘Hardly a dummy’
“We’ve had numerous people come up and take photos with him and of him,” Melvin said of the life-sized mannequin-like figure.
“He’s hardly a dummy.”
Melvin said he wanted to take advantage of the recent nice weather to get Jim out to meet people, adding that it doesn’t have to do with Halloween.
Melvin said his staff had had the figure in the back room of his shop for some time with the intent of doing something like this and only recently got around to putting him to “work” on the sidewalk outside the shop.
Popular figure
Jim, named for the nametag that came with the second-hand overalls he wears, has proved more popular than Melvin expected.
“It really caught on and became a lot more popular than we anticipated,” Melvin said.
Children seem to love to have their pictures taken with Jim, Melvin said.
He said some three out every four people or so point and wave as they drive by.
Jim’s overalls don’t say “Tranco Transmission” on them, though Melvin said he’s considering dressing Jim up in his store’s garb.
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Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
