private investigators

[pontifex]

is anyone here a private investigator?
whats the job like? can you make a decent living?

 

[fitzov]

When I was in the military I had a friend who did this on the side, and then all the time when he separated. He started out by doing gigs for insurance companies--trying to catch people doing things (e.g. changing tires, lifting things) that they weren't supposed to be able to do while on disability or workers comp. It basically consisted of waiting outside someone's house or following them around with a camcorder. I believe you need a license by state to be a PI. Seems like it could be a fun job with all the new technology we have.

 

[Descartes]

My brother was a private investigator before he become an electrician journeyman (I forget what's after journeyman... master?).

He made really good money, but he was absolutely miserable. He would sit in a car sometimes exceeding 110 degrees (can't run the car or you give yourself away obviously), and he'd sometimes sit there for 12 hours without so much as really moving around.

It's not glamorous. I'm sure some PIs get to work on projects that are a little more exciting, but they had teams of people, and they all did the same thing: Drive, wait, and film.