Buddhist monks are not permitted to work for a living so they position themselves like this in busy locations and rely on charity to get by.

I did read a guy chatting online about wanting to become a Buddhist monk because they get to drink, smoke, procreate, etc and they don't have to ever work. Hmm...

Personally I would find standing in one place all day exhausting. I wonder if listening to an i-pod is allowed, that would make it better.