The 6 weirdest things you can rent when you travel

It used to be that when you went on vacation, you rented a bike, or a boogie board, or maybe a late-night "movie" from the hotel if you struck out at the bar. Not any more. Blame it on people's willingness to splurge on bizarre stuff, but the list of "normal" things people rent when they travel has gotten considerably less normal -- and it begins and ends with... other people!

guy in line
Flickr user sunshinecity

Rent a person to stand in line for you in New York City
Same Ole Line Dudes (SOLD Inc) offers professional stand-in-line services so that you can go day drink in Central Park and still get tickets to 50 Shades! The Musical. It'll cost you $25 for the first hour, and $10 for each additional 30 minutes; although for a little extra, they'll even deliver the tickets to you in Sheep Meadow.

guy with wingman
Flickr user Guian Bolisay

Rent a wingman in Los Angeles
Dudes nothing like yourself who: a) vacation alone, and b) struggle to muster up the courage to approach women in line for the aforementioned 50 Shades! the Musical can literally send in a wingman to do the dirty work for them. Wingman Pro in LA, like the Professional Wingman in NYC and Boston, provides good-looking actors to escort you to the bar and bridge the gap between awkward one-liners and late-night fun with the local ladies.

corgi puppy
Flickr user Daniel Stockman

Rent a puppy in Utah
For $15 an hour, dog lovers visiting Utah can score some playtime with some pretty adorable pups. Puppies for Rent delivers real live canines straight to your door in the hopes that you’ll fall in love and eventually adopt them and take them home with you to Nashville. Or callously use them to meet women instead of renting a wingman. Seriously, it's a lot cheaper.

photographers
Flickr user epSos .de

Crowd/paparazzi in NYC, SF, LA
Why spend your annual vacation relaxing on a secluded beach when you can strut about town like a celebrity? In LA, San Francisco, and NYC, Celeb 4 a Day offers several packages (starting at $500) where you (the “talent”) hire fake paparazzi to follow you around and take your picture. Crowds on Demand based in NYC not only hires paparazzi, but also provides crowds of fake fans to ensure you receive your (purchased) fifteen minutes of fame.

best friends
Wikimedia Commons

Literally hire a friend anywhere in the world
With a name that's in no way designed to confuse you, RentAFriend.com is exactly what is sounds like -- a site where you can literally rent a friend. Part sad, part weird, it's been around since 2009 and currently advertises "over 513,782 people available for hire" around the world. Rates start at $10 an hour which, sadly, means you can rent a person for five bucks less than you can rent a dog!

white people
Gaikokujin

Rent white people in Japan
Well, renting foreigners in general (many of whom happen to be white) is a thing. And you should read about it, right here.