Digital Gee

I was a Newspaper Delivery Engineer for the now defunct afternoon Cleveland Press. I had two routes, with about 50 customers on each. I can still remember the smell of the newspapers when they were still warm and just off the delivery truck!

I still remember the blue canvas bag that carried the papers over my rear rack, the guy who had the German shephard in his garage and insisted on having the paper delivered to his milk shute, the guy who always left the week's money in HIS milk shute with a 50 cent tip AND a Milky Way candy bar, and how hard it was to do the route in the winter. People would swerve to go INTO puddles to splash me, and drive off, laughing.

I had another customer with 5 bulldogs which scared the *** out of me. I also remember going around to collect with a ring of cards, and a hole punch, and hoping enough customers were home to make enough to pay the week's obligation.

I also remember a kid on the next street over who'd made a go-kart from a lawn mower and had his own paper route as well, and how envious I was of him.

And last, I remember what it was like to do my collections just before Christmas and have so many customers give me a whole dollar tip that I would come close to $50 in tips which was an astonishing sum for me in those days. (Come to think of it, it still is!)

I think being a Newspaper Delivery Manager (I promoted myself) was something that helped form my character, such as it is, and I wish they still let youngsters do it. Times have changed, and something was lost.

Oh yeah -- and I remember rain. Lots, and lots, and lots of rain. The delivery bag had a flap that kept the papers dry, sort of. But I never really enjoyed delivering in the rain!