Any Former Paperboys On the Forum?

[Diesel911]

I tried it for 6 months. It turned out to be rather pathetic for me.

Every other Day I got a Flat Tire somewhere on My Route and had to push the Bike Back Home and fix it.

I spent some of the Money I earned on Thorn Proof Inner Tubes and the very next day got as far as the Corner of My Street and ran over A Tack and got a Flat.

There was some Bigger Kid from a competing Paper that did not like Me in His Territory. We had Fight while We were still seated on our Bikes. I hit this Guy many time to no noticeable effect.
Before He left he grabbed several Papers out of My Bag and threw the shredding part of the Papers and I had to go home to replace them.

The next time I saw that Guy I used My Bike as a Ram and rammed Him right in the Center. That only reduced the problems I was having with Him when He saw Me.

When School started I was falling asleep in Class and I was only an average Student so sleeping made it worse.

People are always trying to get away with not paying for their Paper and you needed to go back to their House several times to collect.

What turned out to be the read deal killer was that My Parents insisted that all the Money go into the Bank and I had to beg for Money from them any time I wanted to buy something with it.

Not having access to the Fruits of My Labor took away the main reason for working.

Then for Years after I quite My Parents used the Paper Route as an example and b i t c h e d/compained at Me for "Being A Quitter".

But, I will always remember having that Paper Route.

[SwampYankee]

10 @#$%*&* years with the Hartford rag.

I started out as a contract carrier after son #1 was born and my wife started staying at home. I picked up the daily bundles from a feeder box truck and delivered them to the paper carriers' houses. I think there were 12 drops on my route. Then on Saturdays I'd pick up the inserts for the Sunday paper and deliver those. I had a crew cab F350 with side boards and it would completely fill the bed over the boards and the back seat. In addition to that I had a route of about 160 customers that was bag & toss/tube so I could blow through that portion pretty quick in the car, hazards on, driving down the wrong side of the street. $1300 every two weeks for four years. Wasn't too shabby coin for a part-time gig.

Fifth year in the paper switched to a depot set up where carriers had to pick up their own papers and inserts at a central location. I was able to pick up a route of 150 customers that was close to my original one bag & toss route that I still had. Of that 310 total, there were about 20 with specific delivery locations. It worked out to about $700 every two weeks plus service/performance bonus from the paper and Christmas tip (average was $10-some paid none, some paid $50+) from the customers.

The distribution management was poor and things got progressively worse. The paper eventually cut out performance and service bonuses and cut back on reimbursements. Combined with the inability to find sub's anytime I needed to travel for business or for a day or two of vacation, I decided it was time to call it quits. The arseholes there made that an easy decision, despite having most of that money already earmarked before the paychecks even came.

They've since separated themselves from distribution completely and put the contract out to bid every two years to the lowest bidder who then hires, or doesn't, the current carriers. I've talked to some carriers who have been there for 20 years that say things have gotten even worse and are done after this Christmas.

It's no surprise that the carrier in my neighborhood has changed 4 times in the past 4 years. The days of the 12yo kid on a bike with a paper route are gone around here.

[sloride]

One thing that I remember was when I delivered the paper in my early teens, was the distribution manager telling us that if we did a good job, and gave good service we would earn more per year than eighty percent of the people on the planet before tips. I bet there are more than a few one percenters out there that started as paperboys.

[chasinthesun]

In the beginning of 1977 A big route of 600 customers paid for better bikes as I spent 2 yrs doing the PB chore ,a had a nice setup with 5spd gearing and heavy rims and tires,a real need in a bike when delivering the heavy Sunday editions.The baskets were offered but I modified my own for longer route runs,I did use the frt baskets The Houston Chronicle offed.I remember it was something like 250lbs of me , paper and pedal power. Early rise was 5 am on weekdays ,4 am for sundays .The paper would have to be assembled by you with directions on what advertisement packet would be sleeved 1st -5th ON SUNDAY THROWS ,this took as long of time as the delivery itself.I just know the penny counters at these Newspaper giants worked every angle to save a buck . I think it was 50 cents per customer each month ,so $300 per month which to a kid is like getting paid a gold brick. As a kid it really felt like you were your own boss .I remember the guy that hired me always liked calling me bike killer due to the fact I would be on a different bike each time he came by on errands ,I just said ,"no ,just a new and improved paper runner".

[sloride]

Originally Posted by barry12345

Delivered papers even during hurricane hazel in Toronto in 1954. I was eleven or twelve. . Had no ideal it was going on except the general conditions seemed really harsh that afternoon. Nearest I ever cane to being struck by lightning as well. Perhaps it hit 30 feet away.

Many people lost there lives that afternoon and evening. The houses proximity to each other possibly gave some breaking of the weather in the densily populated area of my route. The rain was more horrific than the winds.

Brought the route with 100 customers and enlarged it somewhat. Probably for 15.00 back then. As another member mentioned there were various promotions that got you places.

One nursing home I delivered to had an attractive nurse that collected the money for me. She would hike her uniform dress and fish the money out of the top of her nylons. This was in the days of garter belts and individual nylon stockings. I was quite young but never minded this weekly display.

It is a little sobering to realize that all of my customers back then have probably departed by now.

You should have told that nurse that we need to collect twice per week to improve cash flow

[SwampYankee]

Originally Posted by sloride

You should have told that nurse that we need to collect twice per week to improve cash flow

I was thankful that by the time I started, almost everyone was on credit card payments. I had 3 customers who were still collect for my first 2 years. After the first six months of arranging for payment pickups and making reminder calls, I just quit collecting from them. They got the rag for free for about a year and a half. After that it was all on credit cards.

[t walgamuth]

In the early sixties it was cash only. I learned all sorts of high finance to get the deal done when they did not have the right change. Like having them pay a larger sum so I can give a five dollar bill as change or such. I made a rule if they did not pay me for a month I'd cut them off. A few would come back and pay on time.

The collection angle has always been a part of business that I have paid particular attention to, and have always been pretty successful at getting paid for nearly everything I am owed.

[Dudesky]

Delivered the Pittsburgh Press for 2-3 yrs. Had a fair sized route, Had one customer who was consistently late in paying which screwed up my cut. On Sunday, the paper was supposed to be there before 8 or 9, I don't exactly remember now, but I made sure his was always the last one delivered after my route was done. He gave me some lip one day as he saw me skip him then come back. Wanted to know why I was doing this and I told him if he paid his bill on time, the paper might be there on time too. That got me a sit down in the kitchen with the route manager. LOL

[Mike Murrell]

Delivered papers 7 days a week for the San Antonio Light during my grade school and junior high years.

That publication went under some years ago. For many years, San Antonio had 2 daily newspapers.