Was Anyone Else a Paperboy?
#76
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I delivered the Times-Union in Albany, NY for a few years. I'll guess I was 12 - 14 and I had what was then a suburban route. I covered about 3 miles, and a few small hills. I had some sort of 26" bike, typical of the day, but by saving up I was able to buy a new bike. I'm guessing it was about $50, a ton of $ back then, but this bike was special! It had an "automatic transmission!" It was a "Monkey Ward" (Montgomery Ward, a Sears Roebuck like catalog company) bike. It had a coaster brake, but you could also shift gears from low to high by back pedaling slighly. It was really nice having the gear on the few hills, but there was a design flaw. The axle had a thinner area that allowed the shifting to occur. That was a weak point, and the axle failed at that point twice. It was then I returned the bike and went back to a standard bike.
Delivering the papers was not bad except for Sunday when the papers were 2 or 3 times as big, requiring several trips back to home base. Collecting was another PIA, trying to catch people at home and dealing with 'slow payers.' But Christmas was great when people would give you a buck or two Christmas gift!
Delivering the papers was not bad except for Sunday when the papers were 2 or 3 times as big, requiring several trips back to home base. Collecting was another PIA, trying to catch people at home and dealing with 'slow payers.' But Christmas was great when people would give you a buck or two Christmas gift!
#77
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Started throwing the Pensacola News-Journal in May '72, and I kept on, other than a short excursion to work at a motorcycle shop.The first route was taken to pay my dad back for helping me buy my first true "10-speed Italian" racing bicycle, a Bottecchia. I threw the papers from a Sears/Puch/A-D, I swapped the drop bars out for up-right traditional American bars, that could hold the canvas bag others have posted about in this thread. Also, I managed to pay for several motocross motorcycles as well as my bicycles. With tips included, I usually made around $80 to $100 weekly from that large route, that was really good money back in the early 70s.
Bill
Bill
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I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
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#78
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Delivered the Phoenix Gazette from 68-70. The first Sunday the bike was too heavy for me to ride. Walked half the route before I could get on.
#79
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close to my area and era. Delivered the Arizona Republic in the mid 60's for 3-ish years. Used a big tank of an old Schwinn with a springer front fork. Didn't have to worry about any climbing with it as the total vertical for the route was probably about 2 ft. Highlight of the day was often finding a milkman doing deliveries and buying a qt of chocolate milk off the truck.
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close to my area and era. Delivered the Arizona Republic in the mid 60's for 3-ish years. Used a big tank of an old Schwinn with a springer front fork. Didn't have to worry about any climbing with it as the total vertical for the route was probably about 2 ft. Highlight of the day was often finding a milkman doing deliveries and buying a qt of chocolate milk off the truck.
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Wasn't there a law, that said you had to deliver newspapers, before you could get into junior high? I inherited a route from my older brother, delivering the New Castle News, but didn't do it very long, because we moved. I didn't suffer too much though, grass cutting jobs seemed to find me, wether I wanted them or not.
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Chicago Tribune in the early 70's-I was in my early teens. it was a great 5am work-out. Rode my bike in the summer (the sun was up) with my bag across the handlebars. Ran carrying the bag in the spring and fall. Trudged through the snow in the winter all bundled up. It was a great work-out!
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Back in 1972-3, I delivered the paper. 65 cents a week and I kept 15 cents. I had 62 houses on my route. Did not use my bicycle. It was an evening paper so I would start after school by walking over to the paper shack and hoofing 62 papers a half mile to my route. The Saturday paper was really heavy. I did make some money at Christmas. I bought a pile of Christmas cards and wrote a Merry Christmas Customer name from your paper boy. I got almost $50 in tips.
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Back in 1972-3, I delivered the paper. 65 cents a week and I kept 15 cents. I had 62 houses on my route. Did not use my bicycle. It was an evening paper so I would start after school by walking over to the paper shack and hoofing 62 papers a half mile to my route. The Saturday paper was really heavy. I did make some money at Christmas. I bought a pile of Christmas cards and wrote a Merry Christmas Customer name from your paper boy. I got almost $50 in tips.
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Not knowing much about paper delivery, I signed up to deliver the Bergen Evening Record. Unknowingly, I got a dual route that wasn't too difficult but did include a section of road with a 45mph speed. Kind of scary. Customers were not particularly generous with tip money. Wound up being forced to give the routes up since I was too young to be a delivery boy. No love lost for sure. Route required a return to paper drop using my sister's fat tired bike with front plus dual rear baskets and shoulder bag.
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Why does this thread keep causing me to reminisce?
More than any other.
More than any other.
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Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
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I'm glad to see this tread also. I delivered the Chicago Daily News in the afternoons after school in the early 60's on my Schwinn. We could borrow a steel rack that went onto the handlebars that would hold your paper bag and papers. It made for a heavy load some days and precarious steering at times. When the snow and ice got too bad I would put a cardboard box onto a sled and drug it for several miles in the dark. The steel rack would slightly crush the handlebar tubing, so you could always tell when a bike had been used to deliver papers. We didn't have to collect, so we got fewer tips but had less hassle. My best customers got their papers placed in between the storm door and front door all year round.
#88
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Boy, this brings back memories.
I, too, delivered the Chicago Daily News in my hometown of Normal, IL Since it wasn't a local paper my route covered a fairly large geographic area, about the size of 3 local Bloomington Pantagraph routes. I used my old red single speed Schwinn, which I still have and will someday be a make-believe parody gray and white Gray Phantom, with most of the correct phantom parts. They would drop the papers off on the street corner across from my house and I would fold them up and place them in the twin baskets on the back of my Schwinn. I wonder how many people can correctly fold a newspaper into the square pattern for tossing 50 feet to a customer's front porch. We had to collect each week from each of our customers and had to make sure we had enough money collected to meet our quota ... all else was our profit. Some weeks were pretty scarce. Christmas bonuses were nice, tho.!
Hillcountry, where in hill country are you? I lived in New Braunfels for around 7 years. Back in Illinois now.
I, too, delivered the Chicago Daily News in my hometown of Normal, IL Since it wasn't a local paper my route covered a fairly large geographic area, about the size of 3 local Bloomington Pantagraph routes. I used my old red single speed Schwinn, which I still have and will someday be a make-believe parody gray and white Gray Phantom, with most of the correct phantom parts. They would drop the papers off on the street corner across from my house and I would fold them up and place them in the twin baskets on the back of my Schwinn. I wonder how many people can correctly fold a newspaper into the square pattern for tossing 50 feet to a customer's front porch. We had to collect each week from each of our customers and had to make sure we had enough money collected to meet our quota ... all else was our profit. Some weeks were pretty scarce. Christmas bonuses were nice, tho.!
Hillcountry, where in hill country are you? I lived in New Braunfels for around 7 years. Back in Illinois now.
#89
I was a paperboy 1965-1967 and delivered the Bergen Evening Record in NJ. My main delivery bicycle was an old three speed outfitted with large steel baskets (Wald I think). With the money I made I bought my first 10-speed: a Schwinn Varsity. I used the 10-speed on "light-days" carrying the papers in shoulder bag.
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I was a paperboy 1965-1967 and delivered the Bergen Evening Record in NJ. My main delivery bicycle was an old three speed outfitted with large steel baskets (Wald I think). With the money I made I bought my first 10-speed: a Schwinn Varsity. I used the 10-speed on "light-days" carrying the papers in shoulder bag.
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Yup, the Detroit News.
I started petty young in the mid 50's, and when I was old enough to get a work permit, I became the "Station Captain". I made $35 from my route, and $35 a week for babysitting 16 other carriers, handing out their papers, figuring out their bills for the week's papers, and doing the other paperwork. Due to my age I was legally limited to 20 hours a week. When I did exceed 20 hours I could not claim the time. However, my District Manager always kept me supplied with tickets to the Detroit Red Wings' and the Tigers' games.
I started petty young in the mid 50's, and when I was old enough to get a work permit, I became the "Station Captain". I made $35 from my route, and $35 a week for babysitting 16 other carriers, handing out their papers, figuring out their bills for the week's papers, and doing the other paperwork. Due to my age I was legally limited to 20 hours a week. When I did exceed 20 hours I could not claim the time. However, my District Manager always kept me supplied with tickets to the Detroit Red Wings' and the Tigers' games.
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I was never a paperboy as my mom would not let me. The big Family next door had several routes and I would help out once in a while. That was in the 70's.
Then from 1990-93 I was a Circulation District Manager with the Joliet Herald News. Back then it was an afternoon daily and Morning on Sat and Sunday. I liked the job except for 'crewing' to get new subscribers. I actually rode my bike a few times with a couple of carriers who were having issues with certain customers. I remember one Sun I had a route that the kid who had it was going away for vacation and could not find a sub for that one day. I delivered to a house where there was a broken flower pot on the porch. Sure enough I got a complaint on Monday morning from the Lady at that house complaining the paperboy broke her flower pot. She was speechless when I told her I actually delivered her paper myself and it was already broken when I arrived.
The things I learned while a DM.
1. A route was a whole family commitment not just for the kid.
2. Some kids were awful or lazy carriers and would lie to my face when confronted about problems on their routes.
3. There was no time off for a carrier.
4. People would screw over a kid on collections. I guess they figured they were cheating the paper not knowing the kid had to pay for their paper up front....
5. The Circulation Director I worked for was a dirtbag and would do things to make his circulation numbers look good but ultimately balance the books on the backs of teenage kids. I quit because of this!!!
Max Bryant
Then from 1990-93 I was a Circulation District Manager with the Joliet Herald News. Back then it was an afternoon daily and Morning on Sat and Sunday. I liked the job except for 'crewing' to get new subscribers. I actually rode my bike a few times with a couple of carriers who were having issues with certain customers. I remember one Sun I had a route that the kid who had it was going away for vacation and could not find a sub for that one day. I delivered to a house where there was a broken flower pot on the porch. Sure enough I got a complaint on Monday morning from the Lady at that house complaining the paperboy broke her flower pot. She was speechless when I told her I actually delivered her paper myself and it was already broken when I arrived.
The things I learned while a DM.
1. A route was a whole family commitment not just for the kid.
2. Some kids were awful or lazy carriers and would lie to my face when confronted about problems on their routes.
3. There was no time off for a carrier.
4. People would screw over a kid on collections. I guess they figured they were cheating the paper not knowing the kid had to pay for their paper up front....
5. The Circulation Director I worked for was a dirtbag and would do things to make his circulation numbers look good but ultimately balance the books on the backs of teenage kids. I quit because of this!!!
Max Bryant
#94
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snip...The things I learned while a DM.
1. A route was a whole family commitment not just for the kid.
2. Some kids were awful or lazy carriers and would lie to my face when confronted about problems on their routes.
3. There was no time off for a carrier.
4. People would screw over a kid on collections. I guess they figured they were cheating the paper not knowing the kid had to pay for their paper up front....
5. The Circulation Director I worked for was a dirtbag and would do things to make his circulation numbers look good but ultimately balance the books on the backs of teenage kids. I quit because of this!!!
Max Bryant
1. A route was a whole family commitment not just for the kid.
2. Some kids were awful or lazy carriers and would lie to my face when confronted about problems on their routes.
3. There was no time off for a carrier.
4. People would screw over a kid on collections. I guess they figured they were cheating the paper not knowing the kid had to pay for their paper up front....
5. The Circulation Director I worked for was a dirtbag and would do things to make his circulation numbers look good but ultimately balance the books on the backs of teenage kids. I quit because of this!!!
Max Bryant
I too truly despised soliciting, and I refused to do it on another paper boys' route, period. My last, large route had nearly 98% subscription, and the few that didn't subscribe were hard core non PNJ folks. It was useless to even knock on their doors, so I never bothered them.
I had an arrangement with the complaints department for them to call me at home if I got a complaint. I tool the subscriber a paper on the way to school, and it avoided the cost of the complaint being added to the weeks bill for my papers.
I threw right up until leaving for the Marines, my route had some great folks living there, I have kept track of many of them, sadly, the older people are dying off and that hits home for me. When my dad passed away while helping me deliver a huge Sunday edition, they took up a collection and presented it to me during a collection evening, that was amazing to experience.
Best tip I ever received from the years of delivering was a certain beautiful,black haired, brown eyed, olive complected girl becoming my wife. I learned organization, responsibility, and to get to bed early, 0400 comes really early and if you were out with the partyers(sp?), you paid for it. Funny thing was, when I got to PI, revile didn't seem early to me, that was close to my normal wake up.
Bill
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Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
#95
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Late 50's I delivered a TN. morning paper in Huntsville AL. Since it was an out of town paper - customers were few and far apart. Don't remember exactly but think my route was about 15 miles. Summer wasn't bad but getting papers delivered before school in the winter was not fun.
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I didn't deliver newspapers, I delivered Western Union Telegrams. Better money since the tips were more frequent. But there was this one lady who lived at the top of tallest hill who received one to two telegrams every week, she never tipped. I used to climb that hill on an"english racer" knowing all I was getting was the 50 cents from Western union. So I would pretend the pedals were her forehead.
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I don't know why but on my morning hill climb this morning I was thinking about when I was a kid delivering papers on my bike. I remembered the old 24" bike I built from parts found at the town dump and how we used to hang the paperbag over the rear rack and then catch the strap on the axle end on the opposite side (neither me or my friends could afford baskets). It stayed there just due to the weight, but your ride was lopsided. I did this everyday after school for about two years. I think I had about 60 customers and a route that probably covered about 4 miles. I remember it had one killer hill and I used to use the old weave back and forth method to get up it.
Geez, the things you think about when grinding the hills.
So, anyone else?
Geez, the things you think about when grinding the hills.
So, anyone else?
Oh how I do remember my fellow cyclist,,,, I was 9 years old when I had my first paper route, about 55 customers to be exact and covered about 4 miles also. I had a Schwinn Apple Crate 5 speed stick before I moved to a 10 speed road Schwwinn. Fast forward many years,,, now at 55 soon to be 56 I am on a Trek 8.4 Dual Sport targeting 100 miles plus per week. I see a Cannondale Carbon Quick 1 over the horizon as I am always on the road versus trail however, still like the flat bar with horn extensions. And I like to average 15-17 mph per trip. Happy Cycyling !!
#98
Senior Member
Great stories, has me reminiscing. I forget how I stumbled on my route in a Michigan farm town, but it was around 30 customers only afternoons after school and mornings on the weekends. After a bit I asked for another of about the same size and had to hustle a bit to make the cut-off time. My dad never helped during the bad weather, he said "it's not my paper route, it's yours". Felt kinda harsh but taught me to suck it up and take my job, all of it, the good AND the bad.
I delivered on a 20" bmx bike with a shoulder bag, I'd deliver one route and it conveniently ended where the papers were for the second. This was in the late 70's and I think I only made about $15-ish per week per route. I thankfully did not have to collect and probably missed a few tips. Don't recall getting any even thought I was very reliable with maybe one or 2 complaints total.
The Sunday's were brutal and with the shoulder bag, talk about leaning! All were around town deliveries but I had to walk each one to the door and place it between the screen door and the main door, every one. I helped my cousin with his route one time where he walked and threw them, so jealous!
I had it for maybe 6 months or so then found a job with the local department store. Great time though out there riding solo glancing at the front page, I still vividly remember 3 Mile Island on the front page.
I delivered on a 20" bmx bike with a shoulder bag, I'd deliver one route and it conveniently ended where the papers were for the second. This was in the late 70's and I think I only made about $15-ish per week per route. I thankfully did not have to collect and probably missed a few tips. Don't recall getting any even thought I was very reliable with maybe one or 2 complaints total.
The Sunday's were brutal and with the shoulder bag, talk about leaning! All were around town deliveries but I had to walk each one to the door and place it between the screen door and the main door, every one. I helped my cousin with his route one time where he walked and threw them, so jealous!
I had it for maybe 6 months or so then found a job with the local department store. Great time though out there riding solo glancing at the front page, I still vividly remember 3 Mile Island on the front page.
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Wow, very nostalgic. I delivered the Berkeley (CA) Daily Gazette for a couple years, can't believe I did that. I rode a balloon-tire Huffy with a heavy duty steel rack in back on which I hung the canvas bag. The bag had a big pocket on each side and a hole in the middle, so if you walked the route you could put your head thru the hole and carry the bags that way.
The bundle of sixty papers would be dumped on the street corner, and they gave us a round piece of steel, looked like those four-way spoke wrenches, but you used the small notches to cut the wire holding the bundle. The Gazette was usually thin enough that you could fold the papers in a "tomahawk fold," (nothing to do with the Atlanta Braves, hey they were still in Milwaukee in those days). Sixty folded papers went into the canvas bags, then the fun began. I'd ride down to the first street on the route, reach back and pull a paper out of the quiver, zip onto the sidewalk, then hurl that sucker across the lawn and onto the porch. Wham! Right against the screen door, boy would that piss them off if they were home. A low shot, skidding over the concrete walkway, maybe some damage to the newsprint. A high shot,ending up on the roof. Oh well, maybe they'll climb up and get it. Or I'd hear about it at monthly collection time. End of route, and I've got an extra paper I can bring home. Did I miss a house? Or maybe I'd be short and I'd have to call the DA (district advisor) when I got home to have him deliver that last house.
Yeah, pretty sad that today the paper is delivered by car by some older person. But I think the paper route really honed my bike skills. Throwing a paper off the bike is not unlike doing a handsling in a madison. I never thought about that...
- Luis
The bundle of sixty papers would be dumped on the street corner, and they gave us a round piece of steel, looked like those four-way spoke wrenches, but you used the small notches to cut the wire holding the bundle. The Gazette was usually thin enough that you could fold the papers in a "tomahawk fold," (nothing to do with the Atlanta Braves, hey they were still in Milwaukee in those days). Sixty folded papers went into the canvas bags, then the fun began. I'd ride down to the first street on the route, reach back and pull a paper out of the quiver, zip onto the sidewalk, then hurl that sucker across the lawn and onto the porch. Wham! Right against the screen door, boy would that piss them off if they were home. A low shot, skidding over the concrete walkway, maybe some damage to the newsprint. A high shot,ending up on the roof. Oh well, maybe they'll climb up and get it. Or I'd hear about it at monthly collection time. End of route, and I've got an extra paper I can bring home. Did I miss a house? Or maybe I'd be short and I'd have to call the DA (district advisor) when I got home to have him deliver that last house.
Yeah, pretty sad that today the paper is delivered by car by some older person. But I think the paper route really honed my bike skills. Throwing a paper off the bike is not unlike doing a handsling in a madison. I never thought about that...
- Luis
My brothers bike was inoperable one sunday morning and just like you describe we had the canvas bag with pockets and hole in the middle. I had broken my coaster hub on my huffy bmx bike. it pedaled fine and the screw was in place for the drum but it was smoked and did not stop. He did not know this when he took my bike. He strapped on as many papers as he could pick up
He discovered this fault right around 4 % and had no choice but to ride it through from the graph in the picture. He held it made to the flat and crashed at the end of the cul de sac at the bottom.
I substituted for about a year and finally earned a route but after breaking a rack on a sunday being yelled at for being late and remembering my my brothers trial I decided my yard route was enough
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Too funny to see this post. YES, I was a paper boy for the Herald Examiner (they are no more). It was my first real job. Grew up with used Schwinn Stringrays with various motorcycle handlebars and piece meal parts to keep them going or make them better. The paper route allowed me to buy my very first brand new bike, a yellow Schwinn Springray that was my pride and joy. IIRC it was about $75. That was serious kid money! Pedaled smooth. Didn't make clunks, scretches or funky scrapping noises and rolled and stopped effortlessly. I was in hevean for 2 weeks, until it got stollen right off my neighbors front porch...
Never bought another brand new bike until about 10 years later. Just couldn't aford the finance hit when people take them, locked or not.
We used a milk crate cut to slide onto the stringray handlebars so the papers were right in front of you. Got pretty good at throwing papers on the fly, while trying to better the total route speed to keep it interesting. My favorite homemade Schwinn Stingray was built from the ground up, painted Schwinn Metallic Blue with new stickers (looked just like new, but at a third the price). Had a Banana Seat and Free-Wheel rear hub with one rear hand brake (although a sneaker on the front tire or lightly wedged between the front tire and the fork crown worked when one handing it with the non-brake side on the bars. Great way to do an "over-the-bars" stunt as well.
Now you got me thinking about songs I used to sing while riding (or racing motocross a few years later). Can't get Three Dog Night's "Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog" out of my mind.
Never bought another brand new bike until about 10 years later. Just couldn't aford the finance hit when people take them, locked or not.
We used a milk crate cut to slide onto the stringray handlebars so the papers were right in front of you. Got pretty good at throwing papers on the fly, while trying to better the total route speed to keep it interesting. My favorite homemade Schwinn Stingray was built from the ground up, painted Schwinn Metallic Blue with new stickers (looked just like new, but at a third the price). Had a Banana Seat and Free-Wheel rear hub with one rear hand brake (although a sneaker on the front tire or lightly wedged between the front tire and the fork crown worked when one handing it with the non-brake side on the bars. Great way to do an "over-the-bars" stunt as well.
Now you got me thinking about songs I used to sing while riding (or racing motocross a few years later). Can't get Three Dog Night's "Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog" out of my mind.