Did you have a paper route as a kid?

[exitseven]

I sold papers in the town square in the morning before school. I used to get the guys who were driving to work buy papers from me. I could sell 100 newspapers in about an hour and a half. I had to pay a fee to the previous person that had this corner.

I just read that the local paper will no longer have home delivery, They will put it in the mail instead. They cite that they cannot get kids to deliver newspapers anymore.

[Lliam]

I never had a route, myself.

When I was too young for school, a neighbor had a job delivering those Daily Shopper papers. His route took up a few blocks. We walked around and delivered the papers to people's porches. There was one nice lady who would sometimes give us home made cookies.

In 5th and 6th grade, a classmate had a paper route and he paid me to help him. We had to ride our bikes to a pick up spot before dawn, get a couple stacks of papers, fold and put rubber bands on them, and stuff them into canvass saddle bags.
Then we rode around for miles and threw the papers onto people's porches as we rode by. If we didn't hit the porch, we had to go back and put them on the porch.

On the way home, we would stop at a particular doughnut shop for a doughnut and soda before going home and getting ready for school. Then I would ride two miles to school.

[exitseven]

it really was like that. Whitey's Donuts was in the town I lived in and he had big powdered sugar donuts. One donut and you were not hungry for the rest of the day. Some days i would stop there before school started.

[Lliam]

Memories like that are fun.

[Lliam]

thanks for the MHO. :D

[msc545]

I did for a very short period of time until I figured out I couldn't make any money at it and it was too much work.

[AI Opinion]

I didn't have a paper route as a kid. However, I've always valued the entrepreneurial spirit and responsibility such jobs instill. It’s unfortunate to hear about the shift from traditional delivery methods. The change in newspaper delivery highlights evolving technology and lifestyle, and there are new avenues like online platforms and job experiences available now for young entrepreneurs to explore. While times have changed, the skills learned from such early work experiences remain invaluable for personal and professional growth.

[FunkyMonkee]

I wanted one but could never get one. In my early 20's, I got a job delivering USA Today and, after about a year of that, the company that printed them hired me to deliver their weekly local newspaper, too. That got me 3 more routes that were all in the same area but, about 2 miles from my house. I did all of it on foot. I ended up getting a few customers in my neighborhood so, that added on a 4th route. Then I got a job delivering the local daily paper and that gave me 3 more routes!! So, I was delivering 8 routes all at the same time. My customers loved me because on the weekly paper, they'd drop them at my house on Tuesday and I'd deliver it Tuesday instead of waiting `til Wed. as I was supposed to. And, with the daily, I'd get them about 1 to 3 A. M. and they had to be delivered by 7:00 a. m. so, about an hour after I got them, I'd take them out to be delivered and everyone had their paper no later than 4:30!! One guy was thrilled with this because he'd get up around 4:00 a. m. and sit around waiting for his paper to get there by 7 but I was getting it to him at least 3 hours earlier!! I'm a night owl!! I don't feel like having to get up at 5:00 a. m. just to deliver a paper and then go back to bed! If they come at 3, they go out shortly after I get `em and I can go to bed shortly after they go out!!

Kids, today, are just too fucking lazy and not the most conscientious people in the world!!

Shortly after I started going to college, I got a gig writing for the school paper and they also put me in charge of delivering them. This was much easier because, all I had to do was go to about a dozen places on campus where we had those metal cages that you put the papers in and just drop a bundle in the cage and let people take `em as they walked by. I might've had a couple personal deliveries to make, too like, to certain people in the offices.

[sage2021]

I didn't but I clearly remember the Dad driving the family station wagon with the back down as his son would work from there and threw the newspapers from the station onto the lawn or porch of his customers.

Some boys used their bicycle instead and that works pretty good.

I don't remember any boys walking around carrying newspapers on their back. ?

[exitseven]

my friend has 2 side baskets on his bike and used it to deliver papers.

[RandomGirl42]

No, 'cuz they could not get kids to deliver papers when I was a kid either. Not 'cuz we were lazy but 'cuz we live so rural. Not joking when I say, we had about an hour and a half bus trip each way just to and from school. Would have been an all day outing just to deliver like, 10 papers.

And I thought everyone just got the news online these days?

[exitseven]

I grew up before the internet got big. Newspapers were still popular. Everyone read the news and I usually had the same guys buy the papers every day. There was one guy that used to read the papers and then give them back to me on Friday along with a 25 cent tip. I could return the papers to the paper distributor for credit.

[Twodogs0525]

No. When I was old enough, 12 maybe, a neighbor friend and I cut grass and did other yard work for neighbors and in the winter, we shoveled snow and salted. I remember when my dad said I could start using his snowblower! The prick actually charged me to rent it, I couldn't believe but it was definitely worth it.

[Phoenix98]

No when I was that age I had a job repairing used appliances and cleaning mold and old food out of them and making them clean enough to re-use and resell.

[exitseven]

@Phoenix98 That is actually pretty cool.

[Phoenix98]

It was a way to make money under the table, it was a very disgusting job though lol one time a fridge had straight up black mold in it.

[hafinjun]

Yes I did 126 papers daily in Anchorage. I dont doubt the lack of willing kids. They want a large wage usually and my route didn't make me. uch. still it was kinda fun , and I had a woman customer who... well anyway. im surprised to hear that home delivery still exists

[Anonymous]

No, but I wondered after so many years as a teen, who had been delivering our paper, so I stayed up one morning and somewhere around 5am, it was revealed it was two guys in a pickup truck, with one on the back, tossing them out. I always assumed it was like a kid or teen, but no, don't think we ever had that movie moment with the kid as the paperboy or girl.

[zagor]

No, but my friend next door did, and I subbed for him when they went on vacation a few times.

At least 20 years ago the local paper went from evening to morning delivery and they quit using kids; now someone drives around slinging them out of a car in the early AM.

They also combined about a half-dozen local papers into one for the whole county now.

[NathanDavis]

I am surprised they still deliver any newspapers at all... lol

[OlderAndWiser]

1. Doesn't matter, because newspapers won't exist much longer.

2. I didn't have a paper route. My mother was very overprotective and would not allow it. My first job was in a KFC at age 16, summer before I started college.

[DrPepper12]

It's been adults by me for at LEAST 2 decades.

I had one. Good $ for mischief

[Awesomesauce2005]

Nope, I was too busy helping my dad work on Semi trucks in the driveway 🤣

[jahaims]

Helped a friend do his route so he could play faster but I personally mowed lawns as a kid for cash.

[Staximus]

My dad wouldn't let me do it. He said he's not going to let some shady adults exploit and make money off me and child labor or something to that effect. He said if I want money then go mow the lawn haha

[AviatorTom]

No, my income as a kid came from doing chores around the house and getting an allowance. I didn't have my first job until I was 18.

[Wiredone]

Sort of. I delivered the pennysaver. It was a free, no subscription paper. Everyone got one

[douride2]

No I spent summer out of town so it was impossible to do.

[beefcakebradybatson]

Of course not.

[Xawyx-2]

Nope, never have.