Reporters delivering Boston Globe

A good look at what the job is like, and the people who do it:

Delivering the paper: Long hours, low pay, no vacation - The Boston Globe

In a nutshell: Delivery drivers are recent immigrants, senior citizens and anyone else desperate to work horrible hours before reporting for their "day" job.

 

Some former drivers have told the Globe that ACI wanted them to deliver more papers for the same base rate. The new delivery routes also proved to be convoluted and time-consuming. Meanwhile, a group of about 15 North Shore delivery drivers walked off the job at 3 a.m. Sunday, saying ACI and its local subcontractor don’t offer enough work to each driver, misclassify them as independent contractors instead of employees, and require them to pick up papers from a distant distribution center in Woburn, where they are forced to bag papers outside or in their cars.

Contrary to corporate thinking, you can cut corners, and humiliate humans, only so far.

Who's got next?

 

I can't even imagine how tough a route must be in the middle of the night in some areas that are poorly lit and hard to find address numbers.

 

I did that once, though not for newspapers.
I was given a flashlight and told to shine it on house numbers.

That's a good way to get a shotgun pointed your way on rural routes. Good times.

 

I did it for about a week a few years ago. Wife got a job in a new town, so I thought I'd try it to make money immediately. She was previously a district manager, and I had helped her deliver downed routes before. (Best excuse of having a carrier drop a route: Called from jail to say he was arrested for a bar fight.)

Anyway, this was February in Idaho, so my first attempt at a small route was miserable. I lasted a week. First, it's not a great job for someone who had had a prior back surgery. Nearly everyone has a box, but everyone wants it on their damn door step. The route was small in amount of papers, but when one paper is delivered for every 30 houses, the area covered is huge. You have to use a car. It's unabale to be walked. So it's constantly getting into and out of the car. Also, good luck finding house numbers or street signs in heavy snow or ice fog.

Plus, twice a week I was required to throw these special publications to non-subscribers, showing them what they're missing. I couldn't throw randomly either, and the list was three times larger than the actual subscriber list.

Delivering papers is hard, low-paying work. I'm surprised the business hasn't collapsed. I wouldn't blame people for not wanting the work. Working retail is easier and pays better.

 

Speaking as someone who worked in retail during my teenage years, I would prefer delivering newspapers 10 times out of 10.

 

What's a "print edition"?

 

Right up to the point you spend every other paycheck on brakes, tires or general repairs.

 

As a former paper boy I would take retail. Retail is generally indoors- blizzards were hell- and you have days off.

Today papers have penetration rates of about 15%. So that works out to about three-four deliveries a block. As circulation continues to decline these guys have to drive further and further to make the same money.

 

I do feel sorry for delivery people. It is a horrible job for reasons already mentioned.
I remember one time a circulation call got filtered to the newsroom and some lady was demanding a newspaper be delivered so I drove it over there on the way to dinner. She remained pissed when I handed it to her. Not that I blame her. I can't believe I delivered it though. Nobody in the circulation department gave a shit about my job and here I'm delivering a newspaper. They finally got it right and no circulation calls were able to filter through to the newsroom at that shop.