Anyone do/did a morning paper route?

Hardest part is getting up very early, every day.

Yeah, I thought about that 7 day a week with no days off thing. Rain or shine. At least I won't be freezing my nads off.

I did one for about a year. The money isn't too bad, but the hard part is just the getting up early and no days off thing (especially holidays). But if you are just doing it for the summer it should be a pretty good deal. The way mine worked is that I drove about 15 minutes to a distribution center to pick up and stuff the papers, then drove back and did the route. I had about 160 papers and all told from the time I left my house it took about two hours or so. Putting together the Sunday paper took the longest because it came in three parts, but we got the ads/comics on Friday or Saturday, so I showed up a little early one of those days and put those togther to save some time on Sunday since you usually have more papers to worry about. Once you learn the route its definitely not hard, but getting up at 3 a.m. can be kind of a grind, especially if you have to turn around and go to work that morning, too. But for a short-term thing it wouldn't be too bad.

Yes, I delived newspapers back in the early 1970's. I had a route of about 60 houses, which I did on my bike. Iwas in 6th and 7th grade. It was after school.

On Sundays my saddle bags were so full I could hardly ride. I'd be out there every day, usually in the rain, with a flat tire on my bike and one glove lost somewhere, and the old man whose house was about halfway through my route waiting for me every day, "It's about time, you late lazy kid!" he'd usually shout at me. No tip from him on payday either. It was sure misery (but the money was great for being a 12 year old).

There was one family, with a bunch of kids. The dad's name was Tom Seaver, like the Mets pitcher. He always gave me a HUGE tip. I was never so grateful. I'm a super generous tipper now as an adult--probably because I'm trying to pass on the way he made me feel (like I counted).

In college I played guitar in a restaurant for 25 times the money my peers were making at their jobs. The paper route is mostly a bad memory. My guitar playing gig still gives me a warm feeling.

Jim Ryun had a morning paper route in HS.

Things to consider: If you are delivering in your car... you will get killed at the pump these days. Your brakes and transmission will take a beating. They will make you pay for bands and bags most likely. Route profit is nowhere near what they tell you it will be when all is said and done. If you can ask your DM (district manager) who the tippers are and take care of them. You need tips to survive. The only way to make decent earnings as a carrier is on a motor route. This is usually 20-60 miles but all forward driving and tube delivery or driveway tosses so not nearly the strain on the car. Is your delivery porch delivery or driveway? If driveway, there may be some hope. I have never seen a porch delivery route that was worth doing for anyone over the age of 12. Learn how to band tight and get a good toss. You can get an hour route down to 45 minutes if you know how to throw a paper. I was a district manager for a paper and now work as a contract driver training carriers and fixing out of control routes. It may seem like a good idea to park the car, throw a street and then get back in and drive to the next street but it will kill your time. You might consider a carrier bag and just walking the whole thing to save your car. Also, don't waste time bagging before you start. Hang the bags from your glove compartment or on your gear shift - sometimes your mirror will work - and bag as you go. Bottom line is go for the motor route though. Where I work, a three hour motor route pays over $1200 a month but 2 90 minute porch routes pay less than $750. Depending on how big a town you deliver in, make sure the cops know who you are. No one I know has been given a ticket on their route in spite of the fact that we get followed all the time. As soon as they recognize us, they forgive us for driving on the wrong side of the street and rolling stop signs and even dodging in and out of people's yards at 3am. Talk to the manager and ask about a "k" driver position position as the pay is better and you can do a 5 day work week.

Did an afternoon job for 9 months, until the paper went bankrupt. It was in a condominium and 20-30 houses in the area. Could not have been easier. $100/month for a 12yr old in 1978. Great $

Then a morning job in my neighborhood. That was hell. Up at 430 every morning, had to deal w/ rain (plastic bags), snow, complaints etc.

Delivered papers for over three years in the snow of northern new england. Never rode a bike, always walked or ran. Took me from 4:30am to 6:30am each morning. On a good day I could finish closer to 6:00am.

Then I delivered the afternoon paper for a year until I got into high school and cross country.

When I moved to SoCal I lived in a high rise and discovered the work my paperboy was putting in in my building. He would ride the elevator to the top floor and stand in the doorway and toss papers left, then right and ride to the next floor. He would finish in 30 minutes or less and walk a total of .05 miles a day.

Kids these days have their moms drive them around their gated community in the family SUV or they ride their $3,000. Segwa PT.

Don't blame McDonald's for a fat and lazy America.

I had an am paper route from 8th grade (1975) until I gradated from HS (1980). 3.5 miles long. I ran it every day, except Sunday. The pm route delivered on Sunday am. In the beginning I ran/walked it because I had to. But it got me in shape for track and then lept me in shape for XC and track in HS. 5:00 am every morning. Trust me - I hated it some days, but I needed and liked the money and appreciated the excuse for running. The worst part was collecting the money from my customers. Lots of tips at xmas though.

Delivering papers in the a.m. was my first job, first athletic practice. I did it long enough to pay for the bike I got to do it with:) .One speed something or other that got totalled in a downhill race one summer. Still ended up walking to school. When I started jogging at about ten yrs old. (Oh, this was, well, some years ago, say just before Korea kicked in.)

The hard part and quite an accomplishment was learning to ride without using hands so you could throw papers.

Collecting was the hard part--some people thought the paper should be free--and so did their dogs. :(

But then some folks tipped if you got the paper on target on the porch. Well, folding them was also a hassle--esp. on rainy days. All that wax paper. (yup, wax.)