CARRIER: Tribute to King George

“Hi George! Good morning!”

That’s what I would say, if I ever saw George. But, I can’t, because I’ve never seen him. The reason is that George delivers my Coeur d’Alene Press to me every day, and it is here before 4 a.m. Man, at 4 a.m., I’m still cutting zzzz’s.

The reason I’m telling you this is because I have never had a newspaper delivery person like George, in nearly 60 years of subscribing to the local newspaper, wherever I have lived. I have lived in Coeur d’Alene 15 years, and have taken The Press since I moved here. I’ve had a wide variety of carriers, from, as the saying goes, the good, the bad and the ugly. Most of my carrier experience here has been fairly good, although a few were very trying. Sometimes I had to retrieve my paper from the street, the sidewalk, the driveway, the lawn, the snow bank, and yes, even my roof (three times, same carrier!).

As a youngster, I delivered newspapers for several years, and before I was old enough to take on a route, I sold papers on the street and in the saloons, in a small western Montana town. Tips were always a big part of my income, and good service usually renders good tips. I have always tipped the carriers, even the “not so reliable” ones (they just received less, depending on their reliability or unreliability!).

Let’s get back to George. He delivers, no, he places my newspaper in exactly the same spot, on my front deck, right next to my front door, against the wall. The location is so precise you’d swear he laid it out with survey instruments. AND, the paper is bound with a rubber band, so it won’t blow away, and if it’s raining or snowing, it is tucked safely inside a plastic sleeve. It has been this way, every single day, since last fall when George took over the route I’m on.

After the first couple weeks, I became curious about the consistent delivery, and decided to pay my semi-annual renewal in person, rather than mailing it in to The Press. When I visited the Coeur d’Alene Press Circulation Office downtown, I asked about my new delivery person, George. It was then that I learned that “George” had recently retired from The Press Circulation Department, and I believe he was the Department Manager. He decided that, in his retirement, he would take a part-time job as a carrier. Am I ever glad that he did.

So, if you are fortunate enough to have “George” as your delivery person, or another one who serves you well, please remember to be generous with your tips. I calculate my tip the same way I do when I receive a free meal or a discount on my meal when eating out. I tip on the basis of what the real cost would have been. Base your tip on the cost of the paper if you had to buy it at the newsstand every day. The actual newsstand cost of the daily and Sunday papers is approximately $30 a month (75 cents daily and $2 Sunday, plus the cost of gasoline to pick it up), not the discounted rate you receive for paying several months at a time. I tip 20 percent of the $30 monthly rate times 6 months, so the semi-annual tip is $36. AND, that’s a bargain.

Try it, and I’ll bet you receive even better service, from your George, or Linda, or Matthew, than you do now.

Keep up the great work, George! And one day this summer, I may just get up early, so I can finally meet my Press carrier …

DON FRASER

Coeur d’Alene