The perils of winter newspaper delivery

My employee was crying when she called. After the brief conversation, we were concerned she may have a fractured elbow and a concussion. Thankfully, a trip to urgent care confirmed neither was the case, but she was certainly battered and bruised.

A subscriber had called to report that their newspaper had been tossed into the driveway instead of being placed on their porch, as it usually is, and requested our employee come to his house to bring it to his door. Our employee obliged and after stepping onto the porch and knocking on the door she slipped on a fresh layer of snow-covered ice and fell.

The subscriber opened his door, found our customer service representative lying on the porch, took the paper from her hand, turned, and then walked back into his house, clearly frustrated by the original misplacement of his newspaper earlier in the morning.

This is just one of the many stories we could tell about the perils of newspaper delivery during an Idaho winter as about 70 newspaper carriers navigate hundreds of miles in the dark of night, often exiting their vehicle dozens — maybe even a hundred or more — times, to serve more than 14,000 subscribers by sunrise each morning.

We begin every day wondering which carriers slid into a ditch, or crashed into another vehicle, or slipped and fell while making a porch delivery while we slept. We tell our carriers to always put their safety and the safety of others first. We believe a careful, yet late carrier is better than a hurried and injured one. However, as careful as we may be, the elements are seldom on our side this time of year.

As we strive each day to provide you with the best and earliest possible delivery of your CDA/Post Falls Press in the worst conditions, I want to take a moment, and a little ink, to express my profound appreciation and gratitude.

To our subscribers who extend grace, patience, and understanding when newspaper delivery is delayed, or made to a slightly different location due to harsh weather conditions and a concern for personal safety, we offer our thanks.

For our porch delivery subscribers who take great care to ensure their newspaper carrier has a safe walkway, cleared of snow and ice, we and our carriers are grateful.

Those subscribers who call about delivery problems and often have to endure being on hold for a little longer than usual, yet still treat our team with dignity and respect, are the ones who make our most difficult days a little better.

The thoughtful subscribers who recognize the hard work and sometimes unpleasant circumstances their carrier endures this time of year, and tip them generously for providing great service, are the subscribers who inspire our carriers to go out and do it again the next day.

Finally, no expression of thanks would be complete without recognizing the men and women who endure these early mornings, brutal temperatures, and treacherous conditions to make sure our readers are well served. You, our carriers and our distribution staff, are appreciated far beyond what words could express.

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Bill Huffhine is the director of circulation and audience development for The Coeur d’Alene Press.