Today is National Newspaper Carrier Day.
I used to be one of those when I was about 13 or 14 years old. I delivered the Atlanta Journal.
My route was in the Waterman Street and Frazier Streets area. A few years ago I read in the paper that area was the lowest in income and highest in domestic crime in Marietta.
There were cheap apartments on my route. My customers in those approximately 50 apartments moved frequently, sometimes in the middle of the night. Do you think they made sure they paid me? Ha ha.
The weekly amount was 47 cents. Very few people gave me 50 cents and told me to keep the change - a whole 3 pennies - wow! Mostly they would give me 52 cents and expect a nickle back. That way they got rid of some of their pennies.
They did not hesitate to complain to me if the paper was wet or something and asked for a refund whch came out of my own pocket.
Several friends would come over to the corner where I was folding papers and shoot the breeze. And they also sometimes walked around the route with me. They were Mickey G., the late Jimmy Pat Presley, and Snookey P., They were good friends who kept me enteraintained while I worked. Yancy Store was a regular stop for refreshments. Mr and Mrs Yancy were an old grandparent age couple, it was truly a Mom & Pop store. A block down the street on South Avenue at the corner of Frazier Street was a spider monkey on a chain in the front yard. I usually brought him a cheese cracker (from Yancy's Store) to eat.
As I mentioned above, several years ago this area was said to the have the highest crime rate in Marietta. Of course the highest crime rate equals more expense keeping the peace in the area. I think city planners, not only in Marietta, but other towns also, have decided to simply delete the high crime areas. Most of the houses have been bulldozed away and replaced with more expensive homes. That is Gentrification. If Gentrification is not unconstitutional, it should be.
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