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	<title>Shelburne Free Press</title>
	<link>https://shelburnefreepress.ca</link>
	<description></description>
	<pubDate>Sun Aug 23 21:46:34 2026 / +0000  GMT</pubDate>
	<generator>Universal Post Manager 1.1.2 [ www.ProfProjects.com ] </generator>
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			<item>
			<title>Diaries of a delivery man</title>
			<link>https://shelburnefreepress.ca/?p=21663</link>
			<pubDate>Sun Aug 23 21:46:34 2026 / +0000  GMT</pubDate>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://shelburnefreepress.ca/?p=21663</guid>
			<content-encoded><![CDATA[BY LEE DUNN
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Some sage observations from my two month career as a pizza delivery man.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">• Few people turn on their outside lights at night, which means you sometimes have to do arithmetic and count down from the one house that does have its lights on, in order to find their address.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Please, if you order something, I assume you want me to find your place.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">• After driving around for five minutes trying to find a house in the dark, I walk up to their door (in darkness) and ring the bell.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Someone opens it, and still does not turn the light on.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I tell them what the total is, and they present their credit card.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Still no lights.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I confess I got a little impatient and said “could we have some lights on?”<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Oh sorry they say.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>They turn it on, they pay, and then immediately turn it off, leaving me to stumble down stairs in the dark.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>No tip, presumably because of my poor demeanour.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">• I pull up to a big fancy house, with the lights on---yay!<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It's a $23 order.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>They want to pay $5 on debit card, and the rest in cash.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Ok then.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>But the debit card is declined.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>She has ten dollars in cash,<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>the rest in coin.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Mostly quarters, dimes and nickels.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Still short by two bucks, so she calls her husband to come out with his debit card.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We do it for two bucks.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He looks pissed off, and leaves the scene without comment.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>No tip.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">• Next stop....15 km.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>into the bush.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Long and winding road into their country mansion.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I pull up, and am just about to get out of the car, when it seems they have released the hounds.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Four of them surround my car with ominous growls.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I open the window and say to the lady “is it okay if I stay in the car?”<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>She says oh, they are fine.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>They won't do anything unless I tell them to.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I say I would prefer to hand the pizzas out through the window.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>She looks pissed off.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It's a $110 order.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Tip was two bucks.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">• Do not always trust Google.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">• If a statuesque blonde answers the door, clad in nothing but a towel, struggle to maintain eye contact and keep a straight face.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Even if she says “Hi, Pizza Man!”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">• If, when the door opens, some funny smelling smoke drifts out, be prepared for<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>semantic difficulties.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>(One customer could barely speak, then left me standing there for five minutes while he went to find his phone, thinking he could use his banking app to pay.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Then didn't know how to use it.)</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">• Squirrels are notoriously poor decision makers.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">I've enjoyed the ambiance of working in a busy well run establishment.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The exuberant repartee of the mostly young crew.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Their forgiveness of neophyte mistakes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The hugs they give one another when they leave for the night.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>The absence of any prejudice, within a crew of different races.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Just people talking to people working with people.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The pay stinks, but I think I'll stay.</span></p>]]></content-encoded>
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			<wp-post_id>21663</wp-post_id>
			<wp-post_date>2018-09-20 12:04:56</wp-post_date>
			<wp-post_date_gmt>2018-09-20 16:04:56</wp-post_date_gmt>
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