Talking of newspapers – why is it that in America the paper boys/girls throw the papers on to the step yet in England they place them in the letterbox.
Ha! Absolutely Anne. And the level of directness would depend on how good a shot they are.
It was a remarkable phenomena though – in our case a car would drive up, slow down and some undiscernable person from within would lob a paper onto the front lawn. When it snowed in winter, several might amass until the thaw, when we’d discover how closely they’d landed.
But Chris, I think most folks get their news via the web now. I seem to rememeber reading that the Huffington Post surpasses the Washington Post these days.
I once read that less than 20% of American households subscribe to a daily newspaper. Many people buy a Sunday edition from the news stand or vending machine.
In the US, it’s actually illegal for non-postal employees to place anything in a mailbox. My childhood paper route supervisors were quite insistent on this, and Google confirms that:
“Only the United States Postal Service may use mailboxes for delivery without paying postage (Flyers, magazines, notes, letters, etc. found in or on mailboxes may be charged postage due).”
It is an odd rule, but I guess business is business. I think ‘tampering with the Royal Mail’ might have been an offense in the UK as well Emmet. I wonder if that’s where it stemmed from? Feel free to blame us.
I’m actually a fan of the US postal service. Partly it’s because they are generally helpful when I have imperfectly wrapped stuff, so they’ll whip out scotch/sellotape and lend a hand which I couldn’t imagine happening in the UK.
And partly it’s because I love that line about “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”
Gosh, I think you might have inspired another posting.
Good point–I think the same holds true of public transport[ation] and of professional sport[s] in the UK…with these exceptions, the country in general seems to be so anti-free market and pro-socialism compared to the US.
At university in the UK I had two (sometimes three) competing city bus companies to choose from on most routes, each with very frequent, reliable services and regular discount offers–no chance of that happening in the US! [Privati(s/z)ation hasn’t been a great success in rail, but that’s another story]
Also compare the English or (especially )Scottish Premier Leagues (where only the richest teams have a realistic shot at winning, and where the worst teams actually have to leave the league) to the American equivalents with their “luxury taxes”, salary caps, and the draft [assigning the league’s top prospects to the worst teams from the previous season]. From each according to his abilities…
Talking of newspapers – why is it that in America the paper boys/girls throw the papers on to the step yet in England they place them in the letterbox.
Is it another example of directness/indirectness?
It’s to practice pitching, ‘merican style, ‘f course.
Ha! Absolutely Anne. And the level of directness would depend on how good a shot they are.
It was a remarkable phenomena though – in our case a car would drive up, slow down and some undiscernable person from within would lob a paper onto the front lawn. When it snowed in winter, several might amass until the thaw, when we’d discover how closely they’d landed.
But Chris, I think most folks get their news via the web now. I seem to rememeber reading that the Huffington Post surpasses the Washington Post these days.
The web!!
What’s that?
Outrage!!?
It’ll never catch on.
If god meant us to use internet she would have……. etc etc
I once read that less than 20% of American households subscribe to a daily newspaper. Many people buy a Sunday edition from the news stand or vending machine.
In the US, it’s actually illegal for non-postal employees to place anything in a mailbox. My childhood paper route supervisors were quite insistent on this, and Google confirms that:
“Only the United States Postal Service may use mailboxes for delivery without paying postage (Flyers, magazines, notes, letters, etc. found in or on mailboxes may be charged postage due).”
Seems a bit silly now that I’m thinking about it…
It is an odd rule, but I guess business is business. I think ‘tampering with the Royal Mail’ might have been an offense in the UK as well Emmet. I wonder if that’s where it stemmed from? Feel free to blame us.
I’m actually a fan of the US postal service. Partly it’s because they are generally helpful when I have imperfectly wrapped stuff, so they’ll whip out scotch/sellotape and lend a hand which I couldn’t imagine happening in the UK.
And partly it’s because I love that line about “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”
Gosh, I think you might have inspired another posting.
Great, glad to hear it! Looking forward to both 🙂
The US post office always surprises me – the country seems to be so anti- socialism/ pro market yet the post office seems to be the contradiction.
Good point–I think the same holds true of public transport[ation] and of professional sport[s] in the UK…with these exceptions, the country in general seems to be so anti-free market and pro-socialism compared to the US.
At university in the UK I had two (sometimes three) competing city bus companies to choose from on most routes, each with very frequent, reliable services and regular discount offers–no chance of that happening in the US! [Privati(s/z)ation hasn’t been a great success in rail, but that’s another story]
Also compare the English or (especially )Scottish Premier Leagues (where only the richest teams have a realistic shot at winning, and where the worst teams actually have to leave the league) to the American equivalents with their “luxury taxes”, salary caps, and the draft [assigning the league’s top prospects to the worst teams from the previous season]. From each according to his abilities…