Having spent four years of my youth hand delivering newspapers to my customers’ doorsteps in an upper Midwest state, it is disappointing to learn that a Milwaukee paper nows seeks to dissuade its paper carriers from putting their customers’ newspaper behind the door, so to speak. With that kind of customer service, I used to earn some nice tips on top of the ordinary monthly collection for the basic subscription cost.

On but one occasion in four years did I ever have a problem with putting the paper behind a customer’s storm door. That was an unusually blustery day, on which the wind yanked the door from my hand and shattered it. My customers were very understanding, however, and did not ask me (14 or 15 years of age at the time) to pay for the broken door, even though I offered.

Alas, a forgotten age.