Tipping Point

Wet newspaper on my driveway.

    The empty envelope arrived with the newspaper. It was addressed to the person who delivers my newspaper. He was appealing for a tip at years end.
    I’ve never met this person. He shows up during the wee hours of the morning. His job is hard. Low pay and few benefits.
    I could empathize. My first job was delivering newspapers. Tips were a big deal at the end of the year. Surely this man deserved some generosity?
   It’s not that simple. Drivers come and go. The same person does not always deliver the papers. That human connection is lacking. Still, it’s not the driver’s fault that his work hours don’t coincide with his customers being awake.
    Without a doubt, the quality of the delivery service has declined. Sometimes the newspaper does not show up. And the driver does not place the paper in the box (seen in the background of the photo). The newspaper is apparently thrown out the window of a vehicle.
    Still, I agonized over whether or not to leave a tip.
    Then came a tipping point. One morning, the newspaper was soaking wet. It hadn’t been placed in the box on a rainy day. I was fed up.
    Tips are not deserved, they must be earned.