The experiences of a leaflet distributor

Oh, you don't think distributing leaflets counts as real work? Well, if that's how you see it. Would you like to accompany me on my round today? I promise you it's fairly easy.

Today, we're not dealing with newspapers because they're trickier. The papers are delivered with the advertising flyers and leaflets, but the colourful inserts are in a separate bundle. You see, offers from large furniture stores, drugstore chains or supermarkets still need to be inserted into the newspapers.

At home, it looks like a printing plant until everything is ready for delivery. If this is how you earn your living, you need a sturdy shopping trolley because the delivery copies of the newspapers can be very heavy. You also can't fit too many in a trolley, so you have to keep going back home to refill it. Having a car makes things easier, of course. However, the advertising brochures don't fit in every letterbox, so you have to fold them up first. You then have to push them in carefully to ensure that no leaflets fall out.

But that won't bother us today, as all we need is a bag and a good pair of shoes. We have a thousand leaflets and should finish in two hours. It should be noted that not every house has an easily accessible letterbox. You have to ring the doorbell because that's what the client wants. This is understandable, though, because the advertising is supposed to be distributed widely. If you skip every third house, that defeats the object.

No house should be left out, except perhaps those displaying an 'I'm watching' sign. It's a case of 'enter at your own risk'. While lucky newspaper distributors are usually greeted in a friendly manner, most advertising distributors are not, as not many people actually want leaflets in their letterboxes. That's why there are these little stickers to discourage us from putting anything in letterboxes. They serve their purpose, of course, because no one has to put up with them. However, there are a few variations. The nicest stickers have a green border or a little tree. These simply state that the residents are mindful of natural resources.

Then there are the ones with the message 'Please do not deliver advertising, thank you!'. This is perfectly fine and readily respected. Those who do not want advertising have made their preference clear, and it is really up to the individual. Then there are the more succinct 'No advertising' stickers. That's fine too, it doesn't hurt anyone. However, some people still feel the need to go one better and decorate their letterboxes with stickers such as 'Advertising prohibited by the police. Any violation will be reported'. Goodness! No one is going to put anything in there now! People like that deserve to miss out on all the bargains. These buttons give you a rough idea of the mindset of the letterbox owners.

A diligent distributor is not easily shaken because they get to know every letterbox over time. However, when covering a new area for the first time, your knees usually take more of a beating than usual. I've never figured out whether it's thoughtlessness or intention, but you can end up panting your way up twenty steps to an entrance, only to discover an orange sticker saying 'No advertising'. You couldn't see it from below. Next time, you'll know.

Another thing that can happen is that you're doing your job on a street when someone looks out of the window. First, they gleefully shoo you away from the front door by pointing triumphantly to the large 'No Advertising' sticker. Then they watch you until you reach the end of the street. They might start ranting again if you head for the wrong letterbox. People like this are not that rare, but there are stranger ones still. The letterbox is firmly associated with a sense of territory, and thus sovereignty. Some people see lifting the flap as a threat and are not afraid to show that they are ready to fight. In other words, don't be surprised if someone threatens to beat you up. But you're quick. That's part of the job.

Unfortunately, some people believe that we leaflet distributors are part of a sinister conspiracy to bombard decent citizens with advertising material, controlled by the East. These are the people who can't resist making nasty remarks when they see us. They usually say that we should get a proper job instead of bothering people. Over time, you learn to ignore it. Of course, there are also those who are happy to chat over the fence and accept an information leaflet. Then there are those who have set up a second letterbox with 'For advertising only' written on it.

What? Tired legs? But we've only been on the road for an hour, and it's a sunny day. On rainy days, it's naturally more difficult. Many houses have a small roof over the front door to prevent the material getting wet before it can be put through the letterbox. Unfortunately, this is not the norm. When it's pouring with rain, you can't help but wonder who came up with the idea of putting letterboxes at the bottom of doors. It's as if someone wanted to make life difficult for people like us, because after delivering around 500 copies, your knees and back start to hurt just from looking at them from below. Devilishly, they are often coupled with steps leading up to the door. And we're not talking about just two or three steps. After a while, though, every little staircase feels like torture.

Well, now we only have three hundred left, we could do it with our eyes closed. Unfortunately, our area is now part of the suburbs, which means lots of nice little houses with lots of nice front gardens. The problem is that there are no letterboxes at the garden gate, only at the top of steps adorned with ceramic pumpkins, rabbits or Santa Clauses, depending on the time of year. Never touch one of these things, it will cause trouble! Not even if you're flustered because you're struggling to thread a note into the flap at the bottom, and a dog suddenly starts barking like crazy. Don't let it rattle you, and never reach too far with your hand. You'll only end up with sore muscles for a week. Trust me.

Now, I'll tell you about my neighbour who has an aggressive button on his letterbox. He rants about many things, and people like us are one of his favourite topics. He doesn't know that I'm one of those people, of course, but he proudly told me that his grandchildren have taken on holiday jobs – those hardworking children! Can you guess what they're distributing? Leaflets!

© 'The experiences of a leaflet distributor. A thousand leaflets in two hours? No problem!': A short story by Pressenet (translated by Izabel Comati), 08/2025. The image shows leaflets in a letterbox, CC0 (Public Domain Licence).