crime

Man arrested for having his kids work on his newspaper delivery route

43 Comments

Back in the day, delivering the morning newspaper was an honor bestowed on one lucky neighborhood child who could earn some cash and tips of peanut-butter M&Ms in exchange for providing their neighborhood with news from the world. Now, the local paperboy is a rare, if not extinct, breed.

In Sakai City, Osaka, one father has been arrested on suspicion of violating the Child Welfare Act after allegedly deciding to instill the values of hard work and responsibility which come with a paper route in his own children.

Osaka prefectural police announced on Feb 27 that the 31-year-old part-time delivery person for a Sakai City-based Yomiuri Newspaper dealer had used two of his own children to assist him in delivering newspapers to area subscribers. The man had admitted after his arrest that he had “been doing this for about a year now.”

The man’s route consisted of around 130 households and he delegated 30 to 40 of them to his eldest son, 10, and eldest daughter, 9, -- both elementary school students. According to the police investigation, the man “had originally done it because he needed help after becoming ill, but afterwards just didn’t bother stopping.”

The Yomiuri Shimbun Osaka PR Department released a statement regarding the incident which read; “We find this to be truly regrettable, and we urge all dealers to have their delivery people work in compliance with the law.”

So the days of a paperboy (or girl, of course) delivering news of imminent nuclear Armageddon with a cheery smile and ring of the bicycle bell are long gone thanks to over-regulation. It’s gone along with the days of service with a smile, fresh bottles of milk delivered to your doorstep, and Aunt Bea’s apple pie cooling on the windowsill.

It’s truly a shame.

Police were tipped off to the man after receiving reports from residents regarding very young children delivering newspapers at extremely late night hours such as 2:00 a.m.

Source: Asahi Shimbun

Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Father Bites and Kills Own Son for Being “Possessed by a Snake” -- Osaka City Official Arrested for Punching Out Register’s LCD Display -- Asahi Newspaper Worker Helps His Company by Punching Out Pachinko Machine

© RocketNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

43 Comments
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Seriously though, arresting the guy is a bit much.

16 ( +15 / -0 )

I was all for letting the man go for believing he was teaching his children about work ethics until I read the 2:00am bit!

9 ( +11 / -2 )

The article is obviously written by someone talking about a different time in another completely different culture. Did kids on bicycles EVER deliver papers in Japan?

Given the crazy hours (usually 4-4:30am in my neighborhood), this is NOT a suitable job for children.

Having your 8-9 year old girl walking around alone in the wee hours is not responsible parenting.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

While I enjoyed earning my own money working my paper route as a boy, I delivered papers in the early evening after school. I do understand the concern of having elementary school children out at 2:00am in the morning...

5 ( +7 / -2 )

When I was 11, I got up with the chickens and worked two hours before school delivering newspapers, rain or shine, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. My family did not need the money -- I just liked doing it. I suppose at some point, the bleeding hearts came to the realization that this was child exploitation and the job was entrusted to an older person.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I want my two dollars!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

As if it were hard labor...who cares?!?! Let him go! Let him go! The kids will be fine!!!!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

How are kids going to learn important work & life skills unless they take on jobs such as this when young? Except maybe because of the early time, I think calling this "child labor" as if it's some kind of punishment or detrimental to them in some way is going too far, much like the idiotic zero tolerance mindset has in the States. There's too much control of every little aspect of people's lives these days.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Everyone assumes the kids were alone, that they didn't want to do it, and that the guy was a heartless bastard. I delivered papers for a year when laid off from my regular job. My kids, who would have been slightly younger than these, begged to go along because they wanted to spend time with me and help. They were never forced to go. I'd carry the papers and deliver on one side of the street. They'd take a handful of papers and deliver the other side. We'd meet back up at the corner. They were never more than 200 feet away and were always within sight.

As for the whining about 2am... Time is relative. It's entirely possible that these kids had a very early bedtime so that they got plenty of sleep. Not everyone exists on an 8am-5pm job cycle.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Even if earlier those kids were too young. A bit older would be okay though if at a reasonable time. My former stepson always had a shocked look on his face whenever I asked him to do something besides play games all day, including putting his dirty dishes in the dishwasher at age 14. He almost fainted when I asked him to sweep outside once.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Why going as far as arresting him? That's way too far.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I started delivering newspapers at around the age of the oldest above. No problem. Too bad modern restrictions forbid such practices. I have heard where newspaper companies here in Japan are having a hard time finding Japanese deliverers ... and are turning to Korean & Chinese for help. So because kids can no longer deliver papers and because young, legitamate-aged Japanese are turning their backs on this profession, you may be getting your paper delivered by a foreigner. Again, no problem here. It's just the way the newspaper delivery business is going.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Heck, I was delivering papers when I was 10. Of course that was quite a while ago....

The only problem I have with this guy is the 2am delivery time. At that time the kids should have been home in bed. But arresting him? Somebody has too much free time.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"Police were . . . receiving reports from residents regarding very young children delivering newspapers at extremely late night hours such as 2:00 a.m."

And to have this put to a stop is "truly a shame" writes the author?

Helping dad when he was ill is a certainly a laudable act, assuming it wasn't forced. However, to continue to use his children this way after he had recovered? I doubt very sincerely instilling a strong work ethic was at the top of this father's to-do list.

"It's gone along with the days of service with a smile, fresh bottles of milk delivered to your doorstep, and Aunt Bea's apple pie cooling on the windowsill."

Seriously, who writes this pap? Whoever it is, the author of this article for Asahi Shinbun needs to reassess his/her priorities. Elementary-aged school children don't need to be helping dad run his paper route at two in the morning. This isn't 1920s post-Depression New York City where every penny means the difference between a meal or not. It's 21st Century Japan where children need to be asleep in bed at a reasonable hour so they can wake up ready for a day of learning in school.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

the days of a paperboy (or girl, of course) delivering news of imminent nuclear Armageddon with a cheery smile and ring of the bicycle bell are long gone

When I was a kid, kids - older kids, not kids still at junior school - delivered newspapers before school, not at 2 in the morning.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Cos, it looks like JT got the text from rocketnews24 (link at the end of the article). They're the ones who put in the rubbish about peanut-butter M&Ms and Aunt Bea's apple pie.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It is a bit much, he's teaching them how to appreciate money for graft, rather than handouts. I bet he gets in more trouble than the so-called father who shook his infant child to death.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

2am is too much for kids that young. What was the father thinking?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Surely no comparison with cycling around to put papers in small house letter-boxes during the day... In Sakai, the job is to enter the mansion buildings between 2 and 5 a.m. The 9 yr old girl on her own ?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

One big question is we're they really forced or being good kids and helping a sick father. If its the later, thumbs up to them. And I have total respect for the family sticking together. I hope more kids could learn from it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Back in the day...tips of peanut-butter M&Ms...fresh bottles of milk delivered to your doorstep, and Aunt Bea’s apple pie cooling on the windowsill.

Whose day is the writer talking about? Certainly nobody's in Japan. What nonsense this article is.

The morning paperman delivers to my neighbour no later than 4am, the evening paper is delivered at around 4pm. It is not a job for kids.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Quite, the arrest seems OTT but he needs his ass kicking for having his kids out at that time.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I would never, ever have my kids walking alone out in the middle of the night. In this day and age there are people that can and will harm them, these are sadly not the good ol' days anymore.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

In middle school I had a morning paper route by bicycle, but I was up at 6am, not 2am. I was wondering what the big deal was with this article until I read the 2am part. Even if dad was going around with them on the delivery route, 2am is too early in the morning for kids who should be getting as much sleep as possible for growth.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

cramp

so he makes them do his routes while he does what?

It helps to read the article.

The man’s route consisted of around 130 households and he delegated 30 to 40 of them to his eldest son, 10, and eldest daughter, 9,—both elementary school students.

I'm not so great at math, but that leaves him doing about 80 or 90 households.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Like most people mentioned..I had no problem until I read the 2:00am part. That is just way to early for their health and for their safety.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

DUMB. Isn't there more important things to worry about?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Seriously, who writes this pap? Whoever it is, the author of this article for Asahi Shinbun needs to reassess his/her priorities.

The Asahi article did not contain the 2 first and 2 last chapters. JT added them.

Everyone assumes the kids were alone,

We don't assume. It's written they were alone doing a part of the route while he did another. Most nights, during one year.

and that the guy was a heartless bastard.

An irresponsible guy that prevents his 2 kids to sleep (it's detrimental to their health, it'd even as considered a form of torture to systematically deprive someone of sleep) in order to sends them alone in the streets of a big city and building corridors a in the middle of the night. He also breaks the labor laws and his job's rules, but I find the treatment of the kids a bigger concern.

Moderator: JT did not add anything.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Thanks for the track-down on that Cleo. You're right. Rocketnews24 provided the embellishment.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I was all for letting the man go for believing he was teaching his children about work ethics until I read the 2:00am bit!

I missed the 2am bit...yeah, that's not okay. But I don't think he deserves jail time...maybe a fine and community service would be adequate.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

so he makes them do his routes while he does what?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Why going as far as arresting him?

What should they do ? Send him a congratulation letter with flowers ? He was arrested, and certainly set free after interrogating. I wonder about the kids. Is he a single father ? He seems to lack the brains for parenting on his own.

I have heard where newspaper companies here in Japan are having a hard time finding Japanese deliverers ...

Because it's dangerous, even for adults. A while ago, a woman was stabbed near my place. Paper delivery persons were typically housewives, but these days, you see mostly men.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The article fails to mention whether this work was conducted under the close supervision of the father. If the man sent his two kids out on their own, at their age, then he deserves to be arrested. However, if he was simply taking them along on his route to help dad drop off papers, then I can't see how that could possibly be a bad thing, much less something warranting an arrest. In fact, if he was with them the whole time instilling the values of hard work (as every good father should), I applaud him!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

2:00am? You have to ask yourself why would you deliver papers at 2:00am? Why don't they just deliver them earlier?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

“had originally done it because he needed help after becoming ill, but afterwards just didn’t bother stopping.”

This has very little to do with kids earning a bit of cash by doing a paper run. This loser was just exploiting his kids and deserves to be arrested. Having 9 and 10 year olds running around at 2am is disgusting, especially when they have to go to school the next day. Furthermore, I bet the kids never got paid either!

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Put them in welfare then if you do not want parents to teach how to earn money the old fashion way: work.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

2am, doesn't matter.

Actually it does, even for adults.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/bone-tired-how-about-gene-tired/2013/03/04/1336d58c-812b-11e2-a350-49866afab584_story.html

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

How are kids going to learn important work & life skills unless they take on jobs such as this when young?

They didn't 'take it on' at all! They were made to do it by their father to supplement his income. It is criminal! Yeah, I had a paper run around 10 years old and used to do the milk run on Fridays and Saturday nights when I was a bit older, but I did them because I wanted to and not because I had a loser father that made me do it to keep HIS income.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

2am, doesn't matter. The kids are learning a valuable lesson, that most kids in this generation have all but forgotten. I wish my Father taught me the valuable lesson of working a crappy job at crappy hours for crap pay when I was very young. As then I probably wouldn't have wasted my 20's, and would have achieved success much sooner. Plus if the kids wanted to help their ill Father, that says a lot more than the spoiled brats I see who won't lift a finger for their own families, and are too self absorbed in their own lives.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

@splksgt96

DUMB. Isn't there more important things to worry about?

Oh, and there are... But you would be surprised at the trivial crap these JCops go after. Ignoring the 5000 Lbs Elephant in the room, to go after someone riding by on a bicycle with two people... Think I'm kidding...?

Welcome to the land of the Kakapo, be careful you don't get humped...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T1vfsHYiKY

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

2am ? Cruel Bastardo !!!!! What kind of creep is that ?

130 households ????? What the fock ?

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Newspaper Delivery Jobs are for KIDS....

Although, I do agree that 9 and 10 are a little young, paper-boys are typically 12 ~ 16 in the states (and other Western and Civilized Countries)

This guy should have been arrested for being over 18 years old and delivering Papers for a living... Get a REAL Job!

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Child labor in Japan? very sad.

-11 ( +2 / -13 )

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