Running on Empties
The pay was based on a 2-cent incentive system. I was always paid in cash from places like the corner grocery store, the A&P and Shutko’s Gas Station. It brought fast money for important things like Bazooka Bubble Gum, a Coke, or even a ticket to the Saturday-afternoon matinee. With five years of education under my belt, a bicycle equipped with a basket, and the need for spending money, I was perfectly qualified to be a “beverage container collection specialist.”
When I turned 10 years old, my parents officially granted me the freedom to ride my bike outside our subdivision, though I’d already been sneaking off into town with some of my older friends. That’s when
