A welcoming sight heralding the end of another winter and the arrival of spring, United Parcel Service men across the nation are breaking out the shorts.
"Look!" said Salt Lake City, UT, cashier Brenda Cosgrove, staring out the window of the yarn shop where she works. "There goes another one! That's three today!"
Across the U.S., signs of the change of season abound, as daffodils poke out of the ground, the songs of the robin are once again heard in the trees, and leaves bud on the branches. For millions of Americans, however, there is no more beloved harbinger of spring than the sight of a UPS man's sturdy calves in the open air after months hidden away beneath heavy brown fabric.
"Between the long winter and this cold rain we've been having, it felt like it was never going to warm up," said Hugh McCaskill, a Indianapolis, IN, real-estate agent. "But then I saw a pair of UPS shorts on the street while driving to work this morning, and my heart soared. There's nothing quite like that first sighting of the year."
"I had a hard time concentrating on work today," said Chicago, IL, insurance-claims adjuster Jim Furgeson. "Seeing those UPS guys in their short pants made me want to run home, grab my baseball glove, and head over to the park."
Even if the grass is green, many citizens say spring has not truly arrived until the first pair of knees are seen just below the conservative hemline of those somber brown shorts.
"The temperature can be in the mid-70s, the cherry trees can be in full bloom, and the calendar can say June," said Washington, D.C., resident Cathy Anderson. "But until my UPS delivery man Bill comes to my door in those brown shorts with the socks hiked all the way up, I don't feel like winter has truly ended."
"Ever since I was a kid, I haven't been able to stop wearing my down jacket until I see a UPS man in shorts," said Virginia Bourne, who, as office manager for a Buffalo law firm, signs for packages daily. "This year, I still haven't seen one, but something tells me today might be the day. Our UPS driver should be doing a drop off/pick up around 3 p.m., and I've got a good feeling."
The delivery drivers are well aware of the feelings they evoke when they cast off their bulky winter trousers each year.
"My shorts symbolize rebirth. They give people hope for new beginnings," said New York City UPS delivery man Doug Heffernen. "Also, I got a lot more freedom of movement when I'm getting in and out of the truck."
"Look!" said Salt Lake City, UT, cashier Brenda Cosgrove, staring out the window of the yarn shop where she works. "There goes another one! That's three today!"
Across the U.S., signs of the change of season abound, as daffodils poke out of the ground, the songs of the robin are once again heard in the trees, and leaves bud on the branches. For millions of Americans, however, there is no more beloved harbinger of spring than the sight of a UPS man's sturdy calves in the open air after months hidden away beneath heavy brown fabric.
"Between the long winter and this cold rain we've been having, it felt like it was never going to warm up," said Hugh McCaskill, a Indianapolis, IN, real-estate agent. "But then I saw a pair of UPS shorts on the street while driving to work this morning, and my heart soared. There's nothing quite like that first sighting of the year."
"I had a hard time concentrating on work today," said Chicago, IL, insurance-claims adjuster Jim Furgeson. "Seeing those UPS guys in their short pants made me want to run home, grab my baseball glove, and head over to the park."
Even if the grass is green, many citizens say spring has not truly arrived until the first pair of knees are seen just below the conservative hemline of those somber brown shorts.
"The temperature can be in the mid-70s, the cherry trees can be in full bloom, and the calendar can say June," said Washington, D.C., resident Cathy Anderson. "But until my UPS delivery man Bill comes to my door in those brown shorts with the socks hiked all the way up, I don't feel like winter has truly ended."
"Ever since I was a kid, I haven't been able to stop wearing my down jacket until I see a UPS man in shorts," said Virginia Bourne, who, as office manager for a Buffalo law firm, signs for packages daily. "This year, I still haven't seen one, but something tells me today might be the day. Our UPS driver should be doing a drop off/pick up around 3 p.m., and I've got a good feeling."
The delivery drivers are well aware of the feelings they evoke when they cast off their bulky winter trousers each year.
"My shorts symbolize rebirth. They give people hope for new beginnings," said New York City UPS delivery man Doug Heffernen. "Also, I got a lot more freedom of movement when I'm getting in and out of the truck."
3 comments:
You crack me up!
The pictures of your car are a little scary! I am glad you weren't hurt too badly. Gayla
What really gets me is the mixed signals these guys send, yesterday my UPS man was in shorts but today pants- what's up with that? Am I supposed to just guess what they're thinking? Stop the mind games please.
I used to own a pair of UPS socks when I worked there. Man they made my legs look sexy!
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