Anthony Lupi, UPS Driver
Work must be nuts.
I’m dealing with a tremendous amount of packages right now. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know where people get the time or money to order so much stuff! But the job’s great; I have my regular routes here in downtown Manhattan, and I’m super-personable with my customers: “Oh, hey, how are you?” One of them just walked by.
Do you get hit on a lot?
I can’t lie to you: Yes. A lot. There are definitely some ladies on my route who always try to chat a little bit longer. It’s flattering for sure, but I always gotta keep it moving.
How do you like the uniform?
It’s not terrible, right? I worked in fashion before this — for a suiting company — and learned how to cut, tailor, sew, the whole nine yards. I hemmed these pants and would love to slim down the shirt a bit, get it darted, but I’d need permission to do that.
What are some of the craziest things you’ve delivered?
The other day, I brought a fairly big box to a woman — and inside was one of those little tiny staple removers. Those little things that you squeeze! People have gotten really lazy. But you know what? At the end of the day, it’s my job to treat every package like it’s somebody’s rent check.
Lightning Round
Neighborhood: Huntington, Long Island. “I live with my girlfriend.”
Favorite restaurant: Balthazar. “For the ham-and-cheese croissants.”
Favorite TV show: Orange Is the New Black.
Christmas plans: “We all go to my grandmother’s house. My mom is one of nine siblings, so it’s huge.”
Favorite street in New York: Crosby. “Broadway is the epicenter of capitalism, and I like that Crosby is like the behind-the-scenes street.”
*This article appears in the December 14, 2015 issue of New York Magazine.