The following is a narrative interview reflecting on the disappearance of a classic profession, transitioning from the peak of the 90s to the digital silence of the 2020s. The Last Pint: An Interview with Arthur "Artie" Penhaligon Part I: 1996 – The Golden Hour
Our interview begins in 1996, a time when the job of a milkman was often described as an "anachronism." In Tustin, California, a milkman named Jim Fiore was seen as part of a "dying breed." During their heyday in the 1950s, milkmen were a common sight across the country. In the Pasadena area alone, there were 16 dairies offering home delivery. By 1996, only about 150 milkmen remained in the entire Southland, most working for a single dairy.
In 2003, the glass bottle nearly died. The dairies decided to push plastic because it was lighter and cheaper to transport. I remember the depots closing. Our dairy—Midlands Creamery—shut the bottling plant in ’04. Overnight, my milk came from 80 miles away instead of 8. The carbon footprint was a joke, but nobody cared about carbon in 2004. They cared about the 2p saving. Interview With A Milkman -1996- -2021-
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 completely reversed decades of decline. Home delivery became essential, and the milkman was once again a hero of the neighborhood.
: Plays Ms. Robertson, one of the primary characters Joe encounters. The following is a narrative interview reflecting on
The alarm goes off at 2:30 AM. I’m at the depot by 3:15. We load the trucks—crates of whole milk, 2%, skim, buttermilk, and cottage cheese. By 4:00 AM, I’m on the road. The world is dead quiet then. It’s just me, the headlights, and the radio. You learn to walk quietly so you don’t wake the dogs. You hustle up the driveway, grab the empties from the porch box, leave the fresh glass bottles, and move on. If you’re efficient, you can do a house a minute in the dense developments. Interviewer: You still use glass?
"In March 2020, demand went through the roof," Arthur explains. "I was delivering four times the normal volume. Families were terrified to go to the store, and they trusted me to bring them staples safely." By 1996, only about 150 milkmen remained in
Tell me about your last day. April 12th, 2021.
That’s the sound of a thousand mornings.
Pride. Stupid pride. And the routines. You don't just quit a route. You're woven into the bricks. I knew that the lady at 87 needed her pint at 5:15 AM sharp because her cat would only drink it at room temperature. I knew that the man at 112 was blind, and the clink of the bottle on the step was his alarm clock. You can’t algorithm that.
Second, the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 changed shopping habits permanently. As supermarkets faced stock shortages and crowded aisles, a reliable doorstep delivery service became a lifeline.