Normally, newspaper deliverer Otto Eichinger (71) does not let wind and weather stop him in his work. On Friday evening he was stopped by an alcoholic who had overlooked him. But the tireless man is cheerful again and says with a smile: “Weeds don’t go away.”
For 13 years, Otto Eichinger from Schwarzenberg in Upper Austria has been working tirelessly night after night to ensure that the “Krone” reaches the subscribers’ breakfast table on time. However, on Friday evening his shift unexpectedly ended ‘already’ at 4.40 am. The 71-year-old was “shot” in his car by an alcoholic at the third home to be delivered.
When we reach him on Friday morning, he can joke again: “Weeds don’t go away,” he says laughing when asked how he is doing. But what exactly happened: “I delivered the newspapers in Salnau. As I got back into my car, a car suddenly came towards me and crashed into the front of me. The airbag went off and hit me in the face. My glasses were completely bent,” says the 71-year-old.
He then got out of his car and called the police. His opponent in the accident? “He just stayed in the car, rolled down the window for a moment and then immediately closed it again.” Maybe there was a good reason for that. When the police officers present asked the 26-year-old German to get out, it quickly became apparent that he was heavily drunk with a blood alcohol content of 1.42. “He was completely drunk and waving wildly when he got out,” Eichinger said. “But I myself had a blood alcohol level of 0.0 because I am a non-alcoholic.”
“If you don’t have a job, you get angry”
The retired truck driver was taken to hospital by ambulance as a precaution. Fortunately, after numerous investigations, everything was given the clear; he suffered only minor injuries in the collision. His car is different – the front is completely destroyed. “But on Friday afternoon I get a rental car,” says Eichinger, who is extremely motivated to deliver the Saturday ‘crown’ again.
He delivers 470 newspapers night after night, traveling from Salnau to Schwarzenberg in the Bohemian Forest from two in the morning to nine in the morning. He started his work 13 years ago – when he retired.
But why are you actually doing this to yourself as a 71-year-old? ‘Because I enjoy it. If you don’t have a job, you get angry. “I was also a long-distance driver, so I’m used to getting up early anyway,” laughs Otto – who is rightly described by his district manager as “his best man”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
