UWS co-op has direct line to Tooth Fairy
New York City doormen are practiced intermediaries, transferring dogs, drycleaning, takeout, and UPS deliveries with the aplomb of circus jugglers.
But molars?
Apparently so. One longtime West End Avenue doorman, Danny, has become a trusted conduit for tooth fairy communications in his co-op.
Here’s the scoop on his direct line to the TF:
Tell me how this tooth fairy delivery service works and how you got started as the TF’s trusted assistant.
I started doing this about 15 years ago. One little girl came up to me and she wrote a little note to the tooth fairy. She told me the tooth fairy always leaves stuff to the kids so she wrote a letter and told me to give it to the tooth fairy.
I kept the letter all day and then I talked to the parents. They took the letter upstairs and put the present under her pillow.
Do you get to see the tooth?
Yeah, the kids think the tooth fairy comes and takes them away. Some have blood, too. Some are crooked. I love it when they show me the tooth.
So how do all the kids in the building know you have a direct line to the TF?
That first little girl must have told some other children. All the kids in the building know about it.
How do the kids know the TF is going to come to the lobby instead of straight to their apartments?
I tell them the fairy is going to come to the lobby, and I get them candies or a little toy to show them the next day that the tooth fairy really comes to the lobby.
What kinds of things do they ask for?
They don’t tell me they want but the parents give them money to save for the bank or candies or Pokémon cards or a doll. Some [of the letters] come in a sealed envelope.
This sounds like a pretty steady gig. How many times a year do you assist the TF on her rounds?
Twice or three times a year. I’ve done about 30 over the years. They’re 3-, 5-, 7- years old. Some of the early ones have been to college already.
Have any parents ever forgotten to put the present under their kid’s pillows?
No. The kids tell me the next day what they got when they come home from school.
As the TF’s deliveryman, you must get an occasional tip for your services.
Nah. I usually them candies every week anyway. Every week I have something for the kids.
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Laura B. Weiss is a NYC a journalist who blogs at www.foodandthings.com and is the author of a book on ice cream coming out June 2011.
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