From the Downtown Snoopster

Our man in uniform

Downtown is served by a lot of men in uniform, but the Snoopster was curious about one in particular. I've often wondered: what could he be doing when he's not on the job serving his customers with prompt efficiency and cheerful greetings, day after day, delivery after delivery?

Curious about one of downtown's hard-working FedEx couriers, the Snoopster nosed into the professional and personal life of the charismatic Horacio Flores, or "Flo," as we know him.

What I discovered is that stepping in and out of stores and traffic isn't the only intricate movement that Flores makes.

In his seventh year on the Downtown route for FedEx, Flo says he requested this venue because he likes the fast pace and the customers. "I like the networking that goes on down here," he says. "It's really great. Everyone helps out everybody else." 

According to Flo, an unanticipated aspect of his job is serving as "counselor or therapist" to his customers. He explains: "A lot of people tell me a lot of things, even in just the five seconds I'm in their place. In fact, you can't believe some of the things people tell me!" Alas, he declined to go into gossipy detail, which is no doubt the reason his customers trust him with their personal stories.

With all the responsibility of delivering heavy packages on time and listening to people's problems, it's no wonder Flo needs to cut loose at night. When he sheds his uniform and regulation boots, he steps into his dancin' duds, ready to "cut a rug." Committed to continuous refinement of his techniques, he takes dance classes every Monday. Then four or five nights a week he dances the Line, the Waltz, the Cha Cha, the Triple Step, the Country Two-Step, and the West Coast Swing. In a recent competition at Cowboys, he qualified to enter the national Country Classic Showcase, in Denver.

So now you know - when the band strikes up, Horacio Flores can deliver!