Bad Times For The Times At My House

There is the temptation to drop home delivery entirely. After all, the Times is online 100%. Still, there’s a difference between online and offline. I always discover something in the printed paper I didn’t see on my screen. The photos are better too (though you’d think online would have better and more photos).

Long before I was out of bed, Helaine was downstairs getting the newspapers off the front steps. The ‘old school’ Foxes get the New Haven Register and the New York Times.

Along with today’s hernia inducing Times, was a smudgy, photocopied note.

Unfortunately today Sunday, February 17th will be the last day we will be delivering your newspaper. The intrusion of large delivery conglomerates has taken much of our business and is forcing us to cut back our delivery area. Refunds are being processed.

scan_paper.jpgHarold, who owns the place,had his name at the bottom. I’ve been speaking to Harold on the phone for over 15 years. He has one of those deep, rough voices that implies a life fully lived.

Our Times delivery wasn’t always trustworthy. Sometimes the paper wouldn’t come, then show up the next day. Who wants a day old paper&#185?

If we called, there would be a refund, but we didn’t always call.

I suspect we could have beaten Harold’s price. Now I’ll be forced to see if that’s really the case.

There is the temptation to drop home delivery entirely. After all, the Times is online 100%. Still, there’s a difference between online and offline. I always discover something in the printed paper I didn’t see on my screen. The photos are better too (though you’d think online would have better and more photos).

Newspapers are in terrible financial peril (what business isn’t). Episodes like this don’t help.

&#185 – My dad tells the story of taking a cruise through the Caribbean. When the ship got to St. Thomas, he stopped at a newsstand, looking for the Times.

“You want yesterday’s or today’s?” asked the man behind the counter.

“Today’s,” my dad replied, a little confused.

“Then come back tomorrow.”

3 thoughts on “Bad Times For The Times At My House”

  1. I moved a couple weeks ago, and about a month prior to that the Times just stoppped getting delivered to our old house. I’d call, they’d apologize and process a refund, and then still nothing came. This was the second time in the past half-year we’ve gone through this. I finally just gave up and cancelled my subscription — as you said, it’s online anyway. But still, very, very annoying.

  2. I received notice yesterday that the Hartford Courant is changing their delivery service. In the future Publisher’s Circulation Fulfillment will deliver the paper. Somehow I sense that the prior excellent service — on time and the paper at my door step – will be but fond memories.

    I wonder if the NYT has likewise changed delivery firms, dropping less profitable areas?

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