I just attempted to get home delivery of the New York Times. I haven't been a subscriber since I lived in Grad School City, where I tended to sign up at the introductory rate, remain a subscriber for several months on into the regular rate, and then cancel when I couldn't justify the expense any longer. After I moved to Major Eastern City I definitely couldn't justify the expense, but I did periodically buy copies at the newsstand or (more often) scavenge copies left behind on the train.
However, I've always loved newspapers, and I'm fond of the Times, and now that I have a real job I was looking forward to being a regular subscriber.
Until I learned that there's no weekday home-delivery in my area.
People! I live in a good-sized city, one with a population larger than that of Providence or Hartford. I'm in the Eastern time zone. The Times is widely read and widely available around these parts--I can buy the damn thing not only at the supermarket but also at the tiny convenience store a few blocks away (if I wanted to make the trek every day and pay the newsstand price, that is).
I'm trying to give you money, New York Times. I'm trying to show my support for a publication that I enjoy and the journalistic work that you do.
And people wonder why newspaper readership is declining in this country.
8 comments:
That is freakin' dumb. I mean, I live in *Canada* and I get it. Geez.
I'm really flabbergasted. I live in a moderately rural section of the state of Indiana and I get it on the doorstep 7 days a week. If you ever get it, make sure you get the academic rate. Much better deal. So sorry about this - I think I would literally not know what to do with myself if I couldn't get it.
-akb
I applaud your ability to keep up with a daily newspaper! Dumb question--have you inquired at your institution? Here, they cut us a really good deal for subscriptions--I wonder if that might come with delivery. Good luck!
I'm amazed! I didn't actually ask about daily delivery here; I've always gotten the Sunday paper and was feeling pretty pleased with NYT because the delivery person puts it right on my porch, instead of hurling it onto the driveway for me to run over.
FWIW, I subscribe to the (free) daily email thing from the NYT, so I invariably read it online while drinking coffee and checking blogs.
Good luck with that. I used to try to get the Sunday NYT but gave up when it was usually delivered on Tuesday mornings, if at all, nice and soggy from the sprinkler.
I'm glad you're all equally amazed--right after I wrote this post I sent a politer version of the same message to the customer care email address; we'll see if they reply.
And T: I do read the Times on line, but I feel as though I always miss things that way; there's really just nothing that compares to reading the hard copy, in my opinion. It's so much easier to skim, to start an article, or to stumble upon unexpected pleasures. (It's also brilliantly portable, although that will be less of a benefit now that I'm driving rather than taking a train to campus.)
I'll update if I hear anything back.
If your school is anything like mine was, they have more copies than they know what to do with and you can easily take one home with you. Yeah, not so helpful on weekends or for your early-morning read, but still... it's free, man.
-scr
That's terrible! I recently found out that up until two years ago, my newly adopted city also didn't have home delivery of the Times. It's pretty scary. I think my city's population is actually a bit smaller than Providence's or Hartford's too.
Keep up the good fight. I can't imagine what life would be like having to buy the times every day and not get that amazing educator's discount.
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