EDITOR’S UPDATE: Good news! This morning the New York Times was delivered to the foot of our driveway on the right day and by 7:00 AM. We would like to fantasize that our article caused reverberations on 43rd Street in NYC, but it is likely more the results of consumer complaints. Why would we be more successful in Manhattan than we have been in Lancaster, where a bunch of rascals over the past decade have blatantly looted the taxpayers and trampled citizen’ rights.
By Robert Field
According to the report from a long time and dependable deliverer of the New York Times who resigned in protest, at the end of 2018 the New York Times circulation department decided to discontinue direct daily delivery to Lancaster but rather to have Lancaster distributors go to the Harrisburg area to pick up the newspapers.
The results for subscribers has been that the Times no longer can be read with breakfast but rather must await dinner, and in that case only for people dining alone..
With prior agent quitting due to the time consuming and expensive requirements, service in other ways at least in at least for one area of the city has greatly deteriorated. Contrary to subscriber requests, it is not unusual for the papers to be delivered on vacation days and then not arrive on days upon return.
Unwanted newspapers piling up when the occupant is away is a signal to potential thieves.
One of the painful consequences is the need to look over the daily LNP which faithfully arrives early each morning.
Despite contacts with the Times circulation department, there has been little if any improvement. And until direct delivery returns to Lancaster, subscribers will simply have to wait until they return from work to read about what occurred the day before.
This is probably a sign of things to come from the Times, less concern about print circulation and the encouragement of digital readership.
There are several threads on Nextdoor.com about folks in this trying to get their papers. We finally gave up, after years of 7-day a week subscription.