Bottoms up.

I refuse. To be annoyed any more. When my home delivery copy of the New York Times isn’t delivered.  Missed. Skipped. For one reason or another. Happens relatively infrequently. Maybe 10 times a year. I’m supposed to call a number. Listed in the Times. And they promise to have the paper delivered. Later in the day. But nope.  That’s yet to happen. False promises. I plead with the Times circulation representatives. Usually in Iowa or North Carolina.  Not New York. To fix the problem. But they don’t.  So I ask for the name and phone number of the delivery man. They treat that as privileged information.  They don’t provide it. So, what to do about it. I bypass the Times bureaucracy. And act like an investigative reporter. I have my ways. Of uncovering secrets. Such as the name and address and cell phone number of the delivery guy. He missed Thursday’s delivery. He got a home visit. From me. Lo and behold, he delivered. And offered an apology.  Longstanding problem solved.  By working from the bottom up. Instead of from the top down.  –Jim Broede