Nightly Ramble: We’re Losing Newspapers, But Frankly It’s No Great Loss Anymore.

As this is written, I’m waiting for an offload in the Bronx. 62 degrees, the sun shining, but traffic is honking, and it looks like it’s going to be hours before I get out of here. In other words a typical day.

A few years ago I was at the George Washington Bridge one morning. There was an accident somewhere down the cross products, so traffic was backed up on the bridge. As soon as I got through the toll booth and the traffic stopped so I did too.

Traffic started up again and when I went to start up I checked all my mirrors out of habit. Looking down my right side I noticed a 3 series BMW parked directly in front of my ttandams with the nose all the way up to the windshield wipers under my trailer.

I sat and waited for a minute or so. Nothing. I wiggled the trailer. Nothing. I actually dropped my air in the middle of the George Washington Bridge and leaned out the right side window and glared at the secretary type driving it. Nothing. I hollered at the woman, what the hell you doing? Get out of there!!

About that time the Port Authority cops noticed that something was amiss and one of them started ambling over to see what was going on. She made him, and took off like a bat out of hell. How she managed to disappear in the traffic so fast I have yet to figure out, but she did. The cop looked at me shook their shoulders and turn around and walked back.

The only thing I can figure is that she was interested in the insurance money. Given I had a full load on that day, I think she probably would have ended up with more damage than she thought she would. She was in for more than she bargained for.

It’s one reason I stress with my trainees, to always check the rear view mirrors, every single one of them, before you move the truck. You never know the kind of crazies that you’re going to run into out there, literally.

Welcome to my world.

I see Billy Hollis over at Q&O reporting that newspaper circulation has been down about half in the last 10 years, permit already record lows.

He goes into some detail on it, complete with table will fall of these major out much better losing their shirts. He suggests, & I concur, that the recent successes of the right are largely due to the lack of penetration of the traditionally leftist newspapers that he lists in his table. You might want to check all of it out.

The success of Fox News however, may point a solution to the problem. Actually giving news. Yes, I know that’s not their purpose. It hasn’t been for decades. But it’s the only way they’re going to survive short of governmental intervention, which I wouldn’t put it past the big government types.
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And down the road I go. See you tomorrow.