Newspaper boxes have been disappearing from downtown Asheville. It is estimated fifty distribution boxes still used by publishers sprung legs and took a hike in the last twenty-one months.
Perhaps I have shared with you before my experiences with the local paper with which I am affiliated. One time I saw a lady with her back seat full of the papers. I was excited and asked if she was a deliverer. “No,” she replied. “Puppy paper.” Another time, I saw a guy grabbing papers by the handful at the post office – for packing. Once, there was a full baby diaper in a box.
Another paper had perhaps worse luck. One reporter told of the time somebody took one of their boxes to the top of a parking garage and set it on fire.
Yes, words, true or false, can set up negative vibes in the aether. One might see how perceived threats could inspire somebody to steal an edition. But the boxes of different publications are disappearing at different times. They are metal and plastic and hard to hide. What would you do with fifty of them?
