Your Doorman Has Been Outsourced
If you come home one evening to find your doorman's disappeared and he's been replaced with a camera overhead, congrats: Your cheapo landlord has decided to outsource your doorman. It seems some cash-strapped developers are looking to reduce costs and lure in buyers with lower common charges by installing virtual doormen—"staffers sitting in command centers as far away as Florida who can buzz guests and deliveries into buildings at a fraction of the cost of a regular doorman." They can't protect you in the event a homicidal maniac tries to follow you into your building, of course. And they can't open the door for you when you arrive home in a taxi on a cold winter night. Then again, when's the last time you saw a real live doorman do that? [NYP]