Re: USPS

December 31, 2002

I've been wondering about that, too. When they switched from being a

branch of the federal government to a government-owned corporation a la

TVA, the plan was for attrition to take care of all the civil-service

employees and the replacements would have much less in the way of

guarantees like the employment-for-life, light workload, and superb pension

of the civil service. They would have to work to keep their jobs! The

USPS was supposed to be run like a profit-making corporation that had to

get permission from Congress to raise its fees.

Over the years, as we have routinely gotten the wrong mail delivered--and

I've gotten acquainted with everyone around here whose street number (on

whatever street) is the same as mine, because we got each other's mail--and

checks I've mailed failed to reach their destinations--I have wondered just

exactly what it's going to take to get good mail service. I've taken care

of most of the bills by having them automatically transferred from my

checking account (set up for that purpose). I use e-mail and inexpensive

telephone minutes to keep up with family and friends. I've cut the number

of magazines to which we subscribe drastically. So I can say with little

fear of contradiction that the USPS has been instrumental in organizing and

streamlining my communications services. It's just coincidence that all

the improvements were designed to get AROUND the USPS.

To be fair, though, I believe that the USPS is correct when it complains

that most of the high-profit business was siphoned off by Fed Ex and

UPS. The USPS still has to deliver the letters addressed by hand (I either

run my envelopes through the printer or use labels, and I print the

barcodes on, but not everyone does that), deliver to every house in the

country, and perform other expensive services.

My biggest annoyance with them, though, occurred on the Saturday before

Christmas, when at 3:30 p.m. I went to the brand-new post office in

andria, VA, to mail my Christmas cards (labeled, with bar codes, but

containing personal notes and signatures added while on Amtrak) only to

discover that the building was locked. I and the dozen or so other

would-be customers stood at the door in shock--the machines in the lobby

were inaccessible. The drop slots were inaccessible. Is this any way to

run a business? I finally used the drive-by drop box, as I had stamps

(albeit not Christmas stamps), and the next scheduled pickup was

Monday. Monday? It was 3:30 p.m. on Saturday! There were letter carriers

arriving in their trucks and driving to the back of the building, but none

were accepting anything for mailing that day. Okay, they did warn us to

mail early. I didn't mail early. I guess I deserve getting no

service. But still. . . .

At 11:15 AM 12/31/2002 -0600, §Rennie§ wrote:

>...and still the postage rates continue to rise. I wonder what they are

>doing with all funds? Heck, with email, there should actually be less

>mail now than in the past and the USPS should be shrinking, reducing

>overall cost. The post office IS nonprofit as a government agency, isn't

>it? Supposedly, all the $ should be just for costs, not profit. Makes ya

>wonder where all the money goes though...

>

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>Rennie

>My Home Page: <http://www.renesue.com>http://www.renesue.com

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

> Re: 4th Edition

>

>Don't get me started on the USPS. We have the most incompetent personnel in

>our town. We have made complaints for years (we have been here over 20

>years) about mail be returned, delivered to the wrong address, etc. One time

>they " misplaced " my very large one-month paycheck from one of my clients. I

>finally had to ask the office to issue a new check. Three days after

>receiving the new check the old one showed up. I have no clue where it was.

>My husband receives checks in the mail from his customers, as well, and they

>are returned on a regular basis for the " wrong address. " We used to have a

>PO box, as there was no delivery, then they told us we would have better

>mail service in a " community box " (who every dreamed up that one?). If we

>get mail with our old PO box number on it PLUS the street address, it gets

>returned to the sender. This is a small town of less than 2200 people, and

>you would think after 20 years someone would know us. Sorry, but you started

>it!

>

December 31, 2002

possibly going to the new Segways? little motorized scooters that you stand on?

Re: 4th Edition

Don't get me started on the USPS. We have the most incompetent personnel in

our town. We have made complaints for years (we have been here over 20

years) about mail be returned, delivered to the wrong address, etc. One time

they " misplaced " my very large one-month paycheck from one of my clients. I

finally had to ask the office to issue a new check. Three days after

receiving the new check the old one showed up. I have no clue where it was.

My husband receives checks in the mail from his customers, as well, and they

are returned on a regular basis for the " wrong address. " We used to have a

PO box, as there was no delivery, then they told us we would have better

mail service in a " community box " (who every dreamed up that one?). If we

get mail with our old PO box number on it PLUS the street address, it gets

returned to the sender. This is a small town of less than 2200 people, and

you would think after 20 years someone would know us. Sorry, but you started

it!

December 31, 2002

I had massive problems with my mail being misdelivered, etc. I tried everything.

I finally wrote to my Congressperson.

Imagine my delight to get a phone call and a direct number from the supervisor

at my local postal station, along with a promise to make sure I get my own mail.

The man called and left a message on my voicemail saying " Please contact me as

soon as possible about your mail... we got a phone call from ??CONGRESS?? saying

that you had a problem...??? "

I rarely have problems with my mail anymore. I never had a problem with the

regular carrier. It was the people who covered on his days off... the ones

chatting on their cell phones while driving and delivering mail... no wonder the

mail was going to the wrong house...

-Allie

December 31, 2002

Well I am glad that worked for you, but I filled out the form online twice

and have had personal calls from the postmaster and it still happens. They

want you to THINK they are doing something about it.

-- Re: USPS

I had massive problems with my mail being misdelivered, etc. I tried

everything. I finally wrote to my Congressperson.

Imagine my delight to get a phone call and a direct number from the

supervisor at my local postal station, along with a promise to make sure I

get my own mail.

The man called and left a message on my voicemail saying " Please contact me

as soon as possible about your mail... we got a phone call from ??CONGRESS??

saying that you had a problem...??? "

I rarely have problems with my mail anymore. I never had a problem with the

regular carrier. It was the people who covered on his days off... the ones

chatting on their cell phones while driving and delivering mail... no wonder

the mail was going to the wrong house...

-Allie

December 31, 2002

I put six payments for bills in the drop box outside our post office one day and

all six were lost. I didn't know until I got a late notice for my mortgage.

Fortunately everyone was understanding about it - except the post office. I

filled out forms for each one that was lost, and I ended up stopping payment on

the checks (which I had to pay for) so they wouldn't get cashed if they ever

arrived where they were supposed to. The postmaster said he wouldn't have

stopped payment - translation: They are never going to be found. And you know

what? They never have been, and that was in 1998.

However, I do have to say my carrier is great. We have a long driveway, and if

we have a package that he can't fit in the box, he'll bring it to the house.

Pattie

" njburk@... " wrote:

> Well I am glad that worked for you, but I filled out the form online twice

> and have had personal calls from the postmaster and it still happens. They

> want you to THINK they are doing something about it.

>

> -- Re: USPS

>

> I had massive problems with my mail being misdelivered, etc. I tried

> everything. I finally wrote to my Congressperson.

>

> Imagine my delight to get a phone call and a direct number from the

> supervisor at my local postal station, along with a promise to make sure I

> get my own mail.

>

> The man called and left a message on my voicemail saying " Please contact me

> as soon as possible about your mail... we got a phone call from ??CONGRESS??

> saying that you had a problem...??? "

>

> I rarely have problems with my mail anymore. I never had a problem with the

> regular carrier. It was the people who covered on his days off... the ones

> chatting on their cell phones while driving and delivering mail... no wonder

> the mail was going to the wrong house...

>

> -Allie

>

December 31, 2002

I slept through that, I guess! Will be something interesting for me to

investigate on a rainy day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rennie

My Home Page: http://www.renesue.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Re: USPS

When they switched from being a branch of the federal government to a

government-owned corporation a la TVA

December 31, 2002

Have you ever read those newspaper articles about mail carriers who died,

and when someone went in their house, it was filled in every inch of space

with undelivered mail? Or the carrier who had stuffed mail in the crawl

space of his house for years? Or the one who, when he felt like taking off

early, stuffed it in his garage? My only question is, did they do that

with the multiple catalogues and advertisements for low mortgage rates and

no-fee credit cards?

At 01:53 PM 12/31/2002 -0500, Pattie wrote:

>I put six payments for bills in the drop box outside our post office one

>day and

>all six were lost. I didn't know until I got a late notice for my mortgage.

>Fortunately everyone was understanding about it - except the post office. I

>filled out forms for each one that was lost, and I ended up stopping

>payment on

>the checks (which I had to pay for) so they wouldn't get cashed if they ever

>arrived where they were supposed to. The postmaster said he wouldn't have

>stopped payment - translation: They are never going to be found. And you know

>what? They never have been, and that was in 1998.

>

>However, I do have to say my carrier is great. We have a long driveway, and if

>we have a package that he can't fit in the box, he'll bring it to the house.

>

>Pattie

>

> " njburk@... " wrote:

>

> > Well I am glad that worked for you, but I filled out the form online twice

> > and have had personal calls from the postmaster and it still happens. They

> > want you to THINK they are doing something about it.

> >

> > -- Re: USPS

> >

> > I had massive problems with my mail being misdelivered, etc. I tried

> > everything. I finally wrote to my Congressperson.

> >

> > Imagine my delight to get a phone call and a direct number from the

> > supervisor at my local postal station, along with a promise to make sure I

> > get my own mail.

> >

> > The man called and left a message on my voicemail saying " Please contact me

> > as soon as possible about your mail... we got a phone call from

> ??CONGRESS??

> > saying that you had a problem...??? "

> >

> > I rarely have problems with my mail anymore. I never had a problem with the

> > regular carrier. It was the people who covered on his days off... the ones

> > chatting on their cell phones while driving and delivering mail... no

> wonder

> > the mail was going to the wrong house...

> >

> > -Allie

> >

December 31, 2002

LOL, in my dreams!! I stand right next to a big ole trash can when I sort the

mail. Poor twees. : (

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rennie

My Home Page: http://www.renesue.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Re: USPS

Have you ever read those newspaper articles about mail carriers who died,

and when someone went in their house, it was filled in every inch of space

with undelivered mail? Or the carrier who had stuffed mail in the crawl

space of his house for years? Or the one who, when he felt like taking off

early, stuffed it in his garage? My only question is, did they do that

with the multiple catalogues and advertisements for low mortgage rates and

no-fee credit cards?

December 31, 2002

Yeah, it would be nice if they would lose all of that junk stuff instead

of the important mail!! I figure I'll be one of those people

contacted in about 20 years that they found my mail in a bag stuck

behind a post or something.

Pattie

Valeria Truitt wrote:

> Have you ever read those newspaper articles about mail carriers who

> died, and when someone went in their house, it was filled in every

> inch of space with undelivered mail? Or the carrier who had stuffed

> mail in the crawl space of his house for years? Or the one who, when

> he felt like taking off early, stuffed it in his garage? My only

> question is, did they do that with the multiple catalogues and

> advertisements for low mortgage rates and no-fee credit cards?

>

December 31, 2002

The USPS ceased being nonprofit quite a few years ago.

Deb Wyatt )

sville, WA