I love the post office

[wilt the stilt]

I went to Fedex the other day and was going to send a letter 2 day. The cost was $30. I laughed and went to the post office and sent it express mail 2-3 days. it got their in 2 days. The cost was $5,00. The repubs must be morons to think privatizing the USPS would result in better service. It certainly won't be cheaper.

[gateley]

1. The PO is amazing! I get packages from eBay delivered from the East Coast (and I'm

on the West) in about 3 days! They do a fabulous job!

I once saw a comedian do a bit on people griping about the increase in first class postage. "Let's see, the Post Office will take a letter out of my mailbox at home, deliver it to my friend's house across the country in a few days, and they want 25 cents for this???!?!?!"

It's still a deal.

[elleng]

5. Daughter received a Chanukah gift/letter overnight,

when I had no such intention or expectation.
They ARE amazing, and when I see them I either want to cry or shout 'THANK YOU!'

[abelenkpe]

2. K & R nt

[elleng]

3. I doubt they thought it would result in better service,

and they surely knew it wouldn't be cheaper.
HUGE f****up of a sell-out.

[MH1]

28. Yes. I'm sure it has more to do with kickbacks and campaign donations.

Of which I presume the USPS doesn't contribute any.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. That letter was also parcel for FedEx.

They cannot do mail. That's what they want

[Occulus]

19. This.

Privatization will end up meaning "what the market will bear". In your case, $50.

For a letter. I handle tens of thousands of letters every workday.

This is the machine that does it:

[liberalmuse]

6. I have a shop on Etsy, and do some eBay selling...

And I loves the Post Office, too! They are cheap and if you send Priority, your packages do indeed get to their destinations within 3 days. I don't want them to go away. The USPS, from The Pony Express to the present day is one American institution I think most Americans can and should be proud of.

[oneshooter]

7. They let me send a 15lb box to my son. And he gets it in one week! n/t

[Logical]

8. The wait at my post office is horrible. Always a long line. Not good.

[liberalmuse]

9. Do you have a self-service center?

The USPS here do. It beats waiting in line. And I've waited in long lines many times, but the truth is, they move within a reasonable amount of time - less than I generally expect, anyway. The experiences have helped me empathize with postal workers, that's for sure. People in crowds tend to behave like herds.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

11. I've run into long lines sometimes but it's always because of

...some fucking moron who didn't have his act together. Once he moved on the other people in front of me moved through quickly.

[liberalmuse]

12. Here is a panacea...

At 1:54 -

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. You can always have your mail person pick

Boxes at home as well as parcels. Instan no wait.

[Occulus]

22. Be sure to talk to the supervisor about it, then.

Tell them they need another "window clerk". Also, check to see if your area's postal services have been affected by what's called an AMP (Area Mail Processing) study. If so, well, that's another possible reason for long lines

Public unawareness of the nuts and bolts of the recent postal reductions only feeds the problem; perhaps that is what is intended, in order to make a case for privatization. 'They' claim USPS is nearly bankrupt; I merely point to the vast, prepaid pension and medical benefit funds, and that's only one point of contention.

In any case, tell the supervisor they need another window clerk.

[provis99]

24. that just proves postal services are in demand.

[BuelahWitch]

25. Our post office also has package pickup

for anything priority or above. And it's FREE.

[wilt the stilt]

26. timing is important when walking up

9:30 -11:00 and again at 1:30- 4:00 and it will be in and out

[ThomThom]

39. so true

two days ago, I walked in, walked directly to the counter person was waited on immediately and left. Could not have been faster.

[left is right]

27. I agree that the waits are horrible

but I don’t believe that it is the USPS that is at fault. If I go at the end of the day, I invariably get behind a half dozen people who are each mailing 10 to 20 packages. All having to be weighed. I try to remind myself that each package is an individual transaction and as such I am in an incredibly long line that is actually moving quite rapidly

[butterfly77]

10. Cspan has a town hall on right now..

with people in Vermont giving officials an earful..

http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN2/

[liberalmuse]

14. Beautiful! Thanks!

Hurting the USPS is going to hurt a lot of us small business owners/dabblers.

[MedicalAdmin]

37. Our patients rely on USPS to get their meds and supplies

Timely, accurate and inexpensive.

I love me some post.

[Angry Dragon]

15. I heard on the radio today

that the Post Office is the only government organization that is named
and that roads exist in this country for the purpose of moving the mail
the Founding Fathers at the time saw how important mail was

I wonder if it would take a Constitutional Amendment to sell the Post Office
just a thought

[Bigmack]

16. I love it too!

We're trailer trash down here in Calif every winter for several months, and our little post office up home (in Washington) is FABULOUS about forwarding our mail. They probably even do it for stuff they shouldn't even be forwarding, but THEY DO IT! Love those folks. Ms Bigmack

[Kennah]

17. Privatization isn't about doing it cheaper

It's about breaking the union and increasing private carriers stock value.

Private carriers wouldn't have to deliver everywhere the USPS delivers, they could pick and choose what to deliver, and they'd probably scan things like mailers and Email them to you. If it's a private company, they can do whatever they fucking wanna do.

[freshwest]

18. +1,000! That's what it's about.

[limpyhobbler]

20. true, it wouldn't be cheaper. It would be more expensive.

It would be more expensive for customers and the workers would get paid crap and have less benefits and security. People want to privatize just to redirect money into corporate profits while breaking the union.

[gateley]

43. Of course you're right. Profit trumps all. nt

[RC]

21. FedEx and UPS both use the USPS to deliver parcels where they do not want to go.

[Riftaxe]

23. Would switch our local USPS with yours

in a second. I am forced to avoid USPS because at least locally it is the equivalent of throwing the package away, and good luck receiving one through it (would rather play the lotto, better odds).

[madokie]

33. It seems the only honest thing you posted is where you stated you would trade

If you are having problems with the post office they have a contact number and email you can voice your concerns to.

[Gormy Cuss]

40. As Occulus wrote above, complain.

Complain to the supervisor in the branch. Complain to the local postmaster. Do it in writing.

[HopeHoops]

29. And on top of that, you can get Express and Priority boxes for free!

I order them online and they are delivered to my house. I've been most pleased with the service and delivery time (as well as the cost).

Besides - how the hell else can you get a letter from one side of the country to the other in a couple of days for 44 cents?

[xiamiam]

30. i love the post office a well.I ship lots of packages every week, it is an extraordinary service.

Don't let anyone tell you its not. They want it..then they'll screw it up and it wont be affordable to mail a letter. Fight for the post office ..it worth it.

[TBF]

31. They're breaking the union. nt

[madokie]

32. So do I

I do a lot of shopping online and if I'm given the opportunity to suggest who they ship by I go with USPS every time. I'm an old navy postal clerk myself so I'm a little partial towards the post office.

[blondie58]

34. thank you wilt!

I am a new postal retiree (NALC branch 47) so I have a strong opinion about this.
The post office is absolutely essential! We have to save it from the many people who want to destroy it and give the biz to their friends, like Darrell issa.

The truth is, we wouldn't be in bad shape if we didn't have to precinct our health benefits 75 years in advance. The repubs slipped this is another bill. We get no federal money, in fact we pay through the sales of stamps.
e are trying to get the

House bill 1351 passed through congress get that money back.

Sure the PO has its problems, but they can be worked out.

[a2liberal]

35. You probably didn't even need to use express mail

Though it's good to be safe if you have a deadline. I regularly get Priority Mail packages from CA to MI in 2 days. (Though to be fair right now I'm waiting for 2 packages that have taken longer but I also don't trust the senders to have shipped when they said they did)

[handmade34]

36. I too, love the USPS

I support them and tell the employees everytime I visit how much I appreciate them... they are always pleased!

[Populist_Prole]

38. Always gave me very good service. Only people I know who are anti USPS are

against it not due to service issues, but ideological ones. Typical teabagger, government hating, far-right hacks.

[The Genealogist]

41. "The repubs must be morons to think privatizing the USPS would result in better service."

They don't care about better service. They care about making rich people richer, which is, of course, their plan for the post office. Not enough rich people getting rich off the post office as it is, so it must be destroyed. Be prepared to regularly pay prices closer to your $30 and your $5, while employee wages of people who deliver go down down down and profits for the already filthy rich go up up up.

[aquart]

42. Isn't the post office in the constitution?

Would we have to amend to privatize?

[NMDemDist2]

44. it just says Congress establishes them and post roads

Section 8 - Powers of Congress

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

[aquart]

48. Thank you!

[senseandsensibility]

45. K and R, and I assume you meant $5.OO, not 5 thousand dolllars

Last edited Sat Jan 7, 2012, 08:14 PM - Edit history (1)

LOL. Had to do a double take on that one. Yes, I agree, our unionized brothers and sisters at the regular "gubmint" post office do a GREAT job!

[Lefta Dissenter]

46. I posted a similar thank you a few months ago

after getting home from mailing my first package to my son, who's in Saudi Arabia. The postal worker at the counter was so helpful in getting me supplied with the customs forms, showing me how to fill them out ("APO numbers go WHERE?&quot , and just being nice and friendly.

I love the USPS!

[loyalsister]

47. Save the USPS!!!

I was talking to a friend who is a mail carrier. and she thinks that it would be helpful right now for people to use it more. Start paying bills via mail again, send letters\cards, etc. After talking to her, I am becoming a USPS advocate. I started buying blank cards and sending them to family members. Making CDs every now and then and sending them along. Use the postal service to save it!

[Nay]

50. Agreed! As a former city mail carrier, I urge everyone to send their friends letters, gifts, etc.,

by mail whenever possible.

My latest horror story:
I had to send some documents to Canada, and because I was working late a lot (and PO was closed), I stopped in at *ONE OF THE OTHER DELIVERY SERVICES* and priced a tracked, two-ounce flat envelope to Canada.

FORTY DOLLARS!

Made the time to stop off at the PO the next week and got it sent registered mail for $12. And the nice lady at the counter apologized for the 'high' price.

[Liberal_in_LA]

49. I do too!

[Mopar151]

51. To be fair

A lot of what the wingnutz are going on about USED TO BE true. In the past couple decades, mail servicehas improved greatly, especially parcels and the 3 - day priority service.

Add: Typical wingnut rhetoric tactic - a lot of 'em seem stuck in '64 or so, mentally.