I will never put down postal workers again. So help me God.

[Koch Ebola]

I’ll never make fun of the post office again.

Conservatives for decades have made fun of the post office for decades. They also made fun of postal workers as lazy and stupid. It was to demean civil service workers because the tax payers had finance them. Now if the post office was privatized, they would a better job. I was one of those people. One summer in the 90’s. I needed a job and somebody told me about getting an entry level at the post office. In my uneducated mind I thought it would the easiest job in the world. All I had to do was carry a bag around and stick the mail in a mail box. Easy peezy! Man! Was I wrong. This is my personal experience with the post office. It is 4 pages long. Go to my blog.

https://t.co/hmJbXwd6gj?amp=1

[MaryMagdaline]

1. K&R

I’ve been humbled by their dedication and hard work.

[BlueJac]

2. I have always respected the USPS

Good people and good jobs!

[Joinfortmill]

3. I love the USPS. It is an American institution. And it works. Fuck DeJoy.

[CousinIT]

4. I have always appreciated and respected the postal workers. Right now their leadership is crap.

One of Trump's privatization corpRAT cronies. DeJoy needs to go but that - like so much else, depends on who controls the senate. Democrats need control so we can get rid of DeJoy.

[CurtEastPoint]

5. I worked for the USPS in summer of 1969 while in college. Great job but OMG it was hard work!

My friends were jealous because I was making so much more than they were: $3.66 per hour!

[cab67]

10. And had you kept that salary through to today...

...you'd have more money than Trump.

[CurtEastPoint]

13. That would be nice! Although I think he's lying about his wealth.

[Trueblue Texan]

6. I also clerked for the postal service...

...definitely a tough job, physically and mentally. I took that oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution and though it's been a decade since I worked for USPS, I still honor my oath. And after this year, I will always thank postal workers for protecting our Constitution through the pandemic and this horrible presidency.

[July]

7. USPS is not funded by taxpayers.

It is funded by its own revenues.

[moreland01]

8. And Union Workers in general!

I worked in a Union manufacturing (aircraft) plant and didn't think much of the (lazy, overpaid, unambitious, set for life, couldn't get fired if they tried) union men/women on the line. But I've changed my mind 100% and think that Unions are they key to getting us back to high paying jobs, good benefits and a more equitable distribution of wealth.

[Hotler]

11. I grew up in the Ironworkers, carried two cards, one for the shop and one for the field.

Management never really had to worry about job performance. If you didn't pull your weight the crew would run you off.

[cab67]

9. People remember the misses and forget the hits.

I don't know how many letters and packages the USPS delivers. We tend to remember things that arrive late, or not at all, or to the wrong address, but forget the vastly larger number of things that arrive on time.

And at low rates. During grad school, and now as a faculty member, I see international students lined up at the local post office with packages to be sent back home. They arrive thinking the mail here will be as expensive there, and when they realize just how cheap it is, they airmail as much as they can back.

For what it's worth, one of the most prominent American birders today is known widely as "the postman." I know him - he's a retired letter carrier from my home town in the Midwest, though he may be better known for his Alaska birding trips. Everyone in the local birding community uses the term "postman" not as a perjorative or some sort of mocking nickname, but as an honorable title that elevates his stature even more than his seriously incredible birding prowess.

[littlemissmartypants]

12. One of my best friends was a "letter carrier" as he liked to be called and

I still have the USPS teddy bear her gave me on my birthday one year. I introduced him to his bride and he has retired, a dad and a happy man. Never easily ruffled, by anything, he was always determined to get the job done right and always with a smile. There was never any doubt that what he was doing wasn't a slacker job and he took it seriously.




❤lmsp

[Hoyt]

14. Rode with my granddad in the 1950s oh his part-time rural route. USPS has been an important

part of the country's development.

It's probably not as important today with the internet and other companies involved in package delivery. As to the latter, the USPS missed the opportunity to tie up package delivery up a few decades ago. although they still have somewhat of a monopoly on out-in -the-middle-of-nowhere rural delivery.

It's been about 10 years, but they used to be the only affordable means of shipping overseas. Not sure where they stand now.

[niyad]

15. Have always respected the USPS and the women and men who work there., except for delouse.

They are true s/heroes. They are the REAL "thin blue line".

Do I remember correctly that the PO was one of Ben Franklin's ideas?

[LuvNewcastle]

20. Franklin was chosen during the Revolution to be the head

of a new post office. I just read a little about it on History. com. I wish I had a link for you, but I can't post links with this tablet I'm using. Anyway, check it out when you have time, it's a good story.

[Major Nikon]

16. I know of no instance of private takeover of a governernment service resulted in a better product

The result is always much higher costs or much less service, or both. Usually both.

The myth that government always does things worse than private is a myth the GOP simply MUST perpetuate or their entire ideology fails. Their ideology requires the belief the rich can piss on everyone's shoes while they tell us it's raining.

[CTyankee]

18. Their RW theology demands that which Benjamin Franklin designed be abolished! And these folks

call themselves patriots! And believers in "original intent."

Bullshit! The Founding Fathers be damned!

It's a gotcha game that I love to play because I end up with Franklin and RWers end up with UPS.

[bronxiteforever]

17. K&R. God Bless the USPS! Amazing how the "conservative"

party seeks to destroy an institution that was important to the founders of this Country.
Our postal system works and is a vital to our Country.
DeJerk should be required to work as hard as his employees and his rich fat face should never be off of the grindstone while he holds that sacred position.

[LiberalFighter]

19. I never put them down.

There are always people complaining about the work others do. In the case of mail carriers, how many would cry like babies if they did their work?

[beachbumbob]

21. too many americans believe USPS work you make a ton of money and do not have to do any work

the conception crosses over into almost all "non-professional" jobs as well. The criticism from unskilled conservatives is pretty ironic

[yellowdogintexas]

22. my dad was a route driver, clerk in a rural PO

and worked in a central sorting center

He would be devastated by current events

I love the USPS!

[central scrutinizer]

23. I worked there while in high school - 1967

Made $2.42/hour. Minimum wage was $1.25. But kids usually had to do agricultural jobs. $0.90/hour for detasseling corn. But even that was better than the $6.00/week I got for my paper route. Running letters through the canceling machine then sorting the mail that went to small rural towns. Experienced clerks did the in town sorting. Things slowed down when the new issue of Playboy arrived. Lengthy trips to the bathroom.

[Bluepinky]

27. Ha ha! Things slowed down when the new issue of Playboy arrived.

They’re hard workers, but they’re also people.
Yes, I’ll take the post office over the other shipping choices. Especially with tracking available. The USPS has the word “service” in its name, which is why the other carriers prefer to not deliver to the less profitable rural areas.

[SnowCritter]

25. I never thought too much about the USPS

I knew one of my uncles worked for and retired from the USPS, but that was about it. Then a few years ago I received a small book related to the history of the county I grew up in. I found out that my great-grandfather was the postmaster of the town that I grew up in. This was news to me! Nobody ever mentioned it at any family gatherings.

In any case, I use the USPS to ship packages whenever I can. In my experience they're cheaper and quicker than either UPS or FedEx.

[justhanginon]

26. USPS is a national treasure and a bargain to boot!

[MuseRider]

28. Back in the 50's our mailman

was one of our best pals, at least we thought so. His name was Jack and every week day he would come by, sometimes in his little car that we loved and we would be waiting for him. We would run out the door yelling, "Hi Jack!" He was always kind, had a smile and a toss of our heads, but always professional. Still he felt like one of the family, we knew he was our pal. One day our dog was stolen from our back yard, it was in January in an ice storm. Jack was driving down a street, off duty, about 2 miles from our house and he saw her. She was wet and her hair was ice covered but he knew she was ours so he picked her up and brought her to us. He was our hero. I have always been very fond of USPS and felt in many ways that they, like librarians, are our biggest need and help when things go bad.

The UPS guy saved my life once but that is a different story all together.

Thanks to all who bring us things and information and communication for doing that and for doing a hard job and doing it well.

[Chakaconcarne]

29. I have never put them down..ever.

[hay rick]

30. I worked as a letter carrier and trained other carriers.

I was also a union (NALC) officer, so I trained carriers on both the craft and the contract. Importantly, carriers had no contract protections until their 90th day of employment and could be let go "without cause" until that point. About half of the people that I trained dropped out or were let go before their 90th day. Carriers started by accompanying me in both the office and on the street on one of my routes (I was a T-6 at the time, covering scheduled days off for 5 other carriers).

[Midnight Writer]

31. My last route for the Post office was a 17 mile walk every day, through rain, snow, hail, etc.

Weight limit on the mail bag was 70 pounds (rarely was it that heavy).

I have been hit by cars four times, bit by dogs dozens of times, and harassed by customers God knows how many times, including a handful of physical confrontations.

The job had its benefits, but easy wasn't one of them.

[AmyStrange]

32. As Newman would say...

-

Buy a stamp and write someone a freakin' letter.

For those crazy people who don't know who Newman is, check out Seinfeld.

The best episode is when Jerry, for some cockamamie reason, delivers the mail for him.

ETA: Yes, it's a dig at the post office, but I still love this part:

==============

[Skittles]

33. I have never, ever trashed the USPS

I grew up as a GI brat and they were how I kept in touch with my relatives. And I have always despised people who complained about wait times. I mail a lot of packages to soldiers....I can go in and see no one there, then go back a week later at the same time on the same day of the week and there's a long line......post office traffic can be very fickle indeed. I think they do a great job.