Who went down to a postal service station today?

[The Backlash Cometh]

I went down to the US Post Office today and there was maybe four total customers in the place. What happened? There use to be a line of 20 leading out the door at this time every year. Has Fed Ex and UPS really cut into the business that badly? You can buy next day air at the post office, just as easily as any other place.

[whistle]

1. Bush sent everyone out shopping

[Booster]

2. No, but I did stop at one of those postal stores to buy some

stamps and the guy put down a book worth $7.80 and said "that will be $20". I said why and he said because the Post Office charged them a pick-up fee. I told him I didn't mind paying a fee but not 3 times what the damn things were worth in the first place. I'll never use one of those stores again.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Prices seem to vary.

I can get some packages sent cheaper by UPS, but I prefer dealing with the US Postal service.

[Blue Belle]

3. I went at 10:00 this morning...

and there was maybe 4 people in line. I still used the little automated postage meter machine though. :P

[Redstone]

4. Where was that? I want to come use YOUR Post Office. Mine takes 20 minutes to

get into and out of, any time of any day.

Redstone

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. It's in...

Tom Feeney's backyard.

[Selatius]

9. Isn't he the guy who hired Clint Curtis to write vote rigging software?

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. Yes.

It's gotten weirder in the last three years. I use to like that post office, people were personable, but then it got weird. If I had a tin foil hat, I'd say that Republicans in that area have played out their intentions by using the information they gathered to red flag potential hostiles. I'm basing this on several experiences I've had there.

I've actually heard one white male postal worker, who I had never seen before and have never seen since, speak loudly to a customer about a management phenomena where bad ideas get pushed forward because no one wants to go against the person who came up with the idea in the room. I wish I could remember the name of the syndrome. He was distinctly trying to make an excuse for Bush's Folly in Iraq and I think he thought he was selling the spin to the crowd who were unwitting captives. But then his eyes met mine and something weird happen. I felt like it was 1930 and I was a black man who had just kissed a white woman on Main Street. Chilling. He stopped his cheerful spinning after that.

Another time, a guy was gathering signatures outside for T.F. and he was polite and managed to get a black woman to sign the petition, but when he saw me, he practically hid the clipboard against his chest.

Things that make you go hmmmm....

[Deja Q]

5. Everybody was at target and best buy today...

Given the lower cost of USPS, I'm surprised more people don't use them. 'specially when USPS is subsidized by taxpayers (as are UPS and FedEx, no doubt...)

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. You know what I was really worried about?

E-mail Christmas Cards and the possibility that no one is really buying things for anyone who lives out of town? :shrug:

[recoveringrepublican]

32. How is USPS subsidized? nt?

[Duer 157099]

10. Isn't it a bit late to be sending xmas stuff?

Unless you send it overnight, it won't get there, so why would you think people would be shipping gifts/cards out today?

[Gormy Cuss]

11. That would be one reason why the USPS is empty in some places.

If it wasn't mailed priority by Tuesday or so, it's unlikely to be delivered before Christmas.

--Gormy Cuss, who waited with a pile of packages on Monday.;)

[Duer 157099]

14. Same here. Tuesday, Priority

And I'm hoping it makes it in time.

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. To get it date stamped before the 25th so you don't look like a

lazy worthless sh*t.

Though the reality is, that this is a very stressful time of the year, with people trying to meet a deadline and relax at the same time. An impossible combination.

[uberblonde]

12. I waited in line for a half-hour today.

I think you just lucked out.

[Mabus]

13. We walked right up to the counter

I went about 1:30 this afternoon. No holiday packages or anything cool. I had to send some stuff off for work and I had to do it using ExpressMail. I was in and out in less than four minutes. I already had the label filled out and the exact change otherwise it might have taken me five minutes. I really thought I'd be there half the day and was geniunely surprised that there was no muss or fuss and I was finished in minutes.

[1monster]

15. I went to the P.O. substation the other day and it cost me $51.00 to

mail three packages. Two of those packages were small, probably about three pounds each. A third package was probably seven pounds.

When it costs that much to send things, people will choose other methods of gift giving: gift certificates, gift cards, Swiss Colony, etc...

[The Backlash Cometh]

19. Gift cards.

Yep. That and the cost of mail must be the factors.

[SoCalDem]

27. I do gift cards these days. It always fits, is always the right color

and if my sons prefer to use the card for a helping hand to buy tires, what's it to me :)

[Buzz Clik]

16. You were in the wrong place -- the Starbuck's line was clear into the Hardees lot.

[The Backlash Cometh]

20. LOL!

[MountainLaurel]

21. I did

Sent a return receipt letter off to a library patron who stole a few hundred dollars worth of DVDs and books.

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. Isn't that as pointless as expecting a pathological liar to tell you

the truth?

[MountainLaurel]

36. Perhaps, but

The letter was to tell her that if she didn't return the items post-haste or pay to replace them, she was going to be charged with theft under state law. That, on the other hand, may light a fire under her.

[bleedingheart]

22. geeks like me finished shopping about two weeks ago...

and all my shipments were mailed direct from the place of purchase...

[The Backlash Cometh]

24. There's always one in the crowd.

:-)

[Fleshdancer]

29. Same here...

I wish I was this organized about it every year but unfortunately I'm not. It's nice sitting at home in my pj's right now though instead of fighting the last minute crowd. :)

[treestar]

25. Where was this?

Mine has been hyper-busy through all of the past two weeks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. My hubby works at a processing station

and yes things have slowed a bit... but it is expected. The priority packages and express are mostly processed... for god sakes it is the day before Christmas

[seriousstan]

28. You got all this nfo out of an example set of one. Way to connect the dot.

.

[The Backlash Cometh]

34. If you read the posts you'll find, I wasn't the only one that

encounted this. But, as to why is always up for conjecture. I owe it to competition, gift cards and meticulous geekiness in some.

[Nicole]

30. I did & stood in line for about 30 minutes

to mail a package. The place was packed. Most were picking up packages that were not delivered because no one was home to sign for them. Only a few of us were mailing packages.

Today's package was for a Dec. 30th birthday, Christmas packages were mailed on the 12th.

[recoveringrepublican]

31. Well I work for USPS and am working 10-12 hour days right now

I encode mail. I work overnights, which is usually slower than days. I know day shift people are working 4 hours of over time a day. I have been getting crazy over time the last 3 weeks, even with our center being shut down in march (meaning mail is being transfered to other centers, which should mean less work).

It's mostly letter/magazine/corp mail I key, but I know my buddies that transfered to the plant are also getting lots of overtime, even with the damn machines.

[The Backlash Cometh]

35. Are you near a metro or suburban area?

[recoveringrepublican]

37. Tampa nt

[Catchawave]

33. UPS store at 11 a.m. this morning.....

..to overnight two NFL shirts...$36 to arrive Tuesday :) I'm waiting til next week.