The US Post Office
The United States Post Office was as regular as the sunrise when I was a kid. Much was made of their supposed creed "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." The mailman, usually a neighbor, maybe a friend, always lived up to that unofficial motto.
It is an unfortunate truth though that the "modern age" has taken revenue from the Post Office by substituting e-mail and digital news for all the mail that used to move through this country. Also, commercial carriers have taken business by finding ways to ship packages more quickly and with greater reliability than the USPS. Combined with an almost self-destructive arrogance that continues outrageous spending by the Postmaster General, this has driven the now semi-commercial USPS towards bankruptcy.
With ever increasing rates failing to meet revenue needs (and driving away more and more customers) the USPS has recently resorted to cutting hours. In their great wisdom they have changed the counter's weekday hours to 9:30-4:30 and weekend hours to 10:00-12:00. Meanwhile all but the two or three folks out front are still working the regular hours. I fail to see how they are saving any real money.
The USPS could also have one location open at 8:00 AM and close at 3:00 PM and another open 11:00-6:00. That doesn't appear to have been an option.
They could not have calculated the work day hours any better. These hours make it nigh impossible for me to get into the Post Office to mail a package. Going to the post office is a necessity because they won't take a package dropped in a box for fear that it will contain something liquid, fragile, perishable or potentially hazardous. They always ask ignoring the obvious that a criminal who is shipping a forbidden item will always lie. I doubt anyone walks in and says they are going to ship a dirty bomb or a container of anthrax.
Lately, we've had quite a bit of snow. That unofficial creed went by the boards. It was really kind of silly. At the height of the storm we had delivery. Two days later, after having had deliveries after the storm end, the USPS decided it was too dangerous to deliver mail. Clear skies, relatively warm temperatures, but more dangerous than at the height of the storm.
All together this makes the United States Postal Service a pretty disappointing service provider. I don't see how they are going to survive as a viable alternative to the commercial shipping service providers. That said, I know a number of people who work for the USPS and they are all nice, hard working folks. It is a shame that some of them might be unemployed because of the management decisions made by those above them.
Labels: Culture
