Dealing With The U.S. Postal Service While Resisting The Urge To Go Postal

Ever since I closed my Post Office Box I don't go to the Post Office very often.

But I did today.

On the way to Village Creek Natural Historical Area I stopped at my neighborhood Handley Post Office to mail something to my favorite aunt living in Eastern Washington.

I walked into the deathly quiet Post Office and saw a line of 6 with one Postal Clerk clerking.

I got in line. About 10 minutes later the line moved. I was now 5th in line. Fifteen minutes later I was 3rd in line.

When I was 4th in line a lady got in line behind me. That lady had one of those Post Office supplied type boxes filled with what looked like around 20 big envelopes to mail.

When I was 3rd in line the Postal Clerk looked at the Lady with the Box and told her she could not process that mail now because the line was too long.

"Are you allowed to refuse service?" the Lady with the Box asked.

"Yes, I am," said the Postal Clerk.

The Lady with the Box had been on the phone all the time she was behind me. I could hear what the person she was talking to was saying. That person then told the Lady with the Box to ask to talk to the manager.

By the time I was 1st in line and finally face to face with the surly Postal Clerk, the Lady with the Box was talking to the unkempt looking short blonde frumpy woman who apparently was being the Post Office manager today.

I asked the Postal Clerk if all the other postal clerks had called in sick today. The Postal Clerk told me that they had not called in sick, but were in the backroom working. She told me this in a very surly manner.

Going to the Post Office has always been annoying. It was annoying when I lived in Washington. It is annoying in Texas. But, I think the experience has gotten even more annoying the past several years.

I've got a private Post Office operation across the street, part of the Albertsons strip mall. I think it is called Mail Etcetera, or something like that. I never think to go there til it is too late. Miss Puerto Rico has a Post Office Box at Mail Etcetera. I've been in there with her. The guy who runs it seems very competent. And not at all surly. He always greets Miss Puerto Rico by name.

I have no idea what the outcome was for the Lady with the Box. My business was completed, so I left.

Wikipedia has an article about "Going Postal".

Problems With The United States Postal Service

Up til recently I thought people who complained about Post Office competence were being totally unfair. With me thinking the Post Office does an amazing job of delivering so much stuff.

Up til recently, as far as I knew, I'd never not received something sent to me, or had someone not receive something I'd sent.

But, in the past several months I've had 2 packages not properly delivered. In that the mailman leaves a note saying that he was sorry he was unable to deliver. The note tells you to sign it if you want to have another attempt to deliver made. Or pick it up yourself.

I've tried the 'sign the note for another delivery attempt' option before. The note just stays in my mailbox. Ignored.

My mail room has a separate area for parcel deliveries. The mailman is supposed to put the package in a parcel box and leave the key in my mailbox. Apparently that is extra work and it's easier to leave a note.

I called my local postmaster to complain. I was told the problem was chronic and that he was old school which took pride in doing the job right, but a lot of the new younger mailmen were slackers.

About a month ago I learned someone had mailed me a package with around $250 worth of stuff inside. What stuff, I don't know, she wouldn't say. When I was asked if I got the package it was already a month since it had been mailed. It's now been another month. No package.

Calling the Post Office, now, I get an answering machine. I don't know how I managed to get the Postmaster on the line the previous time I called to complain.

And now this morning I learned that a check I've been expecting had been mailed to me, at my P.O. Box. It is a large check. I have not seen it. This vexes me.