Post Office Closings

[W. Gray]

In Howard, if one lives within three-eighths of a mile from the post office the postal box in the post office is free.

The post mistress (is that good word?) puts a reminder in my mother's mail box once each year for her to come in and certify that she is still at her Howard address and thus eligible for the free postal box.

Outside the three-eighths mile circle, one pays for the box.

[mtcookson]

Really, no guns?  You can mail them through FedEx or UPS, can't you?

You can send rifles and shotguns through the USPS but no handguns (unless you have the federal firearms license (FFL)). You can send them through FedEx and UPS but only with FedEx's Priority Overnight service and UPS' Next Day Air. If you don't have an FFL, you can only ship to a person or business who has an FFL.

[Tobina+1]

Thanks for the info on shipping guns, MT.

As for rural delivery, I'd be willing to pay a small fee to have my mail delivered out here, if it came to that.  I pay to have my trash picked up, so why not.  Those who weren't willing to pay, could have a free PO box in town and could spend the money to drive in whenever they wanted the mail.  Most of my neighbors drive to town at least once a day, or every-other day, so a free PO box would work for them if they didn't want to pay.

Or here's another idea (maybe for the people who live more than X miles away from town)... the PO could set up centrally located rural boxes, kind of like they do for apartment complexes.  That way the mailman wouldn't have to drive to EVERY house; just hit the rural box locations, and then people could drive to that location to get the mail, but not all the way to town. 

You can't complain about EVERYTHING.  If you want rural delivery service, then you have to understand that rates will go higher as gas prices go higher, living expenses go higher, and wages go higher.  If you want to save rural delivery service, then you'll be willing to either pay higher rates, or deal with some other money-saving methods.  If you don't want either, then pay bills online (and don't complain about high rural internet service!)   

[greatguns]

And why did they quit charging for post office box rent when they keep raising postage because they need revenue.  Am I the only one that gets something in my mailbox about once a month from the USPS wanting me to buy stamps on line?

[W. Gray]

I checked out the online ordering of stamps a few years ago and recall there was a fee or a charge of some type.

However, I order my stamps on a post office order form that goes in a post office envelope that I leave in my mail box with a check, the mail man picks up, and I get the stamps about three days later. There is no fee. The result is the same as walking into the post office and buying.

When I first started this several years ago, I had to put a stamp on the government envelope. However, now the post office pays the "postage" and pays the postage to deliver the stamps.

Our local post office is a rat race and I do not go in there unless I have to.

[Rudy Taylor]

My beef with the USPS is with the mega-huge distribution centers in Kansas City, Denver, Atlanta, etc.  Mail is simply not dispatched out of those places in the same, efficient and friendly way it leaves our small post offices.

When we mail out our newspapers each Wednesday, they are bagged, tagged, computer coded and patted with love. But if you live out of state, don't expect to receive your paper for at least 6 to 9 days.  We do not understand that because we know those bags go straight to Independence and immediately to Wichita the same night. Other than one "misc. states" bundle, which has to be separated in Wichita and sent in separate directions, the bags go straight to sectional centers and post offices in the region of their destination. Again, I think they are worked quickly once they arrive there, so the slow-down obviously is in the bulk distribution centers.

If everybody worked the mail as it is worked in Howard, Moline, Longton, Piedmont, Elk Falls, Grenola, etc., our overall system of mailing would be enhanced 1000 percent.

[Tobina+1]

I was trying to hold my tongue, but I think in larger cities, there is also a job requirement for the people who work in the PO to be mean and rude.  I love our small town offices where people know you and are willing to take the time to help you out.

[W. Gray]

I have seen some of that but the biggest problem in our post office is too many customers and not enough service people.

We have seven postal counters and usually only one is manned even if twenty-five people are waiting. At one time they installed a "take a number" system but the last time I was there they had taken it out and it was everyone for themselves.

They have two automated counters in the lobby where one can ship packages.

Without dealing with a postal person, you can categorize, weigh, and then use a credit card to pay for the shipping, similar to the self check out in Walmart.

After you apply the postage you put the package through an opening and it goes down a ramp into the mailing room. Except on the weekends, there are lines there also.

One good thing about our post office is that it opens at 7:00am.

[Wilma]

It is time for me to be heard.  I like the postal service.  I like getting cards and letters that I can set up and look at and remember.  Letters that I can handle and read again.  All these things have been handled by someone that I probably love and there is a bit of their essence with the missile.  Can you say that about your e-mails, voice mail, text messages, twitter?  Can the images sent e-mail compare with the photos you hold in your hand and look at again and again?

I don't know about David, but I can't complain about Charlie.  If I receive a postage due letter, the letter is in my mail box along with a note of the amount due.  It doesn't wait at the post office for me to pay the due postage.  Same if I mail something without enough postage.  It gets mailed, then I get a note about the postage due.  Charlie never complains about bringing packages to my door, even though it takes more time.  When I apologise for him having to do this, he just says that is what keeps him in business.  I do send Daughter up to the post office to get stamps, but she enjoys doing it as the post mistress makes her feel that they are glad to see her.  As long as I live here, I hope this is the last post office that is ever closed.

[kshillbillys]

Thanks Wilma, that was very nice! I hope Carolyn reads this post!