PROJECT GREEN

To Postal Workers, No Mail Is ‘Junk’

With revenues falling, the post office owes its future to stuff we throw out.

By Caitlin McDevitt | NEWSWEEK
Published Sep 27, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Oct 6, 2008

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  • Posted By: eguia @ 10/10/2008 2:48:31 PM

    all these arguments towards stopping "junk mail" are ridiculous. in a time when everyone is complaining that everything is going up in price, mailers are the only ones that remain free and keep your stamp prices from going up like everything else. i am a postal employee and i can say first hand that as bad as mailers are it should be up to the individual to ensure that if the environment is the primary concern behind this then why pay $20 to a company which takes up precious resources by having their facility running with a needless service. are we not all aware that the post office recycles unused paper and is a HUGE contributor to the high percentage of recycled paper in the U.S.? why can't we all take that initiative and recycle our "junk mail" which keeps your mailing prices down and keeps small businesses in business by giving them low priced advertising. we see how big companies take it upon themselves to put small business out of commision and hike up whatever they can. why can't these small businesses keep business going and gain new customers? like the article claimed, if the safety of trees is what we are concerned with, take your weekly advertisements, your unwanted credit card applications, and any other pizza coupon you get in the mail and take it down to the recycling area each week. save those $20 and make a little cash on the side.

    • Posted By: R4DF @ 10/18/2008 5:25:50 PM

      Imagine for a moment, no Post Office. How much are you going to pay to send a card, a letter or a document across town or across the country? $10? You may not do it often, but if that time came, you might think differently. Ask someone who has moved here from another country what their postal system used to be like.

      • Posted By: It'sMeAgain @ 01/12/2009 8:17:22 PM

        I would LOVE a world in which there is no post office. The people that work there are rude because they know they have job security. No one really mails letters these days, anyway: there are eCards, e-mail, and even major magazines are starting to offer digital forms of their magazines to cut down on postage and paper. When the FedExes and UPSes of the world are fighting for your business, the prices of sending parcels would probably go DOWN, and at least I could guarantee I could get my mail, if needed. The Post office doesn't respect customers; it only wants to maintain lifetime employment for rude, incompetent people.

      • Posted By: It'sMeAgain @ 01/12/2009 8:15:54 PM

        I would LOVE a world in which there is no post office. The people that work there are rude because they know they have job security. No one really mails letters these days, anyway: there are eCards, e-mail, and even major magazines are starting to offer digital forms of their magazines to cut down on postage and paper. When the FedExes and UPSes of the world are fighting for your business, the prices of sending parcels would probably go DOWN, and at least I could guarantee I could get my mail, if needed. The Post office doesn't respect customers; it only wants to maintain lifetime employment for rude, incompetent people.

  • Posted By: lokendra_babu @ 11/06/2008 1:31:56 AM

    Comment: in the field of IT sector, all are suffering from jobs and there is no vacancies for freshers i the MNCs. so al are trying to go in BPO sector.this is a bussiness prcessing office.

  • Posted By: lokendra_babu @ 11/06/2008 1:31:55 AM

    Comment: in the field of IT sector, all are suffering from jobs and there is no vacancies for freshers i the MNCs. so al are trying to go in BPO sector.this is a bussiness prcessing office.

  • Posted By: lokendra_babu @ 11/06/2008 1:30:40 AM

    Comment: in the field of IT sector, all are suffering from jobs and there is no vacancies for freshers i the MNCs. so al are trying to go in BPO sector.this is a bussiness prcessing office.

  • Posted By: haynessemperfi @ 10/18/2008 2:26:40 AM

    PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TO BE HELD SUNDAY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

    The Free and Equal Elections Coalition (FREE) and the Columbia Political Union are pleased to announce that a Presidential debate will be held this coming Sunday, October 19th, 2008, on the campus of Columbia University.

    ALL SIX of the Presidential candidates who appear on enough state ballots to acquire the 270 Electoral Votes needed to become President are invited. They are as follows (listed in alphabetical order by affiliation):

    Constitution Party Candidate: Chuck Baldwin
    Democratic Party Candidate: Barack Obama
    Green Party Candidate: Cynthia McKinney
    Independent Candidate: Ralph Nader
    Libertarian Party Candidate: Bob Barr
    Republican Party Can John McCain

    The Columbia Political Union will present the debate from 8:00pm to 10:00pm in the Altschul Auditorium, located at 417 International Affairs Building. The debate will be moderated by Pacifica Radio's Amy Goodman, the host of "Democracy Now!". CSPAN will cover the debate, and live radio broadcasts are expected.

    "The Columbia Political Union is committed to energizing political discourse on Columbia's campus," said Allon Brann, Columbia Political Union Publisher. "As a non-partisan organization, we work to provide students with opportunities to encounter and engage with political ideas across a wide ideological spectrum, and on a wide range of issues."

    "It is with these goals in mind that we have organized this Presidential Debate: to give all candidates-- either within or outside of the political "mainstream"-- the opportunity to speak directly to students about their goals on the issues they deem critical for this country."

    "We have invited all eligible candidates, and it is our sincere hope that all will participate, to ensure the substance and rigor of the dialogue which we believe is crucial at this time."

    Certified letters officially inviting each candidate have been sent to the respective campaigns.

    The Free and Equal Elections Coalition and the Columbia Political Union await the response from the candidates. All candidates' supporters are encouraged to contact the Presidential campaigns and urge them to attend.

    The Columbia Political Union seeks to enhance involvement in the political process, domestic and international, and draw every member of the campus community into an ongoing discussion of political ideas.

    FREE is a coalition of political parties, independent citizens and civic organizations formed to promote free and equal elections in the United States.

    http://www.freeandequal.org/events.php?id=7

    FREEDOM ISN'T FREE

  • Posted By: imdoug @ 10/07/2008 6:20:55 PM

    Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote for the majority in the 1970 US Supreme Court case, Rowan v. US Post Office. "Every man???s mail today is made up overwhelmingly of material he did not seek from persons he does not know. And all too often it is matter he finds offensive. A vendor does not have a constitutional right to send unwanted material into someone???s home.???




    Despite what proponents of direct mail say

    , our right to privacy and to be left alone is greater than junk mailers right to cram every mailbox in America with junk we don't need, don't want, and most importantly, never asked for.

    Although direct mailers claim the world will stop if we create a Do Not Mail list, the same argument was put forth when the Do Not Call list started. Just like then, businesses will adjust.

    Like MANY Americans, I'm tired of the invasion of privacy, potential identity theft and wasted time that junk mail represents. Like the victory consumers won when the Do Not Call list was implemented, we need a Do Not Mail list. The same rules will apply here. If you like junk mail, don't sign up for the list! But judging by the disdain junk mail causes, direct mailers are creating the conditions that will see a Do Not Mail list created. Visit donotmail.org, and sign the petition!

  • Posted By: who asked me? @ 10/01/2008 7:57:07 PM

    Did the pony express complain when they got replaced by cars? This is called progress people, deal with it, embrace it. Face it, this world has to realize sometime that there are better, greener and more efficient ways to survive. All of my bills are paid online. I don't get paper statements, I don't have to worry about getting most payments in "on time" because they're automated. I reveiw the charges regularly just to make sure everything's in order, but beyond that it's somethign i don't have to concern myself with. This saves me time and money (stamps, late fees) and it saves trees! I don't see how anyone can view this as a loss. Sencondly, this benefits small bussiness? REALLY? 90% of what i call junk mail is offers from credit card companies and since when are they considered small? Honestly, I sympathize with people who can't hold on to their jobs, but it's up to the industry to adapt and move along with progress, not hold on and try to promote practices that are so rapidly becoming obsolete.

    • Posted By: Dmailer @ 10/02/2008 11:43:37 AM

      You are half right. Online bill payment is up, and growing every year, but the adoption rates are not as high as you might think. For healthcare it's in the low single digits, for utilities its a little better. Most online payments are handled on direct sales for websites. Credit card bills and Mortgage bills have the best adoption rates because they are recurring, and long term relationships, generally speaking. I make money whether they output to paper or online, so it does not matter to me. 'Saving the trees' is of no concern to me. The paper mills will plant more on the land they own or lease, then cut down more as they need it. If it makes you feel better, then fine. I have to disagree with 90% of direct mail coming from credit companies. That may be the case if your mailbox, maybe because you have excellent credit. Speaking from my client base only, we have customers in 18 states and they come in all shapes and sizes. Nonprofit is a huge market for us. Student recuitment, alumni fundraising, all that stuff. The local pizza joint and the national pizza chain. We do it all. I applaud your effort to live green, but please don't slam the industry. Direct sales drives a huge portion of our economy. Listen, if we really are becoming obsolete, then you have nothing to worry about. Something tells me though, that 1% to 2% of the population will continue to respond to direct mail and we will be here for decades to come. Have a nice day.

  • Posted By: hotflashz @ 10/01/2008 4:11:14 PM

    I am so proud of the fact that we produce wastefull junkmail only to create jobs for someone to deliver (drive around wasting FUEL) the junk that I don't want & can't even afford (thanks) to create further jobs for people to handle the junk at the landfill, to support more jobs for people to recyle the junk. That sums up america IMHO.
    Could they at least terminate the inept ba$tard$ that work there at the post office? My mail sorter is dislexic apparently. I have 2 streets in my neighborhood & they can't figure it out. After 20 years of bi!ching about it, I have given up.

    • Posted By: Dmailer @ 10/02/2008 11:29:48 AM

      Tell me again how wasteful Direct mail is when it produces BILLIONS in direct sales each year?

    • Posted By: Jack Aubrey @ 10/01/2008 6:01:00 PM

      Instead of denigrating the United States Postal Service you should question why Ms. Plimpton, and others, paid GreenDimes for a service that the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) offers for free. You can register on their - Do Not Mail - list on line and achieve the same results. Furthermore; this is not just about the USPS. There are over 300,000 American Workers involved in the printing and production of direct mail solicitation. Think of their families the next time you feel the need to hug a tree or take cheap shots at the people that deliver your mail. Paper, which is 100% biodegradable, is a renewable resource and no hardwood or old growth trees are used to make it. What is next, Christmas Tree Farms?

  • Posted By: Dam Tired Of This @ 10/01/2008 4:44:19 PM

    Dear Colleen Plimton,

    Are you aware that Lumber companies REPLANT trees in order to replenish the supply? If your really worried about trees being cut down, rag on the real estate developers who buy up land, flatten it, and NEVER REPLACE the trees they took out!!!

    • Posted By: patchdog @ 10/01/2008 4:48:39 PM

      Great point! And on top of that, with the current economy, the houses stay vacant (if finished at all), leaving half built subdivisions.

      • Posted By: Dmailer @ 10/02/2008 11:23:20 AM

        Amen brother. Fight the good fight. Trees are 100% renewable.

  • Posted By: Jack Aubrey @ 10/01/2008 4:59:57 PM

    Instead of denigrating the United States Postal Service (curiousgirl and papichulo) you should question why Ms. Plimpton, and others, paid GreenDimes for a service that the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) offers for free. You can register on their ???Do Not Mail??? list on line and achieve the same results. Furthermore; this is not just about the USPS. There are over 300,000 American Workers involved in the printing and production of direct mail solicitation. Think of their families the next time you feel the need to hug a tree or take cheap shots at the people that deliver your mail. Paper, which is 100% biodegradable, is a renewable resource and no hardwood or old growth trees are used to make it. What is next, Christmas Tree Farms?

    • Posted By: Dmailer @ 10/02/2008 11:19:39 AM

      Atta boy Jack. I agree 100%

  • Posted By: Dmailer @ 10/02/2008 11:01:50 AM

    Couple things I'd like to say from reading the article and reader comments.

    First, stop with the saving the trees nonsense. Trees are the ultimate
    renewable resource. You cut them down, you plant more, cut more down, and so on.

    Yes, the post office delivers 'junk mail'. It's their greatest source of revenue.
    Direct mail companies create the 'junk mail', because that is their livihood and there is
    a market for it. However, the 'junk mail' - ALL the 'junk mail' originates from businesses
    large and small. Auto dealers, restaurants, realtors, telecom, insurance, internet, finance,
    college & universities, nonprofits, retail, and service companies all fighting for your dollar.
    Both local and national, mom & pop and mega corporations.

    Thru the use of advance consumer and business databases, direct mail allows these companies to
    select recipients based on age, income, credit history, lifestyle, education, geography, ethnicity, just
    about anything is available and for sale. Businesses can sell B to B by targeting executives by title,
    companies by sales volume, employee size, and so on. There is a tremendous wealth of information our
    there, and direct mail allows you to pin point who gets your message.

    We live in a consumer economy people. Businesses will always try to find a way to reach you.
    By passing regulations to limit telemarketing, you actually increase the amount of direct mail. People who
    can no longer reach you by phone now have to send mailers. email marketing was supposed to take the
    place of direct mail, but thats never happened because people find that even more intrusive.

    Re: Green Dimes. Hows this for a business model: For every tree Green Dimes plants, I'll cut down 2. Put
    that $20.00 in your savings account. You'll feel better about yourself, and you won't be getting ripped off.
    What a racket.

    Normally, I'm not fan of government, but the USPS is one of the few things the government does right. Maybe
    they don't run as efficent as UPS and Fedex, but they are more efficient than the House and Senate.

    Bottom line is, if you're going to take on the Postal Workers Union, Logging Industry, Paper Mills, Graphics
    Supply Companies, Mailing Machine Manufacturers, Printers, Mailers, and Direct Marketing Association, you're
    gonna lose. We're all special interests people. Whether you are Peta, NRA, or DMA, we're groups of citizens
    trying to protect our interests, lifestyles, and livings.

    I will be at the DMA in Las Vegas Oct 11-14. Come by our booth, we can talk about direct mail till the
    cows come home.

    Marty Bielecki
    VP Business Development
    Southwest Direct

  • Posted By: Phil Greene @ 10/01/2008 9:40:23 AM

    I want the post office closed. All they deliver is junk. I buy a lot of things online and I stipulate that the Post office never be used, or I will buy else where.

    • Posted By: ls2001 @ 10/01/2008 5:54:21 PM

      hey thats a great idea that way you & your tax money can pay for my unemployement !!!!!! duuhhhhh idiot guess u didn't think about that one did ya??!!

      • Posted By: idonow @ 10/01/2008 6:54:16 PM

        only 6 months to a year tops then you will be on your own!! duuh are all postal employees as smart as you?

        • Posted By: purple_a @ 10/02/2008 10:37:16 AM

          Actually what people don't realize is that once you cut the Post Office down & go to the internet the companies you deal with will more than likely charge you more of an on-line fee or procesing fee!!!!!! Ever think about that???? Nothing is ever safe in our lifetime, Nothing is ever guarenteed like they always say it is!!!!!!! The Post Office does not run on making a profit, we do not get tax dollars!!!!!! We have to work just as hard to save for retirement, not packages I am talking 401k & savings!!!!!!!

        • Posted By: ls2001 @ 10/02/2008 9:30:20 AM

          well thats 6 months to a year that you would have to pay when i could have been making my own money U not had to rely on yours

    • Posted By: tuzlasniper @ 10/01/2008 3:32:42 PM

      deeaa, my name be phil, me want people to loose job, be like me. moron. why not blame bush while you're at it?

  • Posted By: CouldCareLessAnymore @ 10/01/2008 11:50:13 PM

    Oh sure so we should support postal workers etc etc etc for the rest of their lives because they had to work like everyone else? Yes, us normal people have to put up everything towards our retirement as we won`t be riding on the backs of other true hard working people for the rest of our lives. Must be nice to only have to work for 20-30 years and have all those benefits handed to you! Start at 18 and retired at 48 as we work almost 20 more years. The nerve to feel sorry for yourselves...

    • Posted By: chickenpants @ 10/02/2008 7:49:47 AM

      Postal workers don't ride on the backs of the taxpayer. Not one cent comes from taxpayer money -- only from the revenue of postal sales (like stamps). And sorry about all those great benefits word has spread about -- they are not all that great. My monthly retirement check -- and not from taxpayer money -- is $502.00. If I had health insurance taken out, that would be minus about another $300.00. I have insurance through my husband. It is a job. TAXPAYERS DO NOT PAY OUR SALARY OR BENEFITS!!!!!

      • Posted By: purple_a @ 10/02/2008 8:26:00 AM

        Thanks!!!!!!! Like I asked this person earlier "Are you putting up for retirement"!!!!!! Apparently he or she didn't realize that we have to save just like the regular person!!!!

  • Posted By: 1easylay @ 10/02/2008 3:52:00 AM

    In defense of the PO I think they do a great job. My bills always get paid (delivered) on time.....for 20+ years now and for the 40 something cents..................it's a bargain. I send mail to my sis in Upstate NY from DC and it gets there in 2 days 90% of the time.

    I turst the PO alot more than the internet and.....................paper doesn't go "down" like the net.

  • Posted By: CouldCareLessAnymore @ 10/01/2008 11:17:02 PM

    This is funny since i recently discussed it. We figured they should cut back delivery to Mon, Wed, and Fri, but still keep doing overnite as the only daily service.. Also place them all on part time with no benefits like all part timers. This would keep them profitable instead of constantly raising postage. They are lazy anyways and expect us to support their retirement.

    • Posted By: purple_a @ 10/01/2008 11:23:20 PM

      Are you kidding me???? I am not LAZY!!!!!!! I go to work & raise 3 children!!!!!!! I give my 100% to work & then my 100% at home!!!!!!! How much do you give in a day????? Are you putting up for retirement???? So are regulars cause they do not give good packages they give 20 - 50 years of service for what people like you to put them down & the fact that most of them are used up & crippled by bad legs from carrying so much weight or bad wrists & hands cause of handling so much mail!!!!!!!!! You people just don't get what we have to do in a day!!!!!!

  • Posted By: Krohn @ 10/01/2008 9:08:41 PM

    A man of great wisdom:
    http://www.atlah.org/broadcast/manningreport.html

  • Posted By: Dam Tired Of This @ 10/01/2008 7:31:03 PM

    It's as simple as this people:

    You want jobs, a paycheck, food on your table, a roof over your head, clothes on your backs? Then you have to get off the computers!!! Yes, it's convienient to pay bills on line, yes, it's convienient to shop on line. Use your computer to comparison shop, to verify store locations, to verify, verify, verify............But, write out the bills and mail them, drive to the store and make the purchase through the cash register, etc.! Put a tiny tear in the checks you send, then the stores, utilities, etc. will have to hand type those payments in. That means they will have to hire employees, when they start hiring employees, the economy WILL get better!!

    At this point in time, it will take some time to get the economy back on track, but "we the people" MUST FIGHT OFF THIS COMPUTER TAKEOVER OF OUR JOBS!!!

    And, to all the stupid business owners out there.........PEOPLE BUY PRODUCTS, COMPUTERS DON'T!!!

  • Posted By: purple_a @ 10/01/2008 6:22:55 PM

    The Post Office Controversy!!!!!!! Man oh Man!!!!!!! I have been employed for 8 years part time & it has gotten pretty bad over the years but my service has not!!!!! When I first started working I was learning my Route & it took over 3 months to get it down!!!!! I came home crying at night cause I could not get over what a postal worker has to go through in a day to get people there mail!!!!!! I currently serve 658 mail boxes daily with over 1200 pieces of letters & 5-6 feet of magazines that need to be cased daily!!!!!!! Also the pay scale is not to good especially when you have to figure in maintenance of your vehicle!!!!!! But all in all I do my best to make my customers happy because I would want the same respect!!!!!! I would also like to say that most people do not realize that house numbers or numbers on your mail box is a huge help cause we don't know it if we haven't been on the route before!!!!!!

    • Posted By: mailerdeamon69 @ 10/01/2008 6:30:53 PM

      Worst day I had was 44 feet of flats and 3500 DPS I was new and no clue of the case or the route, plus they forgot to tell me a bridge was out and the route had to be done in a different order than cased, after I pulled it down.

      • Posted By: purple_a @ 10/01/2008 6:38:44 PM

        Now that just sucks!!!!!!! I would of been so upset Oh but hey Management is ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!! :) That is a lot of mail & I bow to you!!!!!! I am tired from my days but you must be exhausted!!!!!!

        • Posted By: mailerdeamon69 @ 10/01/2008 6:42:22 PM

          I actually quit and got reassigned to a different office. That was 3 yrs ago so it really is all in the managers hands as to working conditions some of them I think are sadists

          • Posted By: purple_a @ 10/01/2008 6:48:17 PM

            You don't say!!!!!!! LOL We have had many & still!!!!!! Right now they are still sending us post masters from all over the place!!!!!! The supervisor we have now is good but lots of people don't like her cause they can't get away with the things they did to the others!!!!!! LOL

            • Posted By: mailerdeamon69 @ 10/01/2008 7:13:56 PM

              work is just that work, I can't say I have seen many lazy people at the PO but there are always a few. I find it takes much more energy trying to get away with something than simply just doing it. The problem is that if you do well they just want to add more work on you. I am a PT sub and may be relatively new so I do my job well and when they push more at me I can honestly tell them its too much, I have found if you push back they wil back off but I think the regs are not in the same position, so I try to voice it in a way that others will benefit. There is a certain power in being able to say you need me more than I need you. I don't know of many PMs that really want to deliver mail on top of their other responsibilities. An honest and direct approach is always better than cutting corners or being a "hero'

        • Posted By: chickenpants @ 10/01/2008 6:49:24 PM

          When I started I was the only girl -- try that in a station of 40 routes -- they didn't want their wives to see a 94 pound girl running circles around them -- got a Special Achievement Award. I had to clean routes and carry at least l 1/2 routes every day. After almost killing me (weighed 134 when I started, three months later at 94 pounds) -- they finally decided I wasn't quitting and eased up.

    • Posted By: chickenpants @ 10/01/2008 6:24:55 PM

      girl route (ha ha)

      • Posted By: purple_a @ 10/01/2008 6:31:29 PM

        Girl Route HUH!!!!!!!!!! LOL It was a 45k now it is down to 44k cause of mail count!!!!!!

    • Posted By: mailerdeamon69 @ 10/01/2008 6:27:21 PM

      s new and did not know the route well) I hope I never see ad ay like that again

  • Posted By: vrspock @ 10/01/2008 6:46:25 PM

    I will say one more thing about the Postal Service in response to those who think that the workers are lazy. They are most certainly NOT. It is most definetly the upper management that is messed up, but the actual workers work their back sides off.

    Example: My mom worked for the postal service for 27 years...mainly as a Letter Sorting Machine operator (pressing three piano like keys per second as letters zip by at 60 plus per minute), then working with account management for bulk mail (metered postage), then on the back docks opening big metal semi-trailers with a crowbar that sometimes required her using all of her weight (all 120 pounds of it, 80 pounds while she had cancer), to pry the things open when the doors were bent all up from normal wear.

    When she did early retirement because of her cancer, after working about a year with cancer, they had to open three positions to fill her shoes on the back dock.

    While her story is an amazing one, it's not much more amazing than most of the other people who work for the USPS despite all the junk they have to put up with.

    I'm for downsizing it, but its certainly not because the workers are lazy....just the fact that it is becoming obsolete.

    • Posted By: purple_a @ 10/01/2008 7:00:18 PM

      I am so glad your mom had the ability to work as long as she did!!!!! Now about it being obsolete???? I for one believe that once the Post Office is shut down due to the internet paying process we will be charged a fee by them or the bank or both!!!!!!! Their is never any guarantee for any of us in this lifetime of not getting screwed!!!!!!!

  • Posted By: mailerdeamon69 @ 10/01/2008 5:22:11 PM

    abraham1, Come do it for a week or 2 and then tell me you wouldn't be able to repeat it. Go visit you local PO for a Day and watch us use outdated equipment, ahere to all the standards both national and local and do it 6 days a week in all weather, and conditions. Do you stop when the power goes off? We don't thats "delaying the mail" We have gone out to buy miners lamps at our own expense so a power failure does not interupt the 24 hr clock we have to meet every day.

    • Posted By: abraham1 @ 10/01/2008 5:35:59 PM

      I'm sorry! I didn't realize someone had put a gun to your head and forced you to work in such a horrible job! FYI, I now pay a private service for mail delivery. It's more expensive, but I know I'm getting my mail and my mail is going where I send it. I'm sorry your working conditions are so deplorable. Perhaps you are in the wrong line of work.

      • Posted By: mailerdeamon69 @ 10/01/2008 5:54:48 PM

        Your private service uses the po and if they can track letters, then that means the po can as well. I would get on the local post master. I know someone in our office was looking for a letter and we were told precisley where to look for it and it was there. Granted it was mis sorted by the machines but it was able to be found, so my guess is your local office let you down and thats who is accountable rather than indicting the entire postal service and carriers

        • Posted By: abraham1 @ 10/01/2008 6:05:59 PM

          That would be sound advice. I have done that. My local postmaster assured me the problem would be taken care of. Three times. It continues unabated. I have contacted the Postmaster General. He assured me it would be taken care of, that someone would contact me. No one ever has, the problem continues. That was a year ago and 15 complaints to get to that pint. Any other ideas?

          • Posted By: Dam Tired Of This @ 10/01/2008 6:15:48 PM

            Try filling out a change of address form........put your address down as both the old and new address.............that ought to make the mail carrier look twice......maybe, he/she will figure it out! Or, get to know the mail carrier, come to the door if possible at delivery time........sometimes personal contact helps.

            • Posted By: abraham1 @ 10/01/2008 6:43:26 PM

              Thanks! I will try that. Nothing to lose at this point.

              • Posted By: abraham1 @ 10/01/2008 6:46:25 PM

                And the carrier scares the bejeezuz out of me. He sits out in his truck yelling at himself and flailing his arms. The sub carriers tell me he has Attention Deficit Disorder and is often off his meds but everyone at the station is too afraid to confront him about it. He is apparently quite surely with them.

          • Posted By: mailerdeamon69 @ 10/01/2008 6:15:42 PM

            yes contract your post masters district manager. I would be suprized if your post master did not solve your problems if his manager contacted him. I know the post master general is maybe a bit too high up the chain, but the district manager is the place I would think will get you the quickest results.
            I would bet money on that. Good luck and I hope you will not hold it against all of us

            • Posted By: abraham1 @ 10/01/2008 6:42:55 PM

              Yeah, it didn't help. But am willing to try Dam Tired Of This suggestion on the address card. And I don't hold it against you or anyone else. The world is a complicated place and we're all just waiting for the same end. I just want my mail while I'm waiting! LOL

      • Posted By: chickenpants @ 10/01/2008 5:41:44 PM

        The Post Office delivers the mail to your private service. No way to get away from them.

        • Posted By: abraham1 @ 10/01/2008 5:45:59 PM

          That's true. But if something turns up missing, they will track it for me and keep me informed. I can tell you this, since starting the private service I have had no issue with non-delivery or mis-delivery. This was a 2-3 times a week problem with the post office. And that's a fact.

          • Posted By: chickenpants @ 10/01/2008 6:19:46 PM

            Since the machines have started sorting the mail due to volume, you don't get the "personal" service like we used to. Years ago, when the mail man stood at his case casing mail, he saw a piece and knew they had moved across town, and instead of delaying it by sending it through the system, they would simply mark it and see it went out that day to the correct route. Also, check the addressing on your mail. An address like 608 W. Harrison Road, Box 34 should be on one line; otherwise, if the Box 34 is on a separate line, the machine will attempt it at a Post Office box and it will be delayed. Just some ideas for you to try and pinpoint your problem. Also, it had been a policy that if the machine missorted a piece of mail, the carrier was to return to deliver that piece before returning to the station. The mail sticks sometimes in the machine and in haste it gets delivered to the wrong spot. The carrier is supposed to "finger" every piece of mail. Hope this helps.

        • Posted By: abraham1 @ 10/01/2008 5:48:31 PM

          I must add: I believe my real problem is with the carrier. And it's not just me, it's my neighbors also. The problem I have with the post office is their unwillingness or inability to even address the problem.

          • Posted By: Dam Tired Of This @ 10/01/2008 6:02:15 PM

            Call the either the 'Main' post office in your area, or the Post Master General's office, they will get the issue resolved.

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