By 1Rural Carrier

March 10, 2010 11:06 PM | Link to this

I just wandered onto this website and have been reading some of the ridiculous comments made by some really misinformed people. As a 16 year postal employee, I would like to comment on a few things from experience. First of all, TRS, you don’t subsidize the USPS. They have been self-sustaining for more than 35 years. You pay for your postage and that in turn pays for the services we provide. Check your facts before you write, your tax dollars do not support the USPS. For all the people who had one problem with a package or got a piece of someone elses mail: if you had any idea of the amount of mail and parcels that are handled every day, you would be amazed that you only had a problem with ONE item. Why is it that ultra sensitive and oh so “perfect” people don’t allow one error before throwing the baby out with the bath water? “I got a piece of the neighbor’s mail so we need to shut the postal service down!” People, except Vick, have no clue what the process is like to get your mail where it needs to go. Go ahead and go with UPS or FedEx. It is only a matter of time until they mess up a parcel for you and then you will have to bash them too. Not to mention there prices are outrageous and try as you may, you will never get them to deliver your letter mail. Then there is the small problem of the approximately 800,000 people employed by the USPS. What kind of impact do you think shutting us down or privatizing would do to them and their families? If you want to do some research, see how Japan is liking life with their postal service in the private sector now. Oh, and see how much it costs them to send a first class letter. We still have the cheapest postage rates in the WORLD. If we go private, there will be independant businesses with competing stamp prices and just see what kind of service you get when they pay the employees $9.00 per hour to do what we do now, especially in bad weather. We work in snowstorms, ice storms, thunderstorms, you name it, they do not let us off for weather unless it is paralyzing to the entire area. I need to say kudos to you, ‘downsized’. All postal employees everywhere would appreciate your kind comments. Thank you for noticing the effort we put in to get your mail to you. I wish more people could see first hand what we dedicate ourselves to do for our customers. I go above and beyond what I am required to do for my customers every week and I’m sorry but I just get tired of that handful of people who whine about one piece of mail among the thousands of pieces we sort daily that gets delivered incorrectly or lost.

By downsized

March 7, 2010 4:13 PM | Link to this

This country really, truly needs the United States Postal Service. And, I mean service. How few stalwart examples of American ingenuity, thankless hard work and integrity are left? Damn few. Over the past year(s), while unemployed, I’ve observed my mail deliverer’s bitten by dogs, called derisive names by delinquent youths and adults, and cheerfully, patiently fulfilling their duties in the worst of weather conditions. Respecting property, climbing mountains of snow, enduring staggering heat and carefully protecting my mail from the elements, they trudge faithfully about their duties. Most of my mail deliverer’s are veterans of military service. I don’t mind them getting preference of hiring for their service to my country. The price of mailing a letter or package, knowing the due diligence and protection it receives, is a bargain. It remains a bargain during times of ruthless price gouging by nearly every entity I know. My support of the USPS is absolute. Some things should not be privatized in this nation and they’re one. Please let me keep my “socialist” mail system in tact. I don’t need a “Haliburton” messing with my mail. If they did the cost would probably increase by 5000%.

By just keeping it real

March 3, 2010 10:37 AM | Link to this

damn commys

By Leon Harrison

March 2, 2010 8:01 PM | Link to this

No problems at all but I can do without Saturday delivery or open post offices, since I am retired and can no longer be fired…or maybe even hired.

By irishguy

March 2, 2010 7:21 PM | Link to this

Raoul, whenever someone freaked out at UPS we called it “going parcel”. Never had anyone go off as violently as postal employees, just screaming at mgmt and other such non violent behavior.

By DS

March 2, 2010 7:05 PM | Link to this

I have never had any problems with the service from the USPS. But I do remember that just a few years ago they increased the price of stamps for no reason at all. There was even an article in the paper where someone in authority was gloating about it. I thought then, you reap what you sow. Now they are broke for real.

By Raoul

March 2, 2010 5:51 PM | Link to this

I have few complaints about the USPS. I love the uniforms, especially the pith)sp?) helmets. I would love to be a mailman in a nice neighborhood. I would love to walk around all day delivering mail and chatting with all the folks out there. But I would go postal working at the post office.

By irishguy

March 2, 2010 5:49 PM | Link to this

My wife still send items via USPS, but learned long ago, if you want it to arrive, it had better be insured. As one who formerly wore browns, I’ll stick with UPS.

By booklover

March 2, 2010 3:25 PM | Link to this

I don’t get mail delivered to my house at all because I live in a very small rural town. I have to go to the PO to pick up my mail and I love my PO.

By vick

March 2, 2010 1:17 PM | Link to this

I get thousands of pieces of mail every year. The law of averages dictates that every single piece of mail cannot be delivered flawlessly. With that being said let me give some examples of the service I get from my local post office: I accidentally dropped an ATM deposit envelope containing my endorsed paycheck into a mail pick up box. I called the postmaster (who I did not know) and explained my problem. An hour later that ATM envelope was waiting safely for me in my mailbox. Another example: I have gotten mail delivered to me where the address was only Vick Mickunas, Yellow Springs, Ohio. There was no street address and I still got my mail. Now that’s service!

By Postal-free

March 2, 2010 1:17 PM | Link to this

I used to think the postal service was great. Then I tried to send my college-student daughter a box. I happily packed some of her things that she didn’t take with her and rushed right up to the counter. The counter person gave me suggestions on how to send it and I listened to her; after all, in this conversation she was the expert. The box never arrived. Days after it should have surfaced I began a long, tedious process of asking them to find it (imagine that, I had to request that they perform part of their job). My pleas were met with rudness and a lack of concern. A couple of people even told me the lost box was MY fault because I had mailed it! Yes, I realize that the internet and email have played a part in the plummeting numbers at the Post Office; but, the Postal Service isn’t doing itself any favors, either. As for me, the boxes to my daughter are fewer, but FedEx hasn’t let me down yet. Even when they didn’t get it right the first time, they worked until the problem was solved and then apologized for the inconvenience. Yep, I’ll pay more for good service any day of the week.

By oldtimer

March 2, 2010 1:01 PM | Link to this

I had my mail held for two weeks while I was out of town. They were supposed to deliver it the day after I returned. It took 5 days and a call to postal supervisors to locate my mail and get it delivered. What do I think of the post office? Guess!!!

By TRS

March 2, 2010 12:33 PM | Link to this

Vick - and I thought I was having trouble getting into the 21st Century! The USPS is a part of Americana in many ways; but, like everything else, times they are a chanin’. The Pony Express days were seen as pretty neat and they even made some great old movies around them; but, alas they are gone. So too the days of the PO that we remember. It needs to become self sustaining because we just can’t afford to subsidize it anymore. I’ll miss Saturday deliveries but no more than I miss a delivery on a holiday, or UPS or Fedex on Saturday. As long as the credit card companies send my bill on time so I can pay it off without getting wacked with hugh interest charges, then all will be well.

By Squirrellygirl

March 2, 2010 12:14 PM | Link to this

Right now things are okay, but in the past I had trouble with them delivering other people’s mail to me and my mail to other people. It’s kind of scary when they do that. I think it’s when we get a relief delivery person, but those are not good mistakes. I actually had one neighbor tell me they weren’t going to continue to give me my mail when it was mistakenly delivered to them (across the street from where I live). I haven’t received any of my mail from them since, so I hope it wasn’t important if I did miss any mail.

By BeauxArts

March 2, 2010 11:16 AM | Link to this

You make me want to run right out and mail something to someone just for the fun of it! lol