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Postal Service isn't perfect, but is there another choice?
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No real surprise actually. As an ex-courier, the higher the density, the better the price, even at a very low rate. Problem is those rural customers, which might be served by requiring people to travel a bit for their mail. While most people think of door to door service, at least here in Phx, that's not as common as it used to be, particularly for residential customers. Many housing developments here have box clusters, not unlike the one's you see in apartment complexes, near each complex entrance, with your box set at what is determined to be the one nearest to you. This saves the postal service having to go to each house, the efficiency there fore making it more cost effective. Also security is better, since you only need to keep an eye on a few places. In rural areas, this would be a matter of creating postal clusters at major intersections a reasonable distance from one's house. Along with reduced service, such as twice or thrice weekly deliveries to reduce the number of carriers and vehicles, i suspect you'd see great savings.
If the post office wants to save money, i'd look at reducing the customization, after all, look at the blue collection boxes, they're custom. So are the green transfer boxes, and the route vehicles. One has to wonder if they started using mass produced generic products, how much would they save in over head? For example, back when the Cherokee was out, it was produced in a two door right hand drive export version, which would serve the postal service well. What was wrong with it? Few standard vehicles meet the requirement for turning circle. If having windows is a security issue, i suspect at little increased cost, the flat glass could be replaced with composite or metal panels.
Honestly i'd love to be in charge of privatizing the post office, i love puzzles, and this is a really good, and fairly complicated one.
Quoth Cyphr View Postdecent article - I still like the idea of no weekend service and one (unlikely) idea to charge extra to filter out unsolicitied junk mail.Seph
Taur10
"You're supposed to be the head of covert intelligence. Right now, I'm not seeing a hell of a lot of intelligence. Covert, overt, or otherwise!"-Lochley, B5, A View from the Gallery
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Quoth Javarod View PostHonestly i'd love to be in charge of privatizing the post office, i love puzzles, and this is a really good, and fairly complicated one.
We used those jeeps...they became obsolete when the routes got bigger.
The blue collection boxes are just that, blue collect boxes. As in people can drop mail into them.
The green ones are carrier use only. Loops are dropped off into them so that the carrier is walking all day non stop.
If having windows is a security issue, i suspect at little increased cost, the flat glass could be replaced with composite or metal panels.
Many housing developments here have box clusters, not unlike the one's you see in apartment complexes, near each complex entrance, with your box set at what is determined to be the one nearest to you. This saves the postal service having to go to each house, the efficiency there fore making it more cost effective.Last edited by Aethian; 12-29-2009, 04:01 PM.
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Seems like this could be a really nice, friendly debate. On Fratching. I think it may even have been bandied about once or twice there, too, so it'll be right at home.
Quoth Aethian View PostSo how long have you worked at the post office to know it's ins and outs to know how to save money?
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