Stupid Postage

[Kogo Shuko]

So... I work reception for the government now.

I thought I was through with sucky customers. Especially since I don't even deal with the public.

But today, the mail came in! As always.

I had to sign for something that was 'return to sender'

So I did. The courrier and I have a little joke going, so it was all fun and games until he left and I looked at the letter. It was written all over in block letters, and some of it was even highlighted!

"HELLO!! PERSON NO LONGER LIVES HERE. STOP SENDING THIS STUFF!!! STOP WASTING TAX PAYERS MONEY ON STUPID POSTAGE."

Wait... what? Stupid postage?

Let's see about stupid.

Person never told US that she had moved. So we send her mail. And it comes from DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS of the government.

How about... instead of telling us we're wasting tax payers' money, you realize it isn't OUR fault the previous homeowner didn't tell us that she was MOVING. Maybe you're the stupid one because you're accusing us of doing this on purpose, instead of trying to CONTACT the previous homeowner (whom you most probably purchased the home FROM) and letting her know that she forgot to mention to the GOVERNMENT that she was MOVING.

If you ask me, we aren't wasting the money. But you're definitely wasting my brain cells.

[/end rant]

[friendofjimmyk]

Yes! Because when I think of foolish government spending...I believe that "wasting" .42 on a postage stamp is where we need to start first! Hell, if we did an overhaul on the USPS, I bet we could save enough money that our fuel tax would decrease thereby dropping the price of gas by at least $2 a gallon!

Bloody hell, what are we waiting for?

[greensinestro]

.It was written all over in block letters, and some of it was even highlighted!

"HELLO!! PERSON NO LONGER LIVES HERE. STOP SENDING THIS STUFF!!! STOP WASTING TAX PAYERS MONEY ON STUPID POSTAGE."

[/end rant]

Block letters, eh? Usually, this is a person that doesn't want to be identified through a handwriting expert. Maybe this is that person trying to hide from the government, or the IRS, or what have you, and doesn't want to be found. So, they think the postal service can save their sorry asses!

[Aethian]

The USPS does NOT get any money from the US Government.

As for revamping the USPS...where would you suggest they start?


*grumbles softly*

[marasbaras]

I'm 100% with Aethian on this one .. in fact, the USPS has to give money TO the US government ... which is why postage went up last time.

I can't stand people who gripe about the cost of a stamp. For 40-something cents, you can drop a letter in ANY MAILBOX in America and in a few days it'll be delivered to ANY OTHER MAILBOX in America. A bloody bargain!

[Aethian]

Actaully thats why it went up this time too...well one of the reasons that management gave us. Not to mention the extended cost of driving something from one place to another because the FAA won't allow the package or whatever it is on planes anymore. Stupid 13oz rule....

Oh wait...thread hijacking...my appologies.

[Becks]

For 40-something cents, you can drop a letter in ANY MAILBOX in America and in a few days it'll be delivered to ANY OTHER MAILBOX in America. A bloody bargain!

Unless it's from NJ to WI. Than it can take a week.

For some stupid unknown reason.

Not that I'm bitter about that or anything.

[Dreamstalker]

I once mailed an ebay sale from NM to VA (Priority). It went through CO, DE, back to TX (WTF?) and finally wound up in VA after sitting in DE again for 3 days before an inquiry on my end shook it loose. The buyer was glad it arrived (total time in transit was 16 days, I suspect it was sitting at one of the other stops for a bit as well), but truly puzzled as to the route. I'm still scratching my head over that one.

[Aethian]

Heh...today I had a letter where the stamp was half bent and stuck to it was a letter that was going from Nevada to California...

It headed the wrong way...got stuck to a letter that was going from Nevada to where I'm at. At least they were from the same place.

As for puzzling routes I have a feeling it got put on the wrong truck by accident which is why I highly recommend to people to use their plus 4's which can be found on the usps website. Using the plus 4's help minimize that to a degree, there is always human error and with our higher ups thinking of putting a freeze on hiring that may happen more. We have a good two shifts split into three and a lot of the plant workers really are getting tired of 12 hour days. Hell so am I...so glad my day offs this week are friday and saturday, I can only work 8 hours those days. Rather have them off but....

Gods I'm rambling...I need hugs... *cries and whimpers* Need day off....

[Dreamstalker]

*hugs*

Yeah, I started using +4 after that incident (at the time it took place, Paypal payment info didn't include that).

Had another funny happening, as a buyer. The seller didn't use my Paypal registered address which was 1600 XXX Drive, Santa Fe NM 87505. He plugged it into USPS which came back with 1600 XXX Street, zip was one digit off which put it on the other side of town (1600 XXX Street was actually a vacant lot)...the widget arrived eventually though. Right after this happened, I plugged my Paypal address into the USPS site and it came back correct, no idea where he got his from.

[Aethian]

Oh I've had stuff like that. Once got a letter that was addressed to just the last name on the lake I deliver to. Only problem...FIVE houses all the same last name. Parents and all four kids....all dentists... I gave it to the parents and they then got it to the right grand child. We all giggled over that one.

[marasbaras]

I like the fact that the USPS maintains a jet boat for taking letters once a month up the Snake River in Washington/Idaho and also has a mule train that goes down into the Grand Canyon. Can't imagine what strangeness they have for the Yukon.

Deliver to EVERY legal address.

Love them thar' Congressional Mandates.

----------

I've never had such strange routing. But, given the number of pieces that the USPS handles every year (last I read it was in the high hundreds of millions), some are bound to go funny.

Some of the tech that the USPS uses and has developed is just bloody cool, too. It amazes me the addresses that the machines are able to read at the speeds they do.

[Aethian]

We have one carrier that delivers mail with a wolf in her jeep. Of course she only delivers five days a week because her route is just over 50 miles long round trip and since she only delivers to those in the boonies it's understandable. I know one guy who delivers mail to his house and to his Mom's...on one pass he picks up his Mom's dog and walks him to his (the carriers) house and drops him off. When he's coming back on the other side of the street he quickly picks the dog back up (couple hours later) and delivers the dog back to his Mom's house. Mom gets a break and the dog gets walked.


My route is 632 stops, my average letter count is 1856 pieces, flats range from 2 feet all the way up to 10 in a single day. Monday I had 3682 (remembered that because next route over had 3683, it was funny for some reason) and I had taken out six trays of flats (magazines type mail) which are 2 feet long and cut (didn't take out...catalougs like JC Penny) 4 feet. Average around 13 packages and had 29. So yea our numbers sometimes go wacky and we just stare for a second and then get right back too it.

But your right on the machines, we had one a couple days ago come through with a penny taped on it and the sucker actaully ran. We were then reminded to look for that since that one penny could have cost us a very expensive machine.

[Eric the Grey]

In fairness to the person returning the mail, I've lived in places for well over a year, only to have mail still coming for the previous occupant. Once it was a collection agency (they're easy to tell) and I wrote a note on the back. The postwoman asked me about it and after I explained, they stopped showing up. I suspect she intercepted them after that.

Sometimes it's really difficult to get these things changed...



Eric the Grey

[marasbaras]

The USPS ... it's done some very cool things that you just wouldn't expect from such a mundane outift. Still, isn't it the largest employer in the US, too, by a large margin?

Regarding the OP: yeah, getting someone persistent to stop can be quite hard.