Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
UPS now subcontracts delivery of some package service to USPS. I found out the hard way one day on an amazon package I was awaiting so I had to trace it through both carriers with two separate tracking numbers. What a pain.
I believe USPS is also doing it for fedex as well.
If we no longer need services that we pay taxes for, get rid of the services and use the revenue for something else.
The USPS does not receive federal assistance, getting revenue from postage sales, delivery services and other products. None of your tax dollars are spend delivering mail, so if we get rid of the USPS your tax bill will not change, and that money can not be used for anything else.
I can see the rationale for cutting one day out of the delivery schedule as according to the post office, the routes are based on one carrier delivering mail 5 days a week. They have to either pay OT or have another carrier for each 5 routes to rotate around and do the 6th day. So, they could, just through attrition, reduce to 5 day delivery without massive layoffs and would save money. But, congress so far as not allowed them to do it. The Postal Workers union is also against it.
Then you have the onerous retirement plan cost structure that congress has put on the postal service, requiring much more money be set aside than any normal corporation.
All-in-all it is a bad deal for a company that at the same time is seeing a reduction in business.
I have to wonder if at some point it will be an advantage (small perhaps) having a home in an older neighborhood with an individual mail box rather than a cluster?
I had no problem walking to get my mail or if you are really lazy you can drive up to the boxes.
If you've got copious amounts of free time in your life to wander around and enjoy the scenery it might not be a problem, or if you don't mind taking on the fuel expense that the USPS used to incur to power their vehicles as opposed to yours, then have at it, but I wouldn't assume everyone else is lazy.
The times I lived in apartments I can remember having to compete for parking spaces in order to get to the community mailboxes in the evenings around the time everyone gets off work. No thanks.
If you've got copious amounts of free time in your life to wander around and enjoy the scenery it might not be a problem, or if you don't mind taking on the fuel expense that the USPS used to incur to power their vehicles as opposed to yours, then have at it, but I wouldn't assume everyone else is lazy.
The times I lived in apartments I can remember having to compete for parking spaces in order to get to the community mailboxes in the evenings around the time everyone gets off work. No thanks.
Or...leave the mail in your locked mailbox until the next morning and pick it up on your way TO work!!!
Or, take a nice walk after dinner to get your mail.
Getting rid of curbside mailboxes is an interesting concept, but obviously there are many variables to consider. It is easy to dismiss USPS mail delivery as a relic no longer needed but there are many out there who use it for far more than receiving junk mail, Netflix, and sending the occasional Christmas card. Also, not everyone lives is a condensed planned subdivision. Rural mail delivery, where you may find older and possibly disabled citizens who cant simply hop into a car or take a long walk to a group mail center needs to be taken into account. Moving forward USPS will have to make changes if it hopes to survive, but factoring the many needs of its customers while balancing the costs is a huge challenge.
If you've got copious amounts of free time in your life to wander around and enjoy the scenery it might not be a problem, or if you don't mind taking on the fuel expense that the USPS used to incur to power their vehicles as opposed to yours, then have at it, but I wouldn't assume everyone else is lazy.
The times I lived in apartments I can remember having to compete for parking spaces in order to get to the community mailboxes in the evenings around the time everyone gets off work. No thanks.
They do not put them miles from everyones homes. In all of the places I have had them or have seen them, they are usually on the main roads that you have to drive on to get to and from your house.
I do feel bad for the postal workers in this situation but have no sympathy for ppl that would have their mail locked in a central box until they can pick it up.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.