The mail system

[Magicman]

DanG the mail, Whataboutda Snake ??

[Gary_C]

The problems started recently here with the closing of some major distribution centers. Now you don't know where your mail is going or when it will get there.

It may be some employee problems with the ones that are left to do all the work or it may be just the change over to a different distribution system.

[metalspinner]

Gary,
USPS is shutting down the local processing plant in New Orleans and sending it all through Baton Rouge. Can you imagine an entire major city's mail being routed 100 miles just to turn back around?  Maybe they already did this, I'm not sure.  Mom keeps telling me the local headlines when I call her.

My brother in law is a long time employee of USPS and runs audits throughout south Louisiana.  Just for funnsies, I bring up all of the common USPS complaints when we get together. Once I asked him about parcel post shipments and why they take so long. He said the box might just sit in the post office until somebody feels like picking it up and moving it. :  Another time I told him I would machine a block of steel to fit perfectly inside one of those flat rate boxes and ship it to him just to get even for overcharging everyone for that "program." :D  He's a prety easy going guy and I have yet to get him really rowled up. :-\

[CHARLIE]

About 2001 I found brother Tom's Yearbook from his Navy Boot Camp at their Great Lakes facility. It was a hardcovered book that looked much like high school, or college annuals and was about 1/2 inch thick.  So I put it in a large padded envelope and mailed it to him.  It didn't fit in his mailbox so the USPS carrier made it fit in his mailbox by folding it.  Can you imagine what that idiot had to do to fold that thing? I'm sure they had to step on one side and pull the other side up until both covers broke and then stomp it together. Tom called the Jacksonville Postmaster who came to Tom's house and left with the evidence and assurance he would take care of it. Tom never heard from him again.  I also filled out a complaint and never got a response.  Tom realized too late that he should not have trusted the Postmaster by giving him the destroyed mail. In my opinion, the USPS carrier should have been fired.

A while back I mailed a 12 inch long by 3 inch diameter mailing tube to an address that is only about a 3 hour drive from my home.  Sending it Priority Mail because it was only about a dime more than Parcel Post. Priority Mail is guaranteed to be delivered in 2 days. The package was never delivered. I've complained and filled out every form I can find and even took some kind of stupid survey and the USPS attitude is..."Oh well".  They told me I should have payed extra for "Delivery Confirmation" but didn't have an answer when I asked what good that would do if it was stolen or misdelivered.

[Magicman]

UPS can loose stuff too.  After winning the 60" Logrite at the Pig Roast, I decided to order two 48" Logrite cant hooks from WM.  The tracking showed that they came to within 50 miles.  They were scanned in at Jackson but never scanned out.  WM sent me two replacements that were delivered as scheduled.

I am a bit worried about a clock that I have about finished that has to be shipped to Madison, Mn.  There is no "replacement" for it, no matter how much it was insured for.

[SwampDonkey]

I had a picture, all crated good in wood frame and styrofoam. It landed all busted to heck with glass chards coming out of the packaging. It cost the bums $250.  >:( It was not an original.

[Norm]

UPS is the worst for damaging packages, FedEx ground a close 2nd and FedEx air is the best....but not by much.  :D

[SwampDonkey]

I've been lucky with UPS up here, they even have to deliver packages from 100 miles away. No local handling facility.

[Magicman]

 :-\ :-\  I feel much better now.  It is too DanG far to haul it to Minnesota myself.  I got paid with Pig to haul one to Michigan.

I guess that I had better start collecting bubble wrap.

[sandhills]

Not to get off subject, but will we get to see a picture of this clock Magicman?  Sounds like it must be pretty special.

[Al_Smith]

They are playing those mail sorting centers as a political football .It's caused a lot of problems .

You have to keep in mind that the USPS does not own any real estate ,it's all leased .A little loop hole in the system allowing people in the clique to feather their nests economically speaking .

[Al_Smith]

As far as paying bills on line ,some trust it . I don't for the simple fact nothing that goes on-line is secure although they claim it is .

I do pay pal only because it's about the only way to purchase stuff from flea bay .

If somebody hacks your bank account it can be straightened out .The mental anquish though might cause me to go "postal " so to speak so I just avoid it .

[Magicman]

will we get to see a picture of this clock Magicman?  Sounds like it must be pretty special.

You will.  I have been taking pictures as I have progressed but I just have not even taken the time to get the pictures off of the camera yet.  The story is quite unique as is the clock.

I'll put it in the Woodworking Board.

[sandhills]

Looking forward to it, thanks.

[easymoney]

i have not had any problem with the mail service here in my town.but one thing is funny about the way it is handled is we are nearly 100 miles from nashville and anything i mail even to an address down the street is sent to nashville to be sorted before it is delivered.