The Retarded US Postal Service Rant

(If you don't want to listen to a little ranting and raving please skip this post entirely, if you work for the postal service I do not hate you but I do demand that you agree with me if you comment or it will be deleted!)

We live in a small town and in this small town they have never delivered mail to our home. I also grew up here so I know they have done it. So every year we have to prove that we live here by taking them our electric bill to the post office so that we can get a our box fee waived, oh how nice of them! Then when ever we do anything (buy something that needs to be shipped, apply for anything, etc.) we have to explain to people that we don't have mail delivery to our home and they have to use a PO Box. Do you know how hard that is? Well you do if you live next door to me. Oh but not across the street because the postal gods (at least that is what the high and mighty think they are) have deemed that road worthy of their delivery.

So every time I have to give a physical address to which I know a PO Box will be needed I get the look of shame like what kind of scam are you running that everything must go through a PO Box? Or if online I get the sorry address not valid over and over again. I don't know how much more I can take. In the past week I have had at least 2 things I ordered get returned to sender and probably a 3rd but I am not sure on that one yet. Some times when they get sent back the items are never found and then we are just out what ever was in them.

I have complained hundreds of times and today when Jim went in to complain about the latest incidences he was told that they were just addressed incorrectly and he (the postman) does not have the time to look at them they just get sent back. Jim asked for a place to call or write so he could complain and he was told it will never make a difference. He is probably right but come on I should not have to move in order to get my mail.

When I was 17 I was taking the SAT's and they said that I had to put my street address on the form , no PO Boxes because I think they think you are trying to commit mail fraud like the rest of the world thinks. So I went and had a mini mental breakdown at the post office and I did get my scores so I know it can happen. But since then we have lost several things due to their policies and procedure and we can't take the time to be nice attitude.

But what happens when we it is time for certificated of citizenship for our children do you think the US government believes you when you tell them that you only get mail to your PO Box, HELL NO. So that should be something simple, that will be a big huge hassle and it does not have to be. You can be sure that will be another mental breakdown in the post office.

We try our best to make sure everyone knows our PO box but that does not always work out. I know the postal people are busy but I am sure it costs them more to send stuff back than it would to just deliver our mail. I would even pay for the service that everyone else gets for free. If we lived in a big city we could even use one of those mail boxes and more places but we don't, we live in a backward town that I love except for the stupid post office.

I am just angry and frustrated and hurt that no matter what we do the only thing that will remedy the situation is move, and we can't move but that is another rant for another day. I hate feeling helpless and yet I am finding myself in situations that are way beyond my control too much lately. Flexibility is demanded of me constantly why can I not demand that of the US Postal Service. All I want is to get the few packages that come to my street address is that really so much to ask. When 98% or more of my mail is "properly addressed" I wish we had a choice.