Great Andy Rooney Line:
We all act like we get love letters and checks, but mostly it’s bills and junk.
Right, but from Thanksgiving through Christmas (okay, New Year’s), they go back to 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. That’s probably the biggest business span of time in the year anyway. They’ve got a market advantage when it comes to holiday shipping (plus they get all the Christmas card action) because, although the long lines and inconvenient hours suck mightily, the priority shipping rates are something like 1/3 of what UPS and FedEx charge for the same delivery time. Pack up a box of holiday goodies and take it to UPS or FedEx and check for 3-day shipping. It’s totally worthwhile to stand in line at the post office (checking out the cool stamps).
I ship large quantities of pepper jam all over the country at that time of year and I learned a long time ago that I’d lose my shirt if I didn’t use USPS priority mail. Also love the one-price-all-you-can-stuff-into-this-box-weight-notwithstanding thingy they’ve got going. The box is free, you just have to use their box.
“want” is perhaps the wrong word, I’d say “would be OK with”. Obviously I’d LIKE it to be delivered twice a day like in the Olden Days :D. But it’s quite rare to have anything that I couldn’t wait 24 / 48 hours for, and I assume that things like Express Mail would still be done daily.
I voted 4 days/week, Monday-Thursday. I already dislike Saturday delivery, as I am rarely around Saturdays and usually forget to grab the mail until Monday anyways. I say nix Fridays, just to make it easier for those three day weekends.
I get only a handful of actual letters a year. In fact, I can recall only one this year so far. There are also greeting cards, but fewer of those than there used to be.
When I lived for six months in Switzerland in 1967, they had 11 deliveries a week. By 1970, the next time I was there, it was down to 5. I didn’t see any loss in quality of life as result.
In Canada (which has 5 deliveries a week), most of the post offices have been closed and the business farmed out to postal substations run as part of another business such as a drugstore. The merchant likes it because there is a small profit, but mostly, I assume, because it brings traffic into his store.
I still prefer parcel post because when UPS or Fed Ex can’t deliver, I have to call and arrange for when another delivery. When the postal truck can’t, I can get the package at the nearest substation less than a mile away at my convenience (although not till the next day).
One day would be plenty. Bonus if it’s recycling day.
The few pieces of mail that don’t go directly into the blue bin are nothing I can’t wait a few extra days for.
I see people mention that all the time, but the text gives Congress the power, not the obligation.
Once a week would meet my needs
I’m not looking to start a fight or anything, but I have a hard time believing anyone would really care if mail was only delivered five days per week. Especially if that would save the USPS. Personally, twice a week would be plenty for me.
I check my mailbox once a week at most, often even less. All of my bills are dealt with online, so I mainly check my box just to clear out the junk and see if I’ve gotten one of the few magazines to which I still subscribe, or if I’ve gotten coupons from my favored retailers, or if I have a jury duty notice or birthday card or something. So on the personal level, I’d be fine with once a week or less.
That said, I can see most people wanting more frequent delivery. I think I’d be okay with three-day for residential/small-business, with an option for larger businesses to pay a service charge to the USPS for 5/6/7 day delivery.
While reading online of three-day-delivery proposals (typically M/W/F), there were complaints of the potential mail build-up on three-day weekends which typically occur with Monday holidays. I think as mail volume decreases, that potential becomes less of a roadblock… but T/Th/Sat could work for most weeks but Thanksgiving week, or the USPS could simply switch schedules around holidays, much the same as every other utility/service that has scheduled days. The direct mail industry isn’t stupid, and they would switch their own schedules to match delivery schedules, so there would be virtually no problem with “black Friday” circulars being delivered after Thanksgiving, etc.
I voted six days a week because of my netflix subscription. If I didn’t have an netflix subscription, and if packages would be delivered any day, then I could live with three days a week. Would this also apply to pickup spots? i.e. In some buildings, there is a USPS pickup box (not the big blue box you would see on the street, but a small “drop you mail here” slot) next to the mailboxes.
Many older persons do not have email and either cannot master or will not consider using it. My father, for instance, is entirely too ornery and not nearly literate enough to learn how to use email.
And some persons – because of age, lack of sophistication, ignorance, or just plain cussedness – refuse to believe that the Post Office is in genuine danger of falling apart. I know persons paranoid enough to think the current crisis is just a boondogle, a plot to deprive certain classes of mail service, which they call a right as essential as freedom of religion.
Well, like I said, the USPS was a great idea in 1789 and for a while thereafter, but we’ve outgrown it. If it takes a Constitutional amdendment to get rid of the USPS, then so be it.
Ok. But five days per week wouldn’t be enough?
I voted once per week because I really can’t remember the last time I got anything in my mail box that I really needed. It was probably year end tax documents back in January.
But then I read this:
And I agree. I do all my non-perishable shopping online and like Amazon prime’s 2 day delivery. So I would say once per week is enough for anything unsolicited, but at least M-W-F for packages.
If that’s too complex of a system, then send me a text message when my parcel arrives at the local post office and I’ll walk over and pick it up myself.
I have a PO box which I check once a week at most.