# Usps ftl **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 9, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-ftl/488851 "2009-03-09T17:37:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-ftl/488851/21 "2009-03-09T20:38:03Z")
More from [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postal_Service#Governance_and_organization), about the USPS specifically: > [@](#): > > The USPS is often mistaken for a government-owned corporation (e.g., Amtrak), but as noted above is legally defined as an “independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States,” (39 U.S.C. § 201) as it is wholly owned by the government and controlled by the Presidential appointees and the Postmaster General. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-ftl/488851/22 "2009-03-09T20:44:11Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > But even if it were, this wouldn’t be any different than any large organization in which one person can be mistaken regarding what another department is capable of doing. The postal service doesn’t issue passports; it just delivers them. That’s true, but given that the USPS advertises itself as a service for passport application, it seems reasonable to expect that USPS employees might make themselves aware of the approximate processing times. At the very least, it is reasonable to expect that, if they don’t make themselves aware of such information, that they at least have the courtesy not to feed the customer complete bullshit based on no knowledge at all. According to the [US State Department](http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/processing/processing_1740.html), current processing times for expedited passport applications are 2-3 weeks, door-to-door. I don’t think it’s too much to expect postal employees to know that, or at least to inform customers where they can find the information. Simply pulling numbers out of their ass is unacceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-ftl/488851/23 "2009-03-09T21:06:11Z")
Doesn’t help you, but my wife got a new passport, without any expedition, in a week. We were very surprised. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanTigerTamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@SuntanTigerTamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanTigerTamer)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-ftl/488851/24 "2009-03-09T21:17:13Z")
After spending all day on the phone with as many people as I could get a hold of, it does not appear that I will be going America all over Mexico’s ass. I couldn’t possibly be more angry. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-ftl/488851/25 "2009-03-09T22:04:45Z")
I used to work for an airline, and I was able to get a passport in 24 hours by printing myself a fake ticket for travel on the next day, and telling them my grandmother’s funeral was being held in France. I know, I’m going to hell, but I had a chance to fly to Europe for free if I could get the passport, so I lied. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-ftl/488851.md?page=1)