Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Much Ado About Not Much

Today I had a whole mess of stops to make, including getting packages to the post office.

In retrospect, I realize that I could have done a better job of planning out my errands. Yesterday was Columbus Day (a Federal holiday) which meant that the post office was closed. I should have put two and two together and figure out that because the post office was closed yesterday it would be busy today. 

When I entered the service area there was a young man at the counter, two older women sitting in chairs, and a third woman standing. There was only one clerk working. I got my number and prepared to wait.

A man came in right after me carrying a tall stack of Priority boxes. Standing Woman raced over to open the door for him. He set them on the work table, left, and came back with another tall stack. I was thankful he would be doing his transactions after me. Shortly after that a patrol officer entered carrying a box. He took his number and moved to the other side of the room.

The young man had a complicated transaction that lasted about eight minutes. I spent the time checking the time on my phone and looking around the service area. This location is housed in a Depression-era building, and there's a beautiful Works Progress Administration-produced mural that covers one of the side walls. 

As the seconds ticked by I was getting annoyed thinking about all the things I still had to do. When the young man finally finished up the clerk called the next number, which turned out to be Standing Woman. However, instead of taking her turn she got the officer's attention, thanked him for his service, and indicated he should go next.

What?!? Maybe Standing Woman didn't have any place else to be, but what about all the other people who had been waiting? She didn't ask if they were OK with someone leapfrogging over them in line. As it turns out, the officer only had to turn in a box that already had postage on it. His transaction took 30 seconds, and the clerk moved on. It took another five minutes, but I finally did my business and got out of there.

Five years ago today: Efficient And Easy

12 comments:

  1. The Post Office seems to be a failure everywhere. Our Post Office is in a constant crisis with endless complaints from the public regarding its bad services.

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  2. My local PO is great!!No numbers, but everyone lines up socially distanced ! My carrier is better than great... when I have things that don't fit in the mailbox, I leave her a note that they are on steps and she gets out of her vehicle and gets them!! Never a complaint!!

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    1. Wow! I think some of the attitude of a branch comes from its postmaster. Yours must be doing something right.

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    2. Hadn't thought about that but you must be right!!We try to do everything we can with online "click and ship" which keeps us out of the physical PO... hopefully that helps keep traffic down.

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  3. Be glad she didn't ask everyone else if it was OK. Think how that "OK" would have stuck in your throat as your brain was going NOOOOO!

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    1. I hadn't thought about that, but you're right :-)

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  4. Very frustrating the people with never ending transactions

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    1. I agree (although they deserve to have their needs taken care of just as much as I do).

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  5. Our PO delivered mail from a neighborhood nearby with our house numerals, but their street. The package contained life-saving medication. I hand delivered it to the elderly person. Called the post office and they said, "Just throw it away if it happens again." Now isn't that a remedy for THEIR mistake?!

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  6. The postman asked once, "Is this letter for you? The name is obliterated!"

    I said, "No ... my name is Victor!"

    God bless.

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