I Suppose It Will Wait Until Monday

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Lifestyle

Last week, the United States Post Office announced that come summertime, Saturday mail delivery will be a thing of the past.   Given the significantly over budget operation and the corresponding decline in physical mail, I understand the business decision.  While some in Congress are apparently trying to rekindle Saturday delivery, I am not optimistic for their success.

The elimination of Saturday mail marks the end of an era which makes me sad.    Saturday is by far the best day to receive mail since as a working person it is the only day of the week I am home to greet the mailman.   Granted, these days most of the mail I receive is bulk, but there are always lots of catalogues and oh, those coupons!  I suppose I will have to adjust to never again enjoying the immediate gratification of having my mail carrier hand me a Bed, Bath & Beyond coupon.

 

Comments

Fred Klein

I remember when mail was delivered twice per day

Submitted by Vincent_Serro on Mon, 02/11/2013 - 23:03

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Vincent Serro

If you drive through any small town upstate, you'll find a convenience store, gas station (sometimes combined) and a post office. They have to cover everyone and everywhere regardless of the profitability of maintaining those offices. I also think the history going back to the pony express reminds you that technology and times change. I get more coupons in email then I ever did via paper mail. The problem now is with the email being on the cell phones I can't get the mail early and hide them from my wife anymore...

Submitted by ToddWeiss on Mon, 02/11/2013 - 23:42

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Todd Weiss

Classic example of how a quasi government entity with little to no competition (aside from express mail services) can be mismanaged. They cannot control their cost structure.
Gideon Schein

I remember that clearly. My problem with the decision is that it is just another short term fix for a more serious restructuring problem that needs to be addressed. This will not be the last cost cutting measure that loses its power in a year.
David Abeshouse

Given what I'd read about the lead-up to this decision, I was a bit surprised that they didn't also kill package delivery on Sat. and possibly even Wed. mail and package delivery (going to a 4-day system). I guess they wanted to send up this trial balloon and test the waters before nixing more services. But those cuts seem likely to follow, as this move to discontinue Sat. regular mail seems to be a small drop in the huge deficit budget of the USPS. So while I'm a bit sad and wistful about changes in historic services that represent a slice of Americana, I understand why they're doing it. As Todd said, they've mismanaged it to the hilt. Part of that may be that they undercharge for first class mail (quite a service, if and when it's done right, and -- to my mind -- worth more than 46 cents). I despise these now-frequent one-or-two-cent increases; why not increase it by a nickel or more at a time, but do so less frequently and disruptively? End of rant; that's my 2 cents (or nickel)....
Bill Waldorf

Some changes are difficult to handle and some like the Post Office eliminating Saturday deliveries are . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I wonder when we the people are going to change the 535 Aristocrats who are driving this country into the ground for their own benefit. Difficult or what?

Submitted by Vincent_Serro on Tue, 02/12/2013 - 02:32

In reply to by Fred

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Vincent Serro

That was in the pony express days wasn't it?
Corey Bearak

I believe it can be an inconvenience.
I do not support it.
Part of the reason I maintain a PO box is my mail delivery arrives late in the date; mail gets put in the PO box by 10am. Mail will be delivered to PO boxes on Saturdays even with the change.

Submitted by Linda_Newman on Tue, 02/12/2013 - 09:54

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Linda Newman

Thanks, Corey - thinking about a P.O.Box... I live two blocks away from my Post Office

Submitted by Lucas_Meyer on Tue, 02/12/2013 - 23:07

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Lucas Meyer

Times change; technology changes, and the Post Office just hasn't kept up with realities on the ground. It's grossly over-staffed, loses a fortune every year and its labor force is, for the most part, intransigent. However, the Post Office is mandated by the Constitution, and was for the first 150 years of this Republic, a big money-maker for the federal government (imagine that!). As others have noted, it mostly delivers junk mail today, as more and more people are paying bills on-line. I'd argue that privatization would be in the best interest of the country.

President Reagan once said that the closest thing to eternal life is a federal government program...

Submitted by Erik_Scheibe on Thu, 02/14/2013 - 03:03

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Erik Scheibe

I think that mail is antiquated and should not be a governmental program run at a deficit. In this day and age, there is no more reason to do mass mailings. Raise the price until it is solvent. Privatizing even better. People can say that it has been mismanaged, but I remember as a kid that that the Post Office was a running joke on Carson. That is a long time ago and the U.S. Postal service is no longer the considered a societal joke. We save those now for the Kardashians (see cover of NY Post).

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