Goin' Postal

Yesterday was one of those days when I swore my head would explode before the clock struck noon. It was a day which called for a little Deployment Rage Syndrome (DRS), but there was just one little problem - my husband isn't deployed. So, since I couldn't just that very reasonable and justifiable excuse, I bit my tongue, clenched my jaw and didn't make a scene which would later horrify me (and my family).

While I was in the depressingly long line at the post office, I noticed something that began to irk me to the core. 

Scores of people walk into a post office totally and utterly unprepared. That, I came to understand, is why the line was so long. There were people who were actually boxing items up at the counter, people who were sending certified mail yet didn't have their forms completed, people who didn't know what they should have done and needed to do in order to get mail from point A to point B and people standing in line for stamps when the stamp machine (which takes cash, debit and credit cards) was featured prominently inside the post office. One man, no joke, began to assemble a priority mail box in line, realized his stuff wouldn't fit and left the partially assembled box on the counter instead of returning it to its proper place. Now that's just laziness.

As I stood and watched what was nothing less than a circus, I realized that I had rarely seen these types of things occur at post offices on or near post. Yeah, I realize that there's a first for everything. First time you send certified mail. First time you send insured mail. There are times when you do need assistance. But there's no way that all those patrons were first-timers and even if they were, there's really no good excuse for bringing stuff in a target bag into a post office, popping in and out of line in search of an appropriate box and upon reaching the counter not having your item sealed and addressed. Here's a novel idea - step into the post office and off to the side, get your stuff packaged and addressed, then get in line. When my husband is deployed, I enter the post office with the box stuffed, sealed, addressed and proper customs paperwork filled out and ready to go, as do most military families I've seen. Click N' Ship is your best friend, folks....

Twenty of the twenty-five minutes I spent in line could have disappeared if people had walked in prepared to do business. Perhaps milspouses need to offer a course on post office etiquette. It would be an excellent public service. 

And to top off my little experience, my total when I finally reached the counter and checked out? 

$6.66. 

Yep, it was that kind of day.....

Ahhhhh -  felt good to get that little rant off my chest. 

Don't worry. I'll try to refrain from cranky postings for a while. 

Strapping the big girl panties back on right now. Oh my, they seem a little tighter than usual.....

Comments

[Apryl]

Unfortunatly about 3 weeks ago I was that same annoying person. Although in my defense I had my custom forms filled out, the top of the box taped with the label on it, etc. I realized as I was standing in line that the bottom of the box hadn't been sealed..it was just folded in on itself. LOL

And ya know the postal employee gave me the DIRTIEST look when I said you don't have any tape do you? Luckily I ended up sending it priority so the tape was free.

Oh and regarding those stamp machines..my bro works at the post office and supposedly those machines are going by the wayside...both of our post offices near my house lost them the end of last year. Sucks to have to stand in like for 40 minutes for a freaking book of stamps.

[Andi]

Oh trust me Apryl, you would have been over-prepared with this crowd. Taping the bottom of the box is a very minor infraction compared to what I witnessed yesterday.....

Funny you mentioned the stamp machines because I did note a couple of weeks ago in another post office that they had removed the machine. I buy mine at the grocery store. No way I'm standing in that line for stamps!

[DL Sly]

Strap-on panties?
Allllrighty then......

*ponders 10' pole in corner*
0>;~}

[Jewels]

DRS... now I know what to call it! :) Thank you!

[David M]

The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 10/16/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.

http://www.thunderrun.us/2009/10/from-front-10162009.html

[MrsD]

There's a real benefit to living in a teeny, tiny, not-even-incorporated "town". There's never a line at the post office and the post mistress is always happy to chat! ;-)

[joyce]

and what is with the post office preference for you using their own boxes? I tried sending a package to Elmendorf AFB and the clerk said it would be cheaper to use their boxes. not very "green" or into recycling, are they?!

Best to take their boxes home and fill them to the brim...

and the machine at our post office only takes credit cards or debit cards. IF it is working.

[Apryl]

I didn't know this but you can't use wine boxes to ship anything in unless you cross off everything remotely resembling the world "alkeehol". I found that out last deployment as the wine boxes are suppa duppa strong/sturdy and typically survive a few shippings. We even used them for shipping to Guam.

Typically I use the small town post office near one child's daycare..there's 2 windows so you have at least a 50% chance of getting out of there faster then the big office that has 6 windows and potentially 2 employees at rush times. ARGH!!!

[Tabitha]

I suppose that issue with 6 windows and 2 employees might be a sign that they might be hiring? That's always good news these days.

[Mike T.]

Apryl, haven't you had the good fortune of seeing the classic AFN commercial about reusing boxes? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=883Uz_qHFtI

And, Andi, what really would upset me is when those types of things occurred at the base Post Office while we were on Okinawa...is this REALLY the first time you've sent a package people? ;)

[Laura Roberts]

LOL...I spent the last two days...total of 12 hours on the phone with Dell techs for my computer...you know the ones that barely speak english? Yes, so minor problem ethernet would not connect to internet..i.e. ethernet card most likely bad. Computer under full warrenty. 12 hours later...ethernet card still bad, but now hard drive fried, and motherboard fried. I kid you not. Finally DH gets on phone and Dell is having to send me a new computer. Me on the other hand have more gray hair, twitches, and Dell ptsd. I'm trying to hardboot my brain and I can't find F12.

Blessings,
Laura

[Guard Wife]

Laura,
Will your husband call dell for me? I ended up buying a MAC and the Dell is the stay-at-home computer and is used when it decides to work.

I have taken several occasions to air my DRS rants with Dell. To no avail to this point.

[halcat]

Having spent time on the other end of the retail interaction, I'm always sympathetic for workers who have to deal with difficult/underprepared customers... and the enraged mob the line turns into behind them.

I was in a bank once (as a customer), and my teller was off in the back. The woman at the window next to me, who did not have an account there, was trying to cash a check without a second ID, and giving the teller a really hard time. The teller finally went to get her manager. I turned to the woman and said, "She's not making the rules up to inconvenience you, you know." I thought the woman was going to have an aneurysm. She had an unprintable response and stormed out before the teller got back.

It's obviously still a cherished memory for me, a moment of vindication for all the times I have to keep my mouth shut at work when people are being completely unreasonable.

Oh, and if you want to see me instantly redline on DSR, let someone question my POA. The gloves come off immediately.