US POSTAL SERVICE to cut Saturday Delivery Service of mail..

[Bushkill]

Originally Posted by Nubster

I think that the issue with that is that a lot of facilities might not be able to handle the volume of people coming in to pickup thier mail. My PO is one of them. Parking sucks, there are only a couple hundred PO boxes and there's probably 5,000 people served by my PO so there wouldn't be the PO boxes for everyone, the building is small so having more than a few people inside at a time things get cramped...the idea of going to the PO doesn't bother me too much. A little inconvenient but if it'll save jobs and possible the USPS as a whole, I'd suck it up and go pick up my mail.

Our branch is located on a horrible stretch of road. If everybody in rural locations had to drive, even every other day, it would be madness and the larger branches would have to spend unthinkable sums to expand their P.O. box availability. The cost would be something to reckon with.

[Darkblade48]

Originally Posted by FlyingHellFish

You guys get mail on saturdays? We don't, that unheard of here in United Province of Canada.

Yep. That was my first thought when I read the title as well.

[Dave-H]

I agree there will be more cuts to postal service. The USPS operates a huge loss which compensated by taxes, which is hard to reconcile with the fact that the postal mail is changing rapidly and isn't needed in the same ways it was just 10 or 20 years ago.

[DogFish]

Originally Posted by Dave-H

I agree there will be more cuts to postal service. The USPS operates a huge loss which compensated by taxes, which is hard to reconcile with the fact that the postal mail is changing rapidly and isn't needed in the same ways it was just 10 or 20 years ago.

That could prove problematic as the P.O. is designated as a key player in the event of a national disaster. Think about what would happen if the power grid went down for even a small amount of time. The P.O. is the only organized, staffed organization that could delivery info to every home in the USA.

[Dave-H]

It's a great point, but even that is becoming less and less true as the years go by. USPS is the only organization that guarantees physical delivery to every address in the US, yes.

But, nowadays information is increasingly distributed via SMS, email, twitter, whatever and the number of non-connected households steadily declines.

So, your point is well taken but the whole concept of the USPS will be, I think, rethought over the coming years.

[Betta Maniac]

Originally Posted by Dave-H

I agree there will be more cuts to postal service. The USPS operates a huge loss which compensated by taxes,

The USPS does not get any money from the Federal gov. Hasn't since 1982.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know...service/11433/

[drewsuf82]

Originally Posted by DogFish

That could prove problematic as the P.O. is designated as a key player in the event of a national disaster. Think about what would happen if the power grid went down for even a small amount of time. The P.O. is the only organized, staffed organization that could delivery info to every home in the USA.

^^ This +1! They are incredibly efficient, I send random cards to my grandparents every so often to surprise them and sending First class from FL to Western NY takes just 2 or 3 days most of the time thats amazing when you think of how many facilities it goes to and how much sortation is involved!

The post office is as important to this country as interstates are!

[The Goonch]

I find it amazing that I can send a 1st class package to California and it only take 2 days!

[mordalphus]

Originally Posted by Nubster

I think that the issue with that is that a lot of facilities might not be able to handle the volume of people coming in to pickup thier mail. My PO is one of them. Parking sucks, there are only a couple hundred PO boxes and there's probably 5,000 people served by my PO so there wouldn't be the PO boxes for everyone, the building is small so having more than a few people inside at a time things get cramped...the idea of going to the PO doesn't bother me too much. A little inconvenient but if it'll save jobs and possible the USPS as a whole, I'd suck it up and go pick up my mail.

Yep, I understand that right now it wouldn't be possible, but with the savings they could net by laying off all of the delivery people, they could certainly afford to expand their facilities.

I only check my mail once a week right now, and my PO Box once a week as well. Unless I've ordered something of course. And my mailbox is right around the block from my house!

But yeah, as things progress forward I think that things will go this way. In several European countries you either go pick up your mail, or pay a company to bring it to you... I know this was discussed last time they were up against the pension prefunding deadline.(which is ridiculous, they're the only company in the world that has to prepay their employees pensions for future retirees)

[Nubster]

Originally Posted by The Goonch

I find it amazing that I can send a 1st class package to California and it only take 2 days!

I find it amazing that I've gotten packages from China quicker than packages sent from two states away, and the packages from China were ordered a day later.

[DogFish]

Originally Posted by Nubster

I find it amazing that I've gotten packages from China quicker than packages sent from two states away, and the packages from China were ordered a day later.

I think some of that has to due with sender/destinations proximity to distribution centers/airports. As I understand over 500mi. goes by plane.

Isn't W.V still using pony express???

[mordalphus]

Originally Posted by DogFish

"they're the only company in the world that has to prepay their employees pensions for future retirees"

That's because the trend in this country has been to screw-over worker's retirement funds. State workers here in Illinois are dealing with that now.

Yeah, understood. However in order to prepay these funds they've had to fire a helluvalot of people. Ask those postal workers that got paid off which is more important. In Washington they're doing something different, which is screwing the citizens instead by cutting out our basic health plans, closing parks and purposefully under funding our school system and violating our state constitution.

Everyone gets effected somehow! I know one thing, I wish I had a union job, a pension would be sweet... At least a helluvalot sweeter than my 401k (which might as well be toilet paper at this point). So I support the usps, no matter what prices they have to raise every year, or how many days a week they cut out, they're providing thousands of living wage jobs that I would kill to have.

[herns]

Originally Posted by The Goonch

I find it amazing that I can send a 1st class package to California and it only take 2 days!

Yeah. I always use first class than priority when shipping within ca. It cost less and delivery is thesame with priority mail.

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[Blackheart]

Isn't this not supposed to take effect for quite awhile, though? Like in the fall?

[keithy]

I sure hope USPS will be able to provide their service without financial trouble. They have been a great shipping resources like everybody mentioned, with a reasonable price that is. They just need to adapt to the change in time, technology, evolution of how bussinesses are carried out efficiently. Hope they will be able to figure out a sweet spot for their operations.