Maybe it's not just the postal workers. . . how about those patrons?

Oh my gosh! Where do these people come from?

Seriously, here is my little RANT for the day:

It's easy in this day and age to give the postal workers (and the entire Post Office, for that matter) a hard time--you know, calling them slow, inept, out-dated, abysmally dysfunctional, poorly managed, and just plain FRUSTRATING AS ALL GET-OUT--well. . . because in fact they are!

But I had an experience a couple of days ago that gave me pause to reflect, that in fact, it might not be just THEM! It could be (gasp!) the people that use the service as well!

What a revolutionary thought! But here's what happened. (and no, I am not making this up--truth is stranger than fiction any ole' day--which is why my blog is so delightfully WEIRD with strangeness)

So I am waiting in that abominably long line that forms around the Holiday Season at the Post Office to dutifully mail out my Christmas packages. . .You know, the line that takes FOREVER and never seems to move?
The one where you end up counting all those folks in front of you again and again--just to make sure the one LONE postal worker is actually taking care of folks and will eventually get to you before the end of the day. . .



I spot this middle-aged gentleman about 3 spaces ahead of me. He is in his mid to late 60's, nicely dressed, looks fairly intelligent--no missing teeth or strange hair or weird body marks or anything--just your nice and normal guy--and he's got about 6 or 7 VERY large packages in front of him that he is shoving ahead with his feet as the line progresses.



Finally it's his turn to be served from one of TWO postal workers on a busy Holiday Season weekday.

Since everyone waiting is eying this guy with pure hatred (because he will take up quite some time with so many large packages to ship) I perk right up and pay attention, so as not to miss anything and watch with amusement (as well as consternation) while this little drama unfolds:

Gentleman Customer: (hefting first large package on to the counter and stacking as many boxes as he can on top of each other)) How much is this gonna cost me?

Postal Worker: Sir, I can only weigh and price one at a time. How about if we start with just one of them?

Gentleman Customer: (trying to take some of the packages off the counter) OK--just do that one nearest you first. How much will that one cost?

Postal Worker: (maneuvering around the boxes and putting the package on the scale--and carefully looking over the package) Where is the address?

Gentleman Customer: (still shuffling all the boxes around) What?

Postal Worker: Where do you want to send this? I don't see a name or address on the package.

Gentleman Customer: Oh--that one is going to my sister.

Postal Worker: OK--where does she live?

Gentleman Customer: In Michigan.

Postal Worker: Do you have an address?

Gentleman Customer: Of course I have an address--I live about two blocks west of here on Main and--

Postal Worker: (cutting him off mid-sentence) I didn't mean YOU, sir. I mean, an address for where this is package is going.

Gentleman Customer: It's going to Michigan to my sister.

Postal Worker: But I need her name and address on the package to be able to send it to her.

Gentleman Customer: (bending around through the stack of packages left on the counter and pointing to each one) And THIS one is going to my nephew Jeffery in Idaho. . . this one to my daughter Claire in Texas, and this one to. . .

Postal Worker: (cutting him off again) Sir, do you have any names or addresses on any of these packages so we know where they are going?

Gentleman Customer: I know where each and everyone of them is going! I'm trying to tell you--THAT one (pointing to the one on the floor by his feet) is for my old boss and his wife, and. . .

Postal Worker: Sir--I need the names and addresses of each of these people--

Gentleman Customer: (becoming NOT so gentlemanly) I'm telling you the names of each of these people--

Postal worker: I need you to write them on the package. Then I can help you ship them. If I give you a pen can you write down the name and address on each of these packages?

Gentleman Customer: Does it have to be exact? How about if I just put directions?

Postal Worker: I need an exact address. And I need YOUR address in the top left corner as well.

Gentleman Customer: What for?

Postal Worker: We need a return address--in case the package is refused, the recipient has moved or the package gets lost in transit--so that we can send it back to you if necessary.

Gentleman Customer: Well, if you just send it to the person I'm telling you to send it to it won't get lost in transit, now will it?

Postal Worker: We STILL need a return address for each package.

Gentleman Customer: Well, I don't want them returned--that's why I'm mailing them out in the first place.

(I was about to offer up my address as a return address--but the guy just in front of me beat me to it!)

Guy in front of me: SHEESH! Haven't you ever been to a post office before?

He starts to go over to help the guy mark his packages, when the postal worker puts up a warning hand.

Postal Worker: That won't be necessary. You can get back in line. (turning to customer) Sir, you need to step out of line and put the name and address of where you want these sent right on the package and then you can come back to the front of the line and we'll take care of you. OK?

Gentleman Customer: What kind of rig-a-ma-role outfit is this? I'm trying to TELL YA where these packages are supposed to go--what's the matter with you? (turning to the rest of us in line) Can you believe these folks? They want us to do all the work for them! Label packages, adding return labels, filling out addresses, I've never heard of such nonsense--I'm telling ya this country is going to hell in a hand basket!

He grudgingly steps out of line and the people next to him help him stack his packages in an open window. . .

And I just smiled because I learned something new that day---it's not necessarily the postal workers who are insane. . . it's the folks who go there too!