U.S. Postal Service: salvageable or doomed?

that is legitimately great news

Hell yes. Eat my ass, DeJoy.

Thank goodness.

Also, tho, I've had rather decent luck with packages as of recent— knock on wood. Received some books from the UK after 10 days, about the same with a book from the Netherlands, and a tape from California took 3 days, which is...really shocking to me, at this point.

Bought a record from Germany in January and it's still not here, though I don't think they shipped it airmail like they claim to have done. Not expecting to ever see it tbh. All my recent domestic deliveries have been super fast recently, though.

Waiting a few weeks now for a package from Spain, but I really should take this to the Discogs thread on ILM. The fucker didn’t even give me a tracking number!

did he write "Tracking: Deez Nuts"

I sent my sister a birthday card more than a week early and it arrived nearly a month late. They may as well have sat on it for another eleven months until it was timely again.

Wow, incredible news. The pre-funded pension thing has been this deliberate act of sabotage hanging over the service for what, two decades now?

A CD from the Nethherlands took about 10 days to arrive, domestic packages have taken about a week or less -- not bad in general.

Bought a record from Germany in January and it's still not here, though I don't think they shipped it airmail like they claim to have done. Not expecting to ever see it tbh. All my recent domestic deliveries have been super fast recently, though.

― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, March 8, 2022 9:45 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Waiting a few weeks now for a package from Spain, but I really should take this to the Discogs thread on ILM. The fucker didn’t even give me a tracking number!

― but also fuck you (unperson), Tuesday, March 8, 2022 10:15 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

I've received a few records from Europe just fine. This might just be an individual seller issue.

Yeah, in my case the seller didn't even tell me it had been shipped until I emailed him and asked. I suspect there might be some bullshit going on, and if I haven't gotten the item in question by the end of this month I'll buy another one from someone else.

Do we have a thread on FedEx? Assholes claimed to have delivered a package to me that never showed up. Gave me a “delivery” notification and everything.

from my experience, they either:

a) delivered it to a neighbor (so perhaps check nearby if possible) OR
b) didn't deliver it, and will deliver it next day OR
c) Lol oops

I usually use social media to get their attention and resolve issues as calling has been far less successful, though sometimes if you call they can get in touch with the driver.

less aggravating, more funny, I once had a FedEx driver write the location of the package in Spanish, because they thought my last name (which is Italian) was Hispanic, and I had to Google translate what they wrote, which was "under the mat", and found the package under the floor mat...where I hadn't thought to look, as the package was flat and didn't make the mat protrude any.

when I recited that story on FB, many of my friends apparently didn't realize the name was Italian either.

i've had fedex do a lot of 'handoff' to usps for last mile delivery, but they update their status to say 'delivered' when they hand it off to the post office, which then may take a few days to actually deliver. it's annoying.

it’s okay it’s not as if this is supposed to be the one thing they’re experts at

I've also noticed that FedEx drivers will mark things "delivered" in advance of them actually being delivered. For example, they've marked something as delivered on my tracking, I go outside and nothing's there, then 30 minutes later the package shows up.

i've had fedex do a lot of 'handoff' to usps for last mile delivery, but they update their status to say 'delivered' when they hand it off to the post office, which then may take a few days to actually deliver. it's annoying.

Thanks for the advice. The delivery address was a large apartment building with a manned package room (the package room has never f’ed up or lost anything before, they even have their own scan setup) and we checked the lookalike apartment building next door but no dice there.

UPS and FedEx do handoffs to USPS to complete the delivery, but it's usually clearly indicated as such. UPS calls it "UPS Mail Innovations" and instead of saying "delivered", it'll usually say something like "Tendered to Delivery Provider", and the USPS tracking number will be provided to track the final delivery.

I'm not sure how it works with FedEx. It became en vogue when Amazon was tired of paying hefty two day delivery prices for UPS and realized this option was cheaper and only slightly slower

DeJoy's plan to replace USPS fleet vehicles would see 160,000 trucks emit as much CO2 as 4,300,000 passenger vehicles.

Over the past week, environmentalists and California’s top air quality regulator have called on the EPA to block the Postal Service from moving forward with what they described as a poorly thought-out purchase that would harm communities across the country. They asked the EPA to refer the dispute to the White House Council on Environmental Quality, which mediates disagreements between federal agencies over actions affecting the environment and public health.

EPA officials declined to invoke this rarely used power. Instead, senior administration officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said they decided to send the warning letters to the Postal Service to give its leadership a chance to voluntarily change course.

They acknowledged that DeJoy might reject their requests, as he has rebuffed previous calls for the agency to rethink its plans.

this fuckin guy

I’m assuming it’s down to low staffing levels and covid knocking employees out, but our mail delivery has literally been once a week for the last month. It all comes on Thursday or Saturday for the entire week, sometimes dumped all over our stoop because it can’t all fit in the mailbox. I get notifications for stuff out for delivery that day that doesn’t show up for another three or four days. From the tracking I do check, it’s getting to our local office in good time, just seems to be sitting on our route’s truck for almost a week.

USPS Plans To Shed 50,000 Jobs To Reach 'Break Even' Point

DeJoy also explained how he has plans to streamline the company by closing 150 annex plants over the next four years, to be replaced by a smaller number of more efficient mega-centers.

til it’s just one robot delivering everyone’s mail to trash island

Why hasn't Biden gotten board members appointed who can fire DeJoy

He appointed his governors, they don't want to fire DeJoy.

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/people/2022/05/usps-board-is-now-mostly-biden-picks-following-latest-senate-confirmations/

https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/590614-biden-stiff-arms-progressives-on-the-postal-service/

there will always be at least a few spots where democrats and republicans can agree: eg, giving more money to more cops, selling weapons to countries that did 9/11, and making the usps so shitty that the only recourse is privatization

They didn't do much to publicize it, but the USPS is in a lot better shape today than it was on Monday:

President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a new law that will overhaul the US Postal Service’s finances and allow the agency to modernize its service.

The Postal Service Reform Act, which enjoyed a rare wave of bipartisan support in the House and Senate, bolsters an agency that is “as essential as it ever was,” the President said before signing the legislation.

“Today, we enshrine in law our recognition that the Postal Service is fundamental,” Biden said.

...

The Postal Service Reform Act will require retired postal employees to enroll in Medicare when eligible, while dropping a previous mandate that forced the agency to cover its health care costs years in advance.

Those two measures would save the USPS nearly $50 billion over the next decade, according to the House Oversight Committee.

The legislation will also require the USPS to create an online dashboard with local and national delivery time data.

Long overdue and very necessary. In combination with the IRS upgrade it’s good to see.

very good news

Service has been much improved around where I am, fwiw. I'm convinced it was a local management issue, which was exacerbating already disruptive national trends.

I just picked up a CD from Austria at my PO box this morning. The bill-of-lading pouch had 10 sheets of paper inside — various customs forms and whatnot, with my name and address on each one. Say what you will about the USPS: when I want to send a CD to Austria, or anyplace else on earth, I stick 1 label on the outside of the package, and off it goes. And it gets there.

And Media Mail! God bless Media Mail, so much cheaper

Does anyone remember vending machines in the lobby, or did I just dream that? You could buy stamps (rolls & books), prepaid envelopes, etc...?

They've really done everything possible to reduce convenience for customers, but I'm sure there are more service reductions in the works

I bought stamps from a vending machine in my local USPS lobby this past summer.

The one I go to has a kiosk with a scale where you can buy labels/postage for larger packages or books of stamps.

And it gets there.

The shift carrier from your local USPS office diligently sneaking into Austria with your CD sewn inside their jacket, nimbly dodging dozens of Österreichische Post AG operators bent on arresting its progress.

I order from Klanggalerie on Austria all the time and I’ve never seen anything on package more than the usual green customs sticker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK_yvwsp3QA

Latest Update

We were unable to deliver your package at 11:34 pm on October 15, 2022 in OAKLAND, CA 94606 because the business was closed.

Yeah, I actually went to bed around 11pm, sorry I wasn't available to get my mail, I'll try harder next time to stay awake

I dunno, I kinda liked "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight"

xps i used to buy stamps regularly using those vending machines until they seemed to all disappear some 10-15 years ago. never seen one since.

So

Post offices now close for lunch, so plan accordingly

yeah, I found that out recently.. and a european LONG lunch at that, possibly even a siesta in a big cart of mail

does that mean they are literally having one person staff the post office?

Yeah, I'm not sure if they close for lunch everyday, or just when there's literally only one person in the station - pretty annoying though

My local post office closes for lunch - yep only one employee.

So my brother is proposing to his girlfriend. And the engagement ring is coming today, requires a signature, and he's working. He asks if I can go to his house and sign for it and leave.

Said ok, but was anxious because the mail service where he lives is notoriously bad. They once applied a mail forwarding request I made for my father at my address and my mail started going to their place.

Sure enough, something goes wrong. My bro msgs me to say the package shows delivered, did I get it? No, nobody's been to the door, nothing outside. Shows as signed for by my bro's initials.

My guess is to avoid being dinged for a late delivery, the mailperson marked it delivered, fabricated the signature, then figured they'd go to your house, hope you were there, and if not, leave a note on the door. Because of the ridiculous workload mailpersons have, they do this all the time (they did it to me at my old place even before DeJoy).

The other theory is they put it in the mailbox and fraudulently marked it as signed for. But since it's an engagement ring, my brother is freaking out like a 12 year old.

I went outside to see if I could see the mail truck. There it was, at the front of the community, and moving towards his place, so I figure ok, they'll be by shortly.

Here's where I got completely stupid. I didn't want to approach the mail person as I don't live in that community and it's gonna sound strange, me asking them for a package for someone else. But I also didn't want to assume they would come by the house and have them leave, as my brother didn't leave his mail key to check the box.

So I got in the car and drove to the street the truck was on and after I saw it was clear that they were still delivering on the route towards my brother, I parked and walked back to his house. Sure enough, they pulled up and stopped outside his house so I stayed outside so I could sign for it. But then the driver left.

Now my brother is begging me to flag them down and I'm asking if he's sure there's no mail key in the house and no, there's not. I told him they were driving away and I didn't want to tail the driver as that would creep them out.

But then I figured they would stop to deliver another package and I could get out and politely ask them about the package. So I found them, and they were going the opposite direction. Dammit. So I waited 30 seconds, turned around and went back to see if I could catch them. Now they're again going the opposite way.

So now I've figured out that I obviously freaked them out and they're trying to get away from me. Exactly what I wanted to avoid. Brother is hounding me about it and I'm like DUDE I'M GONNA GO TO JAIL IN A MINUTE.

So I went to the mailroom at the front of the community to pause and figure out what to do next, like going to his work to get his mail key.

Mail person is parked there as I arrive, right across from me. Fuck. She is staring right at me, intently. She starts taking pics of my car and is clearly talking to someone. FUCK.

Alright so I've completely made a mess of this and terrified the poor woman. I don't blame her at all. It's why I hadn't wanted to do it.

So I decided to get out of the car slowly and talk to her from a distance rather than approach the truck. After all, I'm 6'0, 225 pounds, heavily tattooed, and unkempt and looking agitated due to the situation. She gestures at me with a shrug, basically saying "what the FUCK do you want?". Which is fair.

So finally I explain the situation and she is relieved when I explain I just have a question about a package. She offers to help, and then retrieves the package. Sure enough, another mail carrier (I guess they have two because it's a big community) delivered the package to the box and fabricated the signature to make it look like a door delivery. Thanked her, apologized, and went on my way.

So yeah, i completely fucked this up, and unintentionally terrified a mail person today. Shoulda just told my brother to stfu, grabbed his mail key, and checked the box.

this story has big george costanza energy