Deteriorating Postal Service

**Bigdd** · August-11-20, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

I lived about 40 miles north of Detroit from 1973-2012 and in every single one of those years I had to go to the Post Office daily if I wanted my mail. They refused to do mail delivery in the town of Almont. They would deliver in the township and all the rural areas, but not inside the town. Oh, other than the 2 new subdivisions.

Your old neighborhood doesn't even have mailboxes. Is there a reason? Is it an issue of high crime?

**jcole** · August-11-20, 04:19 PM

They claimed it was because some of the neighborhoods didn't have paved sidewalks. I don't see why they couldn't put in those group mailboxes at the end of the street if that was the case. I really don't know what their agenda was, but it was stupid.
I think one of the biggest crimes Almont ever had was a bank robbery in 1975. A kid from town broke the backdoor window of the bank, opened the door, loaded a garbage bag with coins [[because the currency was in the safe), and dragged the bagful of coins across Van Dyke, down my street, across my lawn [[my dad was with the Lapeer County Sheriffs at the time) and through the trailer park to his house. Mind you, this was in February and there was fresh snow on the ground. They called in the FBI to figure out the crime.
So, High Crimes and Misdemeanors? Not really

Originally Posted by Bigdd

Your old neighborhood doesn't even have mailboxes. Is there a reason? Is it an issue of high crime?

**Honky Tonk** · August-11-20, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

They claimed it was because some of the neighborhoods didn't have paved sidewalks. I don't see why they couldn't put in those group mailboxes at the end of the street if that was the case. I really don't know what their agenda was, but it was stupid.

I totally agree with you. Instead, the USPS just keeps on keeping on like it's 1930. Jcole for Postmaster General.

**Bigdd** · August-11-20, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

They claimed it was because some of the neighborhoods didn't have paved sidewalks. I don't see why they couldn't put in those group mailboxes at the end of the street if that was the case. I really don't know what their agenda was, but it was stupid.

Stupid? That's an understatement.

I know Bloomfield doesn't have sidewalks. The mailboxes are at the street [[sometimes across the street, so a couple boxes can be together, and all on the same side of the street). The mail-carrier never has to get out of their Grumman LLV.

Sounds like someone in Almont needs a firing.

**jcole** · August-12-20, 08:22 AM

It's gone on through at least 4 or 5 postmasters, so it must be coming down from on high somewhere
And what makes the sidewalk excuse doubly stupid is that when they deliver in the "new" subdivisions, they use the USPS jeep, not a ambulating postal person.

Originally Posted by Bigdd

Stupid? That's an understatement.

I know Bloomfield doesn't have sidewalks. The mailboxes are at the street [[sometimes across the street, so a couple boxes can be together, and all on the same side of the street). The mail-carrier never has to get out of their Grumman LLV.

Sounds like someone in Almont needs a firing.

**Jimaz** · August-12-20, 09:02 AM

Trump’s Plan to Sabotage the Post Office Before the Election

**JBMcB** · August-12-20, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

I lived about 40 miles north of Detroit from 1973-2012 and in every single one of those years I had to go to the Post Office daily if I wanted my mail.

My in-laws bought a cabin up north in the early 80's. It's pretty far outside any large town, but they have a mailbox, an address and an official mail route. They would stay up most of the summer, so mail was somewhat important. Delivery got more and more sporadic through the 90s, to the point they would get an entire mailbox full of mail once a month. It wasn't a huge deal for them, they just changed the necessary addresses to their downstate home, and picked up the mail there. It *was* a big deal to their neighbors who lived there year round and were missing mailed bill deadlines. They complained, and delivery got more regular, but to this day there will be two or three week stretches with no mail delivery, then you get it all at once. Keep in mind, according to the local post office, they are on an official route and should be getting regular daily mail delivery.

**jcole** · August-12-20, 06:21 PM

We weren't on any route; we ALL had to purchase PO Boxes to get our mail. It was required. If you pushed the issue, they wouldn't make you, but then you had to stand in line while they got it for you. We actually had to PAY to pick up our own mail. I was so thrilled to get mail delivered to my current home, like I had in Detroit before my parents moved me to Almont.

Originally Posted by JBMcB

My in-laws bought a cabin up north in the early 80's. It's pretty far outside any large town, but they have a mailbox, an address and an official mail route. They would stay up most of the summer, so mail was somewhat important. Delivery got more and more sporadic through the 90s, to the point they would get an entire mailbox full of mail once a month. It wasn't a huge deal for them, they just changed the necessary addresses to their downstate home, and picked up the mail there. It *was* a big deal to their neighbors who lived there year round and were missing mailed bill deadlines. They complained, and delivery got more regular, but to this day there will be two or three week stretches with no mail delivery, then you get it all at once. Keep in mind, according to the local post office, they are on an official route and should be getting regular daily mail delivery.

**oladub** · August-13-20, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by jcole

We weren't on any route; we ALL had to purchase PO Boxes to get our mail. It was required. If you pushed the issue, they wouldn't make you, but then you had to stand in line while they got it for you. We actually had to PAY to pick up our own mail. I was so thrilled to get mail delivered to my current home, like I had in Detroit before my parents moved me to Almont.

How close did you live to the Post Office? The neighboring small towns near where I used to live had some sort of rule of not delivering mail to residences if they were within a certain distance of the the Post Office. It's like school bus routes in some places. If one lives close to the school, they have to walk to school.

**jcole** · August-13-20, 09:59 AM

About 3/4 mile, but no other incorporated village near us had to do this. And we asked countless times and they never gave that excuse, although it makes the most sense of any excuse we got. But, that said, why could they deliver to subdivision that was closer than we were to the PO? No answer, but it WAS irritating, especially since parking near the PO was ridiculous

Originally Posted by oladub

How close did you live to the Post Office? The neighboring small towns near where I used to live had some sort of rule of not delivering mail to residences if they were within a certain distance of the the Post Office. It's like school bus routes in some places. If one lives close to the school, they have to walk to school.

**Honky Tonk** · August-13-20, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by jcole

About 3/4 mile, but no other incorporated village near us had to do this. And we asked countless times and they never gave that excuse, although it makes the most sense of any excuse we got. But, that said, why could they deliver to subdivision that was closer than we were to the PO? No answer, but it WAS irritating, especially since parking near the PO was ridiculous

The answer is "but we've always done it this way". That's why someone needs to be put in charge who can revamp the system into a functioning one for this century. Otherwise you're just pissing money away propping up a fallen shack.

**jcole** · August-13-20, 10:46 AM

Actually, I just asked my husband, who was on a crusade about this for years, and they did give him the "1 mile or more away" reason, but we were actually a mile and a quarter away from the PO. and the subdivision was 1/4 mile away. Then he gave the excuse of labor costs. Anyway, just sharing that for accuracy.

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

The answer is "but we've always done it this way". That's why someone needs to be put in charge who can revamp the system into a functioning one for this century. Otherwise you're just pissing money away propping up a fallen shack.

**Honky Tonk** · August-13-20, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by jcole

Actually, I just asked my husband, who was on a crusade about this for years, and they did give him the distance reason, but we were actually a mile and a quarter away from the PO. and the subdivision was 1/4 mile away. Then he gave the excuse of labor costs. Anyway, just sharing that for accuracy.

Thanx. I am not condoning the demise of the USPS, but I can't see throwing money at a dysfunctional system either. The brightest idea I've heard was the USPS trying to do something with money transfers / banking. Things have changed, and the USPS needs to change too.

**jcole** · August-13-20, 12:05 PM

I remember them as being better before they were removed as a government dept and became partly privatized in 1979, but we still had to pick up our mail before that, and pay for the privilege

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Thanx. I am not condoning the demise of the USPS, but I can't see throwing money at a dysfunctional system either. The brightest idea I've heard was the USPS trying to do something with money transfers / banking. Things have changed, and the USPS needs to change too.

**Bigdd** · August-13-20, 12:13 PM

Nothing that is government run can ever compete against the private sector. It will always have to be massively subsidized.

Add that to public sector unions,... and you have a black hole for our tax dollars.

If we turned the entire thing over to a private entity,... which would eliminate all prior contracts, union agreements, pension obligations etc,.. then I bet it could run smoothly and even turn a profit.

Unlike the private sector,... gov't employees have no incentive to innovate. It's not like they're going to share in the extra profits.

**Dan Wesson** · August-13-20, 12:17 PM

Haven't noticed any change up north here. Not yet...

**jcole** · August-13-20, 12:23 PM

And then we end up with another UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc, etc, etc.

Originally Posted by Bigdd

Nothing that is government run can ever compete against the private sector. It will always have to be massively subsidized.

Add that to public sector unions,... and you have a black hole for our tax dollars.

If we turned the entire thing over to a private entity,... which would eliminate all prior contracts, union agreements, pension obligations etc,.. then I bet it could run smoothly and even turn a profit.

Unlike the private sector,... gov't employees have no incentive to innovate. It's not like they're going to share in the extra profits.

**Ray1936** · August-13-20, 12:50 PM

What the PO really needs to do is to jack up the price of junk mail, which is 95% of what is in my daily box. Give them a few cents off the first class rate, but that's bundles more from what they're paying now. Problem solved.

**Honky Tonk** · August-13-20, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

What the PO really needs to do is to jack up the price of junk mail, which is 95% of what is in my daily box. Give them a few cents off the first class rate, but that's bundles more from what they're paying now. Problem solved.

Good call! I nominate Ray1936 to be jcole's assistance.

**Honky Tonk** · August-13-20, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

And then we end up with another UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc, etc, etc.

And? If people want their stuff in 3 hours, let them pay for it. Jeff Bezos isn't asking for propping up.

**aj3647** · August-13-20, 01:53 PM

Trump finally admits what everyone already knew: he opposes increased funding for the USPS because of mail-in voting.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/13/polit...ion/index.html

"They want three and a half billion dollars for something that'll turn out to be fraudulent, that's election money basically. They want three and a half billion dollars for the mail-in votes. Universal mail-in ballots. They want $25 billion, billion, for the Post Office. Now they need that money in order to make the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots," Trump said, repeating his false claims that mail-in voting would be "fraudulent."

"But if they don't get those two items that means you can't have universal mail-in voting because you they're not equipped to have it," Trump added.

At least he finally admits that he's politicizing our nation's mail delivery for his own selfish electoral gain.

**Honky Tonk** · August-13-20, 02:02 PM

I had an old Motown 45 that did that. Click-click, click-click, click-click, click-click...

**jiminnm** · August-13-20, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

We weren't on any route; we ALL had to purchase PO Boxes to get our mail. It was required. If you pushed the issue, they wouldn't make you, but then you had to stand in line while they got it for you. We actually had to PAY to pick up our own mail. I was so thrilled to get mail delivered to my current home, like I had in Detroit before my parents moved me to Almont.

I live in a community with no home delivery of mail. Our house is about 1/4 mile from our cluster mailbox. Packages are delivered to the cluster parcel boxes. If a package is bigger than a box, you get a card and have to go to the post office to pick up. Also, the carriers here are contractors, not employees.

Other areas near here have clusters of rural mailboxes along the highway and, in some of the more remote areas, you have to rent a p.o. box if you want your mail. For many years we had another house in a small mountain community. There was no delivery of mail there. You had to have a p.o. box. I never asked about mail pick up as you mentioned.

**jcole** · August-13-20, 06:06 PM

But this was on Van Dyke Rd just north of the Macomb County line.

Originally Posted by jiminnm

I live in a community with no home delivery of mail. Our house is about 1/4 mile from our cluster mailbox. Packages are delivered to the cluster parcel boxes. If a package is bigger than a box, you get a card and have to go to the post office to pick up. Also, the carriers here are contractors, not employees.

Other areas near here have clusters of rural mailboxes along the highway and, in some of the more remote areas, you have to rent a p.o. box if you want your mail. For many years we had another house in a small mountain community. There was no delivery of mail there. You had to have a p.o. box. I never asked about mail pick up as you mentioned.