Residential Mail - Do You Need Saturday Delivery?

[dcyrilc]

I actually mailed one check last year.



That's a fact!! And last year, I gave a hundred dollars to one via credit card and they charged the credit card a hundred twice.

That's so that they can actually afford to give a hundred to the charity, the other hundred was to cover operating expenses. Without the second hundred, they wouldn't have anything left for the charity.

 

[Bird]

That's so that they can actually afford to give a hundred to the charity, the other hundred was to cover operating expenses. Without the second hundred, they wouldn't have anything left for the charity.

Cyril, if it were one of the fund raising companies, it would be more like 10% going to the actual charity, but this was direct to one of the two biggest charities in the country, and they did send me a letter of apology when I called them on it.

It really gripes me when I get a call wanting donations to some police association, sheriffs association, state troopers, and such because I know they're giving that group about 10% to use their name. So I keep the caller on the line as long as possible, asking lots of questions so they don't have as much time to call other people. I don't like the fact that those groups allow their name to be used, but I'm sure not going to send them any money.

 

[Stargazer]

Bird: agree about LEO calls. When I get one I just ask who they represent and mention I work for our states public safety group. Normally a quick click results.

 

[jinman]

Well, this could sound political, but it is not. It seems to me that the USPS and the US Census are joined at the hip. Earlier this year I got a letter from the US Census saying that I would soon receive my official census form. DUH! What possible good did that letter do except cost money? Then, one day a census taker drove up to my house and presented me with my official census. I told him I was expecting it in the mail because of the letter. He told me to read the letter closely and I would see that it said I would soon "receive" a census form, not that it would be "mailed" to me. Sure enough, he was right.

So, I filled out the census form and sent it back; tossed all the extra paper and the offer of employment. Last week I go to the mailbox and there is a postcard from the US Census. I figured it would be some kind of confirmation of receipt, but NO! It was telling me how returning the census was my obligation and blah, blah, blah. . . and oh by the way, if you have already returned your census form, thank you. Sheesh! How much more money are they gonna waste?

 

[mjarrels]

Jim, I got the same thing... I refuse to answer the census until 1 April 2010. I can't answer the first question until then? Will I still be alive in another 5 days? Wife or daughter? I don't have a crystal ball!

mark

 

[MossRoad]

Well, this could sound political, but it is not. It seems to me that the USPS and the US Census are joined at the hip. Earlier this year I got a letter from the US Census saying that I would soon receive my official census form. DUH! What possible good did that letter do except cost money? Then, one day a census taker drove up to my house and presented me with my official census. I told him I was expecting it in the mail because of the letter. He told me to read the letter closely and I would see that it said I would soon "receive" a census form, not that it would be "mailed" to me. Sure enough, he was right.

So, I filled out the census form and sent it back; tossed all the extra paper and the offer of employment. Last week I go to the mailbox and there is a postcard from the US Census. I figured it would be some kind of confirmation of receipt, but NO! It was telling me how returning the census was my obligation and blah, blah, blah. . . and oh by the way, if you have already returned your census form, thank you. Sheesh! How much more money are they gonna waste?

Ha! My wife filled out the census form while we were eating lunch in a park the other day. It took her all of 4-5 minutes. There were only 10 questions. Today on the morning news they announce that there are "Help Centers" being set up for people that are confounded by the confusing wording of the census form.... HUH??? Man, this country is doomed if you cannot fill out a form that asks, name, birthday, address, do you own, mortgage or rent your house, are you Hispanic, what race specifically are you and how many people live in your house. :mur:

rant = off

There, I feel better now. :laughing:

 

[jinman]

Ha! My wife filled out the census form while we were eating lunch in a park the other day. It took her all of 4-5 minutes. There were only 10 questions. Today on the morning news they announce that there are "Help Centers" being set up for people that are confounded by the confusing wording of the census form.... HUH??? Man, this country is doomed if you cannot fill out a form that asks, name, birthday, address, do you own, mortgage or rent your house, are you Hispanic, what race specifically are you and how many people live in your house. :mur:

rant = off

There, I feel better now. :laughing:

I gotta know. . .are you "person 1" or "person 2"? 3? 4?

 

[MossRoad]

I gotta know. . .are you "person 1" or "person 2"? 3? 4?

I don't know. I was stuffing my face with a McChicken sandwich from the dollar menu! She may have put me down as her oldest child! :laughing:

 

[955er]

I could live without Saturday mail delivery although this would make it 3 days in a row without mail on all those weeks with Mondays that they are closed.

But would the mailmen who are used to getting 40 hours pay plus 8 hours of time and a half overtime on Saturdays agree to a 23% pay cut? Or would their pay just be increased to compensate them for not working Saturdays which would save us nothing?

The 2 closest post offices to my house are 3 miles and 8 miles away in small towns and are closed on Saturdays. If I need the services of a post office on Saturday I must drive a 22 mile round trip and wait in line at least a half hour because only one of the 4 registers in the post office is open and then only until noon.

That said, I still think that the USPS is the greatest mail delivery system in the world.

Most carriers work 5 day weeks and take Sunday and one weekday off. These shifts are covered by "floaters", full-time mail carriers that work a different route everyday. If the USPS got rid of Saturday delivery, all carriers would work Monday-Friday, eliminating the need for these floaters. That accounts for nearly 20% of all carriers. The postal union fights that every time it comes up, and with good reason.

 

[MikePA]

For what it's worth, I watched an interview with the head guy of the census. He was asked the same question re: (1) A postcard telling you the census was coming, (2) The census itself, (3) A reminder to fill it in, etc. Just like a mass marketer, he said (paraphrasing) a 1% increase in people returning the form would reduce the number of visits enough to pay for the cost of the mailing.

Like Mossroad said, it takes minutes to fill in and if someone needs help to do it they shouldn't be counted. :laughing: