I'm posting my response to the 'USPS despises local D&D enthusiast; Satanist?' in a new thread in the hope of reaching a larger portion of the D&D community. Don't stand for demonizing Gamers or Letter Carriers.
Well,
first off I'm a letter carrier and have been for several years. I also have played D&D since Keep on the Borderlands.
I have posted as a letter carrier on these boards before and will again in the future.
I won't defend your letter carrier. In fact I suggust you phone her supervisor to complain. Then watch to see if the service improves or in the rare instance she retaliates and deliberately mangles your mail, then that is grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal. You will have to document your allegations and any fraud on your part would mean criminal prosecution.
OK on to the rest of the complaints about the postal system.
1) Boorish behavior is unseemly and wrong, but it's hard to change.
2) A postal carrier is a delivery vehicle and is allowed if delivering the mail to park in restricted space such as in yellow tow away zones, etc. We are noy allowed to drive in an erratic or hazardous fashion. Doin so is subject to discipline. The case mentioned on a carrier parking for his/her break in an restricted spot is unclear to me. It may be allowed but courtesy would deem it inprudent.
3) Folded magazines are not cool. Let me first mention one possible culprit - the too small apartment mail box. As letter carriers we are obligated to attempt delivery of all first and second class mail we recieve every day. We deliver to mail boxes in apartments made of brass which are too small for the size and volume of todays mail, but because we initiated delivery to that mail box, we are not allowed to cease delivery. In other words an apartments small boxes are the fault of the apartment owner and we are required to attempt delivery.
4) The postal system has undergone a series of reforms both within and dictated by congress. In the late 70's the USPS was mandated to become financially self suffient. It is today. In fact the federal government tried to take money from the post office to cover the pension obligations of veterans employed by the USPS for time served in our military. That financial burden was reversed by the act just passed by the Congress and signed into law in 2006. Note the President added a signing statement to that act which would allow agents of the federal government to open mail without a warrant. This is something which goes against the Postal Code.
Anyway those are some thoughts. Just remember what goes around, comes around. Nobody is perfect, myself included.
Take care,
Postal Carrier Matt W.
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I applaud your effort to defend yourself and your fellow mailmen from all-inclusive disparaging. I think a great many people in this country do not really like the postal service. I think many of them might see it as yet another bloated facet of our ever-growing government. They might also see that, although postal prices rise periodically, the services provided either stay at the same level, or deteriorate.
As always there are two sides to the story, and the truth somewhere in between.
I'd like to comment on the 'Aparment Box' problem. My apartment complex uses those freestanding, postal sanctioned communial mailboxes. You know, the big steel ones with 16 individual mailboxes that are each about 5"x5". Obviously, a magazine does not fit without being folded. However, I am fortunate to have a gentle letter carrier: While I do not get the courtesy of the bigger parcel box, my magazine is never crammed or creased, only folded in half so that is sits atop my other mail. And it always goes back to laying flat after I lay it out on the table for reading.
Also, I'd like to thank everyone at the postal service for ignoring Bush's signing statement. That's all I'll say on the matter, as I don't want to threadjack this into another 'Say what' thread.
I'm grateful for the issues of Dungeon and Dragon that come with maps or extras, because of the plastic baggy. During the rainy months, my magazines sometimes arrive with the corners wet and tattered. Postman Pat would never have been so careless with the letters in his bright, red van.
I'd like to add my voice to those singing the praises of the USPS. My most recent example of excellent service has little to do with D&D, but is note worthy. My fiancee and I applied for passports recently, and took some pains to make sure all of our forms and documentation were in order prior to arriving at the post office. We did have an appointment, but the post office was clearly understaffed, and the line extended well outside the lobby.
We ducked into the main lobby just to get a feel for things, and one of the officials noticed our apps and called us over to verify we had an appointment. Four minutes later, all forms were complete, fee payments were made and we were on our way.
I have been in somewhat similar situations at other government offices and some private companies where the existence of an appointment was a moot point if there were staffing concerns, and given the high profile trouble with passports (we've applied some 6 months in advance), was glad to see that was not the case, in this instance.