Jerry Lane
A few weeks ago, I read a notice in the newspaper that the U.S. Postal
Service was about to raise postal rates again. The article didn't
indicate the amount of the increase -- just that an increase was coming.
It made me laugh, because it reminded me that a well-known California
tourist attraction just did the same thing -- making up for lost revenue
by raising prices.
How is this increase going to influence me? The only time I use snail
mail now is to pay some of the monthly utility bills that have an office
out of the area. I don't ship packages from the post office any more.
It's easier to drop them off at the UPS pickup across from Ralphs.
There's no waiting, and I get a shipping number that I can track on the
Internet to learn when my package is delivered.
All of my family members have entered the 21st century. It's easier
and faster to send e-mails back and forth than to wait for letters to
cross the country. When I have to contact business offices, a letter
faxed from my computer does the job in a matter of minutes. Technology
is wonderful!
Best of all, I don't have to put up with the aggravation that I have
experienced with the U.S. Postal Service over the years.
Shortly after the first of the year, I got a parking ticket in Los
Angeles. I didn't even think of trying to fight it. I wrote a check, made
a copy of the ticket and mailed it all by certified mail from the
Montrose Post Office -- return receipt requested, for a grand total of
$3.75. I was very concerned about the receipt, because ignoring tickets
can get you into a lot of trouble, and I wanted proof that I had paid my
fine to avoid any future problems.
Three days after mailing the check, I checked with my bank. The check
had cleared, but I received no return receipt from the post office. I
waited two weeks, and then I wrote a short letter to the post master at
the Montrose office and at the receiving office. I waited two more weeks,
but received no answers. So, I went to the Montrose Post Office to
inquire. Yes, my complaint letter had been received, but the complaint
was not written on an official post office form, which he gave me after
affixing his official stamp.
I took the form home and filled it out carefully dotting each I and
crossing each T. When I took it back to the post office, the official I
handed it to asked where I got the form. He said it was for official use
only. I couldn't tell him his boss gave it to me. He was irritated. He
