Breaking - Saturday first class mail will be history come August 1st

[malaise]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

[xchrom]

1. ...

[GeorgeGist]

2. trash

[Buzz Clik]

3. What? No crappy catalogs?

Bogus loan checks? Unsolicited credit cards?

Gonna really miss the US mail when it finally goes belly up.

not

[DefenseLawyer]

8. Right. That's all the postal service does.

I'm not sure if you are really clueless or just being snarky, but I would rather not live in your libertarian paradise.

[Buzz Clik]

10. The USPS makes by far most of its money from mass mailings:

All the kinds of junk we don't want that I listed above. Our costs for using the USPS continue to ramp up, and they continue to give us less and less. Yes, they employ a lot of people, and some post offices actually run with something the vaguely resembles efficiency.

Maybe the USPS gives you something of value that you treasure and cannot live without, but not me. Paper is nearly extinct in my personal life, and when paper is archaic, the USPS is history.

[AndyA]

4. I understand why the USPS is in financial trouble, but I don't understand

how cutting back is going to do anything but make things worse in the long run.

People have been using the USPS less, because other ways are faster/more convenient/whatever. So, how is making the USPS slower and less convenient going to help?

The USPS is considering closing a sorting facility where I live, which means overnight delivery in town of first class mail will end. It will now take two days. This does not encourage people to use the USPS, it encourages them to find a way to NOT use them. One day does make a difference, especially for those living paycheck to paycheck and needing to wait until the last minute to pay bills.

It seems to me the USPS should consider expanding its services to increase revenue. How about twice a day delivery for business and residential? They used to do that, and I'll bet there are those who would be willing to pay extra for it. They could bill the recipient for the service, a flat monthly fee.

I know that the USPS is limited by Congress, but I've never been able to understand how cutting back to cut costs is going to do anything but make it worse down the road. Seems the USPS needs to get more competitive instead of less.

[malaise]

5. But it all makes sense if your plan is to privatize it to you

and your cronies.

[Ron Obvious]

6. I wish I could opt out of snail mail altogether...

Frankly, I wish I could opt out of snail mail altogether. Although we live in a house, all we get is a small apartment-sized letterbox which is crammed with unwanted crap day after day. If I fail to empty it even one day, it gets taken back to the post office and all further mail is held until I go over there and spend half an hour (at least) in line to pick it up. If I don't do that it all gets returned to sender. It's a massive PITA as I travel a lot.

Oh, and I haven't mentioned all the important mail that never arrives or is delivered to the wrong address. That NEVER happened a few years ago.

I've taken to leaving my junk mail at the counter when I pick it up, but I don't think they like that much.

In some countries, like Holland, you can put a sticker on your mailslot saying you don't want any junk mail or advertising circulars and it works! The sticker below says "NO to advertising circulars and bulk mail". There are also "YES" stickers for those who like that sort of thing.

[spanone]

7. k&r...

[riverbendviewgal]

11. it will be okay

Canada stopped delivery on Saturday for years and we are okay. The PO is open until noon.