Please, Mister Postman

The Crestline post office has been under a lot of stress of late, especially last Christmastime, what with being understaffed and the long lines. However, the crew has grown and is now doing a remarkable job of getting letters delivered in a timely manner.

“Neither snow nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” (U.S. Post Office official motto – 1914)

There are some problems with the entire postal system, however, with long delivery times. For example, it took two weeks for a letter from Oceanside to be delivered and another two weeks for the California Franchise Tax Board to receive my 2020 tax year paperwork, and I’m still waiting for my refund.

“Mister postman, look and see, oh yeah, is there a letter in your bag for me? Please, please mister postman, deliver the letter, the sooner the better. Mister postman, I’ve been waiting a long, long time, oh yeah, since I heard from that girl of mine. There must be some word someday from my girlfriend so far away.” (“Please Mister Postman” – The Marvelettes – 1961)

No faraway girlfriends for me, just the one I’m married to.

The problems began when the previous administration’s postmaster general started closing down post offices across the country and purposely slowed down delivery times in an effort to trim their out-of-control budget deficit. However, the new administration’s postmaster general is struggling with the same problems and recently announced that there will soon be yet another increase in postage fees in order to keep the system afloat in the coming years.

Another thing that needs fixing is the banishment of so-called “junk mail.” The post office objects to that pejorative term, preferring instead, “direct mail.”

For sure, the post office profits from direct mail, but the problem is that 90 percent of it typically ends up in the trash bin at the post office or at your home. Our federal legislators are considering the creation of a law to ban direct mail. It seems that all this waste is bad for the environment, in that it puts more carbon into the atmosphere due to the exhaust fumes from the vehicles transporting it to the dump and landfills, not to mention cutting down all the trees to make the wasted paper.

The proposed new law would reportedly reduce mail service to Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, which would also reduce the number of vehicles driven to and from post offices and postal service outdoor mail drop boxes, further reducing carbon emissions.

It’s enough to bring tears to your eyes, from the smog created by all these harmful emissions.

“So many days you passed me by, see the tear standing in my eye. You didn’t stop to make me feel better by leaving a card or a letter. Please mister postman, look and see if there’s a letter for me.”

Keep it flyin’ Uncle Mott