Can someone explain the Postal Service to me?

Seriously. I live in a suburb of St Louis MO. I sent a package to Brent of Brent's Christian Rock and Metal who lives in Jefferson City MO - a two hour drive.

I just checked the tracking to see if it had arrived yet and the history went like this: Where I live to Des Moines IA, Des Moines to Kansas City KS, KCK to Columbia MO, Columbia to Jefferson City. I shipped it Monday - it should arrive today.

But seriously, why didn't the package go straight there?

I also checked something I ordered on Discogs. It went from Seattle WA to San Antonio TX. What?!??!?!?!!

No idea. When I ship something out west it goes to Jacksonville in the complete opposite direction. Then leaves Jacksonville and goes somewhere else. No idea why they ship stuff in the opposite direction.

The packages usually go to the regional building for sorting  first, then they are distributed to the local post offices to be sent out for delivery.

Crazy isn't it ?  How about this one: I ordered a little cheap battery charger from ebay, the postman delivered the bag... empty ! Scanned it as delivered and everything. I took it to the post office and they said he was supposed to put a sticker on it that said it came that way or something.

You guys are talking about a branch of the government....and trying to use logic to explain the workings.  Easier to try and nail jello to the wall.

True Staybrite.

One time about two years ago a buddy sent me 6 cd's. On the package it said "Fragile - 6 CD's enclosed."

When I opened the package, it had obviously ripped open, been taped back up and then pushed on down the line. With only 3 of the cd's...

The postal system here isn't ran with any real efficiency at all.  They've been operating in the red for many years.  Even when they do a rate increase, they always state that the increase will still have them hemorrhaging money.  I don't mind a needed rate increase.  I am always boggled that they don't bring in outside efficiency experts to streamline the process and streamline.  Here's a better thought--turn them loose from being a government agency and force them to compete with FedEx and UPS.  I bet they'd learn how to turn a profit if forced to stand on their own legs instead of being propped up by Congress.

alldatndensum wrote:

....  I am always boggled that they don't bring in outside efficiency experts to streamline the process and streamline.  Here's a better thought--turn them loose from being a government agency and force them to compete with FedEx and UPS.  I bet they'd learn how to turn a profit if forced to stand on their own legs instead of being propped up by Congress.

BINGO!!!!

The most inefficient shipping I've ever seen is when I ordered a watch from Amazon a number of years ago and chose the cheap shipping (I don't know if they offered Prime back then, but I didn't have it at the time either way). It went via FedEx SmartPost - FedEx picks it up, does whatever they do with it and drops it off with the postal service for final delivery. The item I ordered took a week to arrive from Amazon's warehouse 30 minutes away and went 2 hours out of its way in the process (Hebron, KY -> Grove City, OH -> main post office -> branch post office -> my house; and I live north of both the main and the branch offices). I complained and got my shipping refunded. I still laugh that FedEx's website calls the service "efficient" when everything I've read about it suggests otherwise.

Staybrite wrote:

alldatndensum wrote:

....  I am always boggled that they don't bring in outside efficiency experts to streamline the process and streamline.  Here's a better thought--turn them loose from being a government agency and force them to compete with FedEx and UPS.  I bet they'd learn how to turn a profit if forced to stand on their own legs instead of being propped up by Congress.

BINGO!!!!

I don't know that they could compete well against FedEx and UPS because of the mandate that they charge the same rates everywhere.  Live in NYC?  That's a 49¢ stamp please. Live in Monowi, NE or Adak, AK? Still 49¢. That's a great policy for a government service, since all citizens should be treated the same, but hard for a market-driven company to do.

Staybrite wrote:

You guys are talking about a branch of the government....and trying to use logic to explain the workings.  Easier to try and nail jello to the wall.

You mean like this?

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

You guys are talking about a branch of the government....and trying to use logic to explain the workings.  Easier to try and nail jello to the wall.

You mean like this?

That jello was obviously not made to the package directions.....and likely isn't jello at all.  Try it at home...I dare ya!

Or it was nailed while on the ground and stood up.

Xid wrote:

Or it was nailed while on the ground and stood up.

 Very possible...I still doubt standard jello would hold up under it's own weight in that scenario.

The British service seems pretty efficient, though:

https://www.topgear.com/videos/top-gear-tv/porsche-panamera-vs-letter-part-14-series-13-episode-4

No, I'm afraid I can't.

Driven wrote:

The British service seems pretty efficient, though:

https://www.topgear.com/videos/top-gear-tv/porsche-panamera-vs-letter-part-14-series-13-episode-4

That was fun to watch ! Thanks !