closing offices
hardware store
not a secure location
post offices
relocating mail bloxes
united states postal service
What do you think will happen when they combine and/or close down post offices?
By writersedge
@writersedge (22563)
United States
November 29, 2011 9:25am CST
They have already closed down one in our area and they're threatening to close down another. One has relocated all the mailboxes to a hardware store. When the mail comes in, the hardware store takes care of it. You go to the hardware store to get your mail. Another is looking for a place for the mail to go instead of the current location.
Has anything happened concerning closing post offices where you are? Do you think that a hardware store would be a very secure place for your mail? Is there talk of closing here you are? Has a post office closed in your area? Are people fighting to keep any open? what is the current status of your post office? Our local one is still hanging on. If we get to keep ours, it will be because of the Canadians who come down across the Border to use ours.
1 person likes this
6 responses
@celticeagle (166050)
• Boise, Idaho
30 Nov 11
People will start doing more online. I have seen where they are giving people good deals on home kits and business ones too. They closed down our annex one nearby. It is sad to see things going by the wayside like this. Things were sure different when I was young. Ofcourse postage was 5cents then too.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
30 Nov 11
Writer is correct celtic, though I am blessed to have a computer, I have no car. Of course my husband could pick up packages, but if it is a package for him, that would blow the surprise, plus it would be "another" errand he'd complain about having to do...
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
30 Nov 11
But people who have no cars because they can't afford them, have no computer because they can't afford them, have no computer service because they can't afford them, what are they supposed to do? They count on the mail coming to them or at least being able to walk to a post office. If the post office is 10 to 20 miles away in another town, they can't walk to it. My brother and his girlfriend can't walk to the next town, can't afford a computer, and even if someone gave them one, can't afford the service to keep it going. There are people who can't afford tv sets where I live and some people still have outhouses. Some people have no connection to the grid. Our area and several states have Amish.
Do more with computer? They're forgetting entire groups of people can't do that.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166050)
• Boise, Idaho
1 Dec 11
The postal company doesn't care about these people. It is sad. Not much we can do about it.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
29 Nov 11
What? Why is that happening? I don't think our post office is in danger of closing, but I wonder why something so necessary is having problems? I mean even though we live in a electronic age, we still need our online purchases sent to us..
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
29 Nov 11
You haven't heard? It's been in our newspaper for 2 years now. Why? United States Postal Service is millions of dollars in debt. That's even been on tv and radio news recently. Congress has no intention of "baling them out." The one that's relocated to the hardware store was closed last year.
How would you get packages? UPS, Fed-ex, etc. Small stuff can still go in envelopes. Small stuff can probably still go to the relocated boxes at the hardware store. Large stuff will have to go by the other.
They're supposed to get rid of at least half of the post offices as soon as they can. I'm not sure how people like my brother and his girlfriend who can't afford a computer and can't afford computer service even if they were given one are supposed to pay bills, etc.
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
29 Nov 11
No I haven't, I usually only get news online and I admit, I rarely even read what is going on, I guess that is bad huh???
You also made a good point, not everyone has a computer as much as some think they do. That really stinks...
You also made a good point, not everyone has a computer as much as some think they do. That really stinks...@writersedge (22563)
• United States
29 Nov 11
I would be concerned about what other news you're missing. I hope nothing too important.
Yes, lots of poor and elderly can not afford computers or the monthly service fees.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63569)
• United States
30 Nov 11
http://impactnews.com/northwest-austin/123-history/9473-mcneil-post-office
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/time-may-finally-overrun-tiny-1888-post-office-761232.html
its a cute little building, but its like in the middle of not much - don't know what's happened lately
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
30 Nov 11
They have been tossing the idea back and forth here of shutting down Saturdays. Nothing has happened yet..but it's coming I'm sure. They have also mentioned just running the post office a couple of days a week.
There is a hardware store here where you can pay a phone bill if you are with a certain provider. I can't imagine it being a place to go get the mail though.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
1 Dec 11
We have places where we can pay phone bills, too. One is a furniture store. We can also pay our electric bill there.
I thought the Saturday shut down would go through before shutting down small post offices, but one was shut down last year and they want to shut one down this year. Starting with shutting down Saturday first would make more sense to me.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
24 Mar 12
Very good point. I know people who wait with their cars beside the road for the mail carrier and then leave. It would probably cut down on the cost of gas and fuel, too.
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
29 Nov 11
I think they would still be around for 10 to 20 more years in a third world country at least, despite all the tech developments we have seen in the last 2 decades, think they would still be around cause they offer cheaper option and I'm not so sure if some governments would be willing to let them go if they are still making some sort of an income, oh yes, I think they will be gone if they fail to bring revenue or if cost out weigh gain
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
29 Nov 11
We're in big trouble in the USA. Our postal service is millions of dollars in debt. Glad yours will be around for a long time, but ours will be doing different things like combining in order to keep going. But we don't know for how long. Thanks and take care.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
29 Nov 11
Thanks. I think we need prayers.
I'm sorry that stealing and theft are such a problem there. We have it once in a great while. But they usually get caught and go to federal prison, so not many do it and there is usually something mentally wrong with the person.
Thanks for all the responses and take care.
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
29 Nov 11
The problem with ours has more got to do with pilferage and theft , postal workers standards of pay I think is much lower here than there so they would still have a sort of allowance to make profit in case a down turn like what hit us on 2008 occurs. America is very innovative and I always pray that our brother and ally make it through these difficult times, yes take care too
, postal workers standards of pay I think is much lower here than there so they would still have a sort of allowance to make profit in case a down turn like what hit us on 2008 occurs. America is very innovative and I always pray that our brother and ally make it through these difficult times, yes take care too @MI81085 (11)
• United States
30 Nov 11
As of right now, all of the post offices in my hometown are still open. So far, I haven't heard about any of them being shut down no time soon. One of the post offices opens at 11:00AM instead of 8:00AM, and it looks like there were some cut backs as well. Personally, I wouldn't not want to pick up my mail at a hardware store. Sometimes, I have very important letters and packages coming to me and I would be very afraid that someone might steal something. I know a lot of people might not want or can't get P.O. Boxes, but a P.O. box seems more safe than having it sent a hardware store.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
1 Dec 11
I think the hardware store might have set up P. O. Boxes, I'm not really sure how it's set up. But the hardware store situation has been for a year in one town now. Fewer hours makes more sense to me.
I would worry about anywhere being as secure as the US postal service. It's interesting that they cut hours where you are. They keep talking about cutting Saturdays out. I thought they would do that before getting rid of entire post offices. We just had two new ones built in the last two years.
