I just got informed by my employer that I am not allowed to send my stamped, "personal mail" through the employer's mail system. (Who knew?)
So I went online at USPS.gov to find information about where to find a mail box. Nope.
So I called 1-800-ASK-USPS, and after finally negotiating the customer service-thwarting telephone tree, and the phone was answered by someone who seemed put out that I was actually calling the toll-free line to, well, "ask USPS."
Anyway, she asked me for my zip code after I told her what I wanted. I was concerned because, of course, my zip code must cover---what?---200 square miles at least. She then appeared to pick one location of a box apparently at random, and then rattled off one location whose street I had never even heard of. It was likely in the furthest reaches of the most remote location of that zip code, but it went completely beyond the intellectual at USPS on the other end of the phone that this box location would exactly the closest box to me.
I asked her if that was the only one box in the entire zip code. She gave me that "well, sir, obviously there are many more" tone in saying that there were more. Of course, I could have given her my location, but she was probably located in Podunk, Iowa and didn't know my local geography (not sure if she knew hers either). After all she asked me for my zip code.
So I said, "Hey look, that list you are reading from showing the location of mail collection boxes would reasonably be available on the Internet, right?"
She puts me on hold for about 20 seconds.
She gets back on the phone, "No sir, that information is not available." (probably not the exact quote) saying it in a tone that suggests "No sir, that information is not given to people who could be terrorists like yourself."
I mutter something about how useful it would be for the USPS to provide online its database on the location of mail collection boxes.
She says in response something that was inaudible---I know she's an American (I'd rather not say how I know because I am sure to be called a racist), but unuciating her words well is clearly not her highest priority in her day or week or month---and I answer back, "Did you say I would have to go to the local post office to learn the location of the closest mail collection box?" I hear another utterance---I kid you not---that I eventually interpret as being in the affirmative, and so I say "Thank you" (although I know not what for) and hang up.
If any of you actually know that USPS mail collection box information can be found on a web document, I too would appreciate knowing.
And if any of you are aware why the USPS would actually not want to publish this information on the web, telling me the reason would take away my bewilderment about that.
> I just got informed by my employer that I am not allowed to send my > stamped, "personal mail" through the employer's mail system. (Who knew?)
> So I went online at USPS.gov to find information about where to find a > mail box. Nope.
> So I called 1-800-ASK-USPS, and after finally negotiating the customer > service-thwarting telephone tree, and the phone was answered by someone > who seemed put out that I was actually calling the toll-free line to, > well, "ask USPS."
> Anyway, she asked me for my zip code after I told her what I wanted. I > was concerned because, of course, my zip code must cover---what?---200 > square miles at least. She then appeared to pick one location of a box > apparently at random, and then rattled off one location whose street I had > never even heard of. It was likely in the furthest reaches of the most > remote location of that zip code, but it went completely beyond the > intellectual at USPS on the other end of the phone that this box location > would exactly the closest box to me.
> I asked her if that was the only one box in the entire zip code. She gave > me that "well, sir, obviously there are many more" tone in saying that > there were more. Of course, I could have given her my location, but she > was probably located in Podunk, Iowa and didn't know my local geography > (not sure if she knew hers either). After all she asked me for my zip > code.
> So I said, "Hey look, that list you are reading from showing the location > of mail collection boxes would reasonably be available on the Internet, > right?"
> She puts me on hold for about 20 seconds.
> She gets back on the phone, "No sir, that information is not available." > (probably not the exact quote) saying it in a tone that suggests "No sir, > that information is not given to people who could be terrorists like > yourself."
> I mutter something about how useful it would be for the USPS to provide > online its database on the location of mail collection boxes.
> She says in response something that was inaudible---I know she's an > American (I'd rather not say how I know because I am sure to be called a > racist), but unuciating her words well is clearly not her highest priority > in her day or week or month---and I answer back, "Did you say I would have > to go to the local post office to learn the location of the closest mail > collection box?" I hear another utterance---I kid you not---that I > eventually interpret as being in the affirmative, and so I say "Thankwi > you" (although I know not what for) and hang up.
> If any of you actually know that USPS mail collection box information can > be found on a web document, I too would appreciate knowing.
> And if any of you are aware why the USPS would actually not want to > publish this information on the web, telling me the reason would take away > my bewilderment about that.
Yahoo Search helped me find this info in about 20 seconds. I went to Yahoo search and typed in USPS Mailbox Locator. That gave me the following website: http://www.payphone-project.com/mailboxes/ I typed my zipcode into the search box, and it showed me a map with little flags at all the mailbox locations in my town. If you click on the flag for the locaton you want, it even tells you the scheduled pickup times.
> On Mar 27, 7:31 pm, Five By Five <5...@5x5.com> wrote: >> I just got informed by my employer that I am not allowed to send my >> stamped, "personal mail" through the employer's mail system. (Who >> knew? > )
>> So I went online at USPS.gov to find information about where to find >> a mail box. Nope.
>> So I called 1-800-ASK-USPS, and after finally negotiating the >> customer service-thwarting telephone tree, and the phone was answered >> by someone who seemed put out that I was actually calling the >> toll-free line to, well, "ask USPS."
>> Anyway, she asked me for my zip code after I told her what I wanted. >> I was concerned because, of course, my zip code must >> cover---what?---200 square miles at least. She then appeared to pick >> one location of a box apparently at random, and then rattled off one >> location whose street I had
>> never even heard of. It was likely in the furthest reaches of the >> most remote location of that zip code, but it went completely beyond >> the intellectual at USPS on the other end of the phone that this box >> location would exactly the closest box to me.
>> I asked her if that was the only one box in the entire zip code. She >> ga > ve >> me that "well, sir, obviously there are many more" tone in saying >> that there were more. Of course, I could have given her my location, >> but she
>> was probably located in Podunk, Iowa and didn't know my local >> geography (not sure if she knew hers either). After all she asked me >> for my zip code.
>> So I said, "Hey look, that list you are reading from showing the >> location of mail collection boxes would reasonably be available on >> the Internet, right?"
>> She puts me on hold for about 20 seconds.
>> She gets back on the phone, "No sir, that information is not >> available." (probably not the exact quote) saying it in a tone that >> suggests "No si > r, >> that information is not given to people who could be terrorists like >> yourself."
>> I mutter something about how useful it would be for the USPS to >> provide online its database on the location of mail collection boxes.
>> She says in response something that was inaudible---I know she's an >> American (I'd rather not say how I know because I am sure to be >> called a racist), but unuciating her words well is clearly not her >> highest priority
>> in her day or week or month---and I answer back, "Did you say I would >> have
>> to go to the local post office to learn the location of the closest >> mail collection box?" I hear another utterance---I kid you >> not---that I eventually interpret as being in the affirmative, and so >> I say "Thankwi you" (although I know not what for) and hang up.
>> If any of you actually know that USPS mail collection box information >> can be found on a web document, I too would appreciate knowing.
>> And if any of you are aware why the USPS would actually not want to >> publish this information on the web, telling me the reason would take >> away
>> my bewilderment about that.
> Yahoo Search helped me find this info in about 20 seconds. I went to > Yahoo search and typed in USPS Mailbox Locator. That gave me the > following website: > http://www.payphone-project.com/mailboxes/ I typed my zipcode into > the search box, and it showed me a map with little flags at all the > mailbox locations in my town. If you click on the flag for the > locaton you want, it even tells you the scheduled pickup times.
Thanks.
I guess it was my mistake believing that the service providing the mail collection boxes would actually provide the locations of those boxes, on the Internet or otherwise.
In article <Xns9A6EB314B32C55x5...@207.115.33.102>, Five By Five <5...@5x5.com> wrote:
> Thanks.
> I guess it was my mistake believing that the service providing the mail > collection boxes would actually provide the locations of those boxes, on > the Internet or otherwise.
My god. The whining doesn't stop even when they get what they want, does it?
Truly Stunned <vio...@thebridgeofsighs.sad> wrote in misc.consumers:
> In article <Xns9A6EB314B32C55x5...@207.115.33.102>, > Five By Five <5...@5x5.com> wrote:
>> Thanks.
>> I guess it was my mistake believing that the service providing the >> mail collection boxes would actually provide the locations of those >> boxes, on the Internet or otherwise.
> My god. The whining doesn't stop even when they get what they want, > does it?
You confuse whining with being facetious/sarcastic. (Tell me you aren't a university graduate? please!)
Now if that's what annoys you, then you are too easily annoyed.
Five By Five wrote: >>> I guess it was my mistake believing that the service providing the >>> mail collection boxes would actually provide the locations of those >>> boxes, on the Internet or otherwise.
>> My god. The whining doesn't stop even when they get what they want, >> does it?
> You confuse whining with being facetious/sarcastic. (Tell me you aren't a > university graduate? please!)
> Now if that's what annoys you, then you are too easily annoyed.
I wasn't annoyed by *you* not knowing where the mail box was. Didn't bother me a bit.
> they don't pick up mail at your house? they don't at mine, but > there's a box right > down the block. drive around a bit.
> did you give her your 5 digit or 9 digit zip? the nine digit one > pinpoints your block, > i think. should get you a closer box.
I gave her the 5-digit...she didn't ask for the 9-digit code nor an address. I think my request was out of the ordinary and she wasn't highly motivated to deal with out of the ordinary requests.
I also don't really mail from home. I mail from the workplace, a large university campus. A while back they had a collection box near the parking lot, but they did a lot of construction and the mailbox was removed as part of it, and never put there. There is a FedEx pick up box.
I got read a riot act from a departmental secretary who thought I should have been aware that the bag of the campus-to-USPS mailbag was ONLY for mail that was related to university business, and not for anyone at the university to mail bills or other "personal" things. I told her (1) the policy was not posted near the mail bag (2) I didn't know that and then I asked her where the nearest USPS box was and she said she didn't know and didn't care. She seemed more concerned about the high priority of her day, which was to scold someone at the university. Morale must be high in that department. And yes, I am being facetious. What a happy pleasant society we live in.
> Five By Five wrote: >>>> I guess it was my mistake believing that the service providing the >>>> mail collection boxes would actually provide the locations of those >>>> boxes, on the Internet or otherwise.
>>> My god. The whining doesn't stop even when they get what they want, >>> does it?
>> You confuse whining with being facetious/sarcastic. (Tell me you >> aren't a university graduate? please!)
>> Now if that's what annoys you, then you are too easily annoyed.
> I wasn't annoyed by *you* not knowing where the mail box was. Didn't > bother me a bit.
Can you explain to me why someone would go out of their way to respond to my post which they believed to be whining---it was not----and say, "lookee here! someone's whining!" and even get a response from another dare-I- say-loser who agreed with him?
I am continually amazed at how people scream out how unimportant something is but gave it enough importance to scream it out so.
Five By Five wrote: > "Mortimer Schnerd, RN" <mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com> wrote in > misc.consumers:
>> Five By Five wrote: >>>>> I guess it was my mistake believing that the service providing the >>>>> mail collection boxes would actually provide the locations of those >>>>> boxes, on the Internet or otherwise. >>>> My god. The whining doesn't stop even when they get what they want, >>>> does it? >>> You confuse whining with being facetious/sarcastic. (Tell me you >>> aren't a university graduate? please!)
>>> Now if that's what annoys you, then you are too easily annoyed.
>> I wasn't annoyed by *you* not knowing where the mail box was. Didn't >> bother me a bit.
> Can you explain to me why someone would go out of their way to respond to > my post which they believed to be whining---it was not----and say, "lookee > here! someone's whining!" and even get a response from another dare-I- > say-loser who agreed with him?
> I am continually amazed at how people scream out how unimportant something > is but gave it enough importance to scream it out so.
Ignoring the side threads here- original post shines a light on something that has displeased me for years- there are a LOT fewer drop boxes than there used to be, and they are not collected from nearly as often. Back in the stone age when I was young, in most towns, you could not walk 5 blocks in any direction without encountering a box. They even had cute little boxes mounted on telephone poles, for areas that had low volume. (probably collectors items by now). Now, I have to drive a mile to the nearest box, or all the way downtown if I miss a 1 pm pickup at that box. Crime rate in my neighborhood is pretty low and I have a rural box by the street, so I usually just put it in there and put the flag up. But note they only pick it up as a courtesy- they only HAVE to stop if they have a delivery.
On Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:00:57 GMT, Five By Five <5...@5x5.com> wrote:
>Can you explain to me why someone would go out of their way to respond to >my post which they believed to be whining---it was not----and say, "lookee >here! someone's whining!" and even get a response from another dare-I- >say-loser who agreed with him?
You posts in public, you takes your chances.
>I am continually amazed at how people scream out how unimportant something >is but gave it enough importance to scream it out so.
Kind of a pot/kettle/black situation, innit? -- Face your fears. Live your dreams.
> Five By Five wrote: >> "Mortimer Schnerd, RN" <mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com> wrote in >> misc.consumers: >>> Five By Five wrote: >>>>>> I guess it was my mistake believing that the service providing the >>>>>> mail collection boxes would actually provide the locations of those >>>>>> boxes, on the Internet or otherwise. >>>>> My god. The whining doesn't stop even when they get what they want, >>>>> does it? >>>> You confuse whining with being facetious/sarcastic. (Tell me you >>>> aren't a university graduate? please!)
>>>> Now if that's what annoys you, then you are too easily annoyed.
>>> I wasn't annoyed by *you* not knowing where the mail box was. Didn't >>> bother me a bit.
>> Can you explain to me why someone would go out of their way to respond to >> my post which they believed to be whining---it was not----and say, >> "lookee here! someone's whining!" and even get a response from another >> dare-I- >> say-loser who agreed with him?
>> I am continually amazed at how people scream out how unimportant >> something is but gave it enough importance to scream it out so. > Ignoring the side threads here- original post shines a light on something > that has displeased me for years- there are a LOT fewer drop boxes than > there used to be, and they are not collected from nearly as often. Back in > the stone age when I was young, in most towns, you could
i live in a city suburb and we have a box down the street, but i don't use it. i use the one where i've seen them collect and they have to use some sort of a scanning device that shows they were there.
> not walk 5 blocks in any direction without encountering a box. They even > had cute little boxes mounted on telephone poles, for areas that had low > volume. (probably collectors items by now). Now, I have to drive a mile to > the nearest box, or all the way downtown if I miss a 1 pm pickup at that > box. Crime rate in my neighborhood is pretty low and I have a rural box by > the street, so I usually just put it in there and put the flag up. But > note they only pick it up as a courtesy- they only HAVE to stop if they > have a delivery.
same here. i get delivery through a slot in the door and if they have no mail to deliver, outgoing doesn't get picked up. i'm not even sure they're required to take it even then.
> asked her where the nearest USPS box was and she said she didn't know and > didn't care. She seemed more concerned about the high priority of her
why should she know? she probably mails her stuff from home. that's what i used to do. and that's what all my kids do.
> day, which was to scold someone at the university. Morale must be high in > that department. And yes, I am being facetious. What a happy pleasant > society we live in.
try calling back with a 9 digit zip. might help. otherwise, just drive around. i know that the ups store here will take your regular mail. they also have a box out front.
Five By Five wrote: > I am continually amazed at how people scream out how unimportant something > is but gave it enough importance to scream it out so.
Welcome to Usenet, where people with nothing to say now have a place to say something!
aemeijers wrote: > Ignoring the side threads here- original post shines a light on > something that has displeased me for years- there are a LOT fewer drop > boxes than there used to be, and they are not collected from nearly as > often. Back in the stone age when I was young, in most towns, you could > not walk 5 blocks in any direction without encountering a box. They even > had cute little boxes mounted on telephone poles, for areas that had low > volume. (probably collectors items by now). Now, I have to drive a mile > to the nearest box, or all the way downtown if I miss a 1 pm pickup at > that box. Crime rate in my neighborhood is pretty low and I have a rural > box by the street, so I usually just put it in there and put the flag > up. But note they only pick it up as a courtesy- they only HAVE to stop > if they have a delivery.
Yeah, they've been taking out mail boxes at a rapid pace. They claim it's because of low utilization. How many people are still mailing bills or letters?
>> Ignoring the side threads here- original post shines a light on something >> that has displeased me for years- there are a LOT fewer drop boxes than >> there used to be, and they are not collected from nearly as often. Back >> in the stone age when I was young, in most towns, you could not walk 5 >> blocks in any direction without encountering a box. They even had cute >> little boxes mounted on telephone poles, for areas that had low volume. >> (probably collectors items by now). Now, I have to drive a mile to the >> nearest box, or all the way downtown if I miss a 1 pm pickup at that >> box. Crime rate in my neighborhood is pretty low and I have a rural box >> by the street, so I usually just put it in there and put the flag up. But >> note they only pick it up as a courtesy- they only HAVE to stop if they >> have a delivery.
> Yeah, they've been taking out mail boxes at a rapid pace. They claim it's > because of low utilization. How many people are still mailing bills or > letters?
so now, instead of just the usps using gas to get the mail, we all have to drive around looking for a box or go to the po.
>> Yeah, they've been taking out mail boxes at a rapid pace. They claim it's >> because of low utilization. How many people are still mailing bills or >> letters?
> so now, instead of just the usps using gas to get the mail, we all have to > drive around > looking for a box or go to the po.
Junk mailers don't use blue boxes. That's their primary customer. (Why do you think they call it "Standard" mail.) They're not going to keep spending money to maintain blue boxes used by low-profit second tier customers who are merely sending unimportant things like bill payments .
> aemeijers wrote: > > Ignoring the side threads here- original post shines a light on > > something that has displeased me for years- there are a LOT fewer drop > > boxes than there used to be, and they are not collected from nearly as > > often. Back in the stone age when I was young, in most towns, you could > > not walk 5 blocks in any direction without encountering a box. They even > > had cute little boxes mounted on telephone poles, for areas that had low > > volume. (probably collectors items by now). Now, I have to drive a mile > > to the nearest box, or all the way downtown if I miss a 1 pm pickup at > > that box. Crime rate in my neighborhood is pretty low and I have a rural > > box by the street, so I usually just put it in there and put the flag > > up. But note they only pick it up as a courtesy- they only HAVE to stop > > if they have a delivery.
> Yeah, they've been taking out mail boxes at a rapid pace. They claim > it's because of low utilization. How many people are still mailing bills > or letters?
Not too many I think. I haven't made a bill payment by mail in years. They're all paid on line. Even our magazine subscription renewals are done that way, I've opted out of paper bills - all by email. The only paper check I write is for my car renewal every year, and my county DMV is experimenting with online renewals.
We still mail birthday and anniversary cards and the occasional package to our grand kids, but that's about it. I'm thinking that it won't be too many years until the street corner boxes are gone altogether. You'll have to leave your mail for pickup where it's delivered, or go to the post office.
sarge137 wrote: >> Not too many I think. I haven't made a bill payment by mail in > years. They're all paid on line. Even our magazine subscription > renewals are done that way, I've opted out of paper bills - all by > email. The only paper check I write is for my car renewal every year, > and my county DMV is experimenting with online renewals.
North Carolina has been doing online license plate renewals for several years now. It's very handy.
Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote: > sarge137 wrote: >>> Not too many I think. I haven't made a bill payment by mail in >> years. They're all paid on line. Even our magazine subscription >> renewals are done that way, I've opted out of paper bills - all by >> email. The only paper check I write is for my car renewal every year, >> and my county DMV is experimenting with online renewals.
> North Carolina has been doing online license plate renewals for several years > now. It's very handy.
Eh. I'm old fashioned. I do a few things like tags and subscriptions online, but most bills, and taxes, still go USPS. (15 bucks to e-file versus a buck in stamps is a no-brainer.) I don;t trust e-pay enough to link to my 'real' bank account (heard too many horror stories), and have just never gotten around to setting up a sacrificial account at a different bank. I only have 5 or 6 bills a month, and it never seemed worth the bother.
I think you'll find paying online skews heavily with age. Once you have done something the traditional way 20-odd years, any other way just feels wrong somehow.
aemeijers <aemeij...@att.net> wrote: > Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote: >> sarge137 wrote: >>>> Not too many I think. I haven't made a bill payment by mail in >>> years. They're all paid on line. Even our magazine subscription >>> renewals are done that way, I've opted out of paper bills - all by >>> email. The only paper check I write is for my car renewal every >>> year, and my county DMV is experimenting with online renewals.
>> North Carolina has been doing online license plate renewals for >> several years now. It's very handy.
> Eh. I'm old fashioned. I do a few things like tags and subscriptions > online, but most bills, and taxes, still go USPS. (15 bucks to e-file > versus a buck in stamps is a no-brainer.) I don;t trust e-pay enough > to link to my 'real' bank account (heard too many horror stories), > and have just never gotten around to setting up a sacrificial account > at a different bank. I only have 5 or 6 bills a month, and it never > seemed worth the bother. > I think you'll find paying online skews heavily with age. Once you have done something the traditional way 20-odd > years, any other way just feels wrong somehow.
aemeijers wrote: > Eh. I'm old fashioned. I do a few things like tags and subscriptions > online, but most bills, and taxes, still go USPS. (15 bucks to e-file > versus a buck in stamps is a no-brainer.) I don;t trust e-pay enough to > link to my 'real' bank account (heard too many horror stories), and have > just never gotten around to setting up a sacrificial account at a > different bank. I only have 5 or 6 bills a month, and it never seemed > worth the bother.
I e-file exclusively because I always get money back. In fact, I usually have my refund sitting in my checking account by the end of February, with neither me nor the government having handled a piece of paper or a stamp.
As for paying bills, I pay electronically through the bank's web site. These days I may write 3-4 checks a year. I keep track of all this with Quicken. I do not store any information with Quicken's web site nor do I use their bill paying service. Never had a problem with Bank of America.
> I think you'll find paying online skews heavily with age. Once you have > done something the traditional way 20-odd years, any other way just > feels wrong somehow.
How young do you think I am? I can remember watching President Eisenhower get off the plane when I was a kid.
>> Eh. I'm old fashioned. I do a few things like tags and subscriptions >> online, but most bills, and taxes, still go USPS. (15 bucks to e-file >> versus a buck in stamps is a no-brainer.) I don;t trust e-pay enough >> to link to my 'real' bank account (heard too many horror stories), >> and have just never gotten around to setting up a sacrificial >> account at a different bank. I only have 5 or 6 bills a month, and >> it never seemed worth the bother.
> I e-file exclusively because I always get money back. In fact, I > usually have my refund sitting in my checking account by the end of > February, with neither me nor the government having handled a piece > of paper or a stamp. > As for paying bills, I pay electronically through the bank's web > site. These days I may write 3-4 checks a year.
I dont write any anymore, now that even the paper delivery can be paid electronically.
That was the last holdout.
> I keep track of all this with Quicken. I do not store any information with Quicken's web > site nor do I use their bill paying service. Never had a problem with Bank of America. >> I think you'll find paying online skews heavily with age. Once you have done something the traditional way 20-odd >> years, any other way just feels wrong somehow. > How young do you think I am? I can remember watching President Eisenhower get off the plane when I was a kid.
A mere child.
And that fool is a pathetically senile silly young fart.
Shawn Hirn wrote: > I pay online for everything I can, but I will be damned if I pay for the > service. I see no reason to pay the government or some software company > just so I can file my taxes online. I get a refund each year, but I am > in no hurry to get the check from Uncle Sam and the interest on the > refund money for a few extra weeks is not going to offset the efiling > fee, so I just mail in my taxes. The IRS should not be charging for > efiling and until they drop that charge, I will file my taxes via snail > mail.
I paid $19.95 back at the end of January to e-file my federal and two different state returns. courtesy of a company called TaxSlayer.com. I owed one state and got a fat refund from both the other state and the feds. I've had the use of that money since January 29th and January 30th, respectively.
Work it out any way you want: I paid $19.95 for doing three returns and the e-filing was free, or the tax returns were free and I paid $19.95 to e-file three returns. BTW, that was $19.95 total; not each. Your priorities may be different than mine but I figure this was a good deal for me.
I had always used TurboTax up until this year and was tired of getting bent over by Intuit. They tried very hard to screw me when I attempted to cancel my subscription, claiming that three weeks notice before they shipped was inadequate for them to stop the process. Well, fuck that. I got my credit card company involved and shoved that charge right back where it belongs. I got some free TurboTax cds laying around somewhere if anybody wants them... I sure didn't pay for them nor did I use them.
> Same for me. I rarely write a check and mail it any more. I can believe > the USPS when they say usage of certain mailboxes is down,
i still do both. some of my bills can't be paid online without incurring a $5-10 fee. i'm still waiting for companies/banks to start billing me for the privilege of getting a bill/statement. i figure it's their job to send me a paper bill/statement; it's not mine to go get it. what if i didn't have a computer? what if it goes down? what if i have a brain fart? i think we all need to contact our legicraps to deal with this.
