11/19/2008

Neither Rain, Nor Snow, but Not at 5:00pm


Believe it or not, the United States Postal Service has ended its 5:00pm mail pick-up at all downtown Chicago office buildings. The last pick-up of the day will be at 3:30. They claim it is for budget reasons and Presidential security now that President-elect Obama is working in Chicago.

This makes no sense for several reasons. First, if it is really for security reasons, isn't the first mail pick-up of the day just as dangerous as the last? Hey, why not stop all Loop mail pick-ups and we can all feel really safe.

Second, if it is for budget reasons, why not cancel the first pick-up of the day. How can that cost less than the last?
The Postal Service is once again proving that government run enterprises cannot be competitive. When there is no profit motive, the customer's interests don't matter (as if you needed me to point that out in relation to the Post Office). Many businesses count on a 5:00pm mail pick-up to get important items out to their clients and customers. What are they suppose to do with the work that is completed between 3:30 and 5:00? I know, use private delivery services who are more reliable anyway. Does anyone think that Federal Express or UPS will cancel their final pick-ups of the day? I don't.

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