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| Post office "logic" (amused rant) (441847) | |
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Post office "logic" (amused rant) |
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Posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Apr 27 13:52:52 2009 We rarely use postage stamps Chez Peter. Nearly all bills get paid online or via direct debit, and e-mail and texting has long since replaced snail mail for personal communications. Yesterday, however, I had something that really did need to get mailed. I knew we had a sheet containing several self-adhesive stamps, but of course it was nowhere to be found. Chances are the sheet got put in a drawer sometime ago and no one remembers exactly where. Or maybe the cats ate it.So today at lunch I strolled over to the cavernous post office branch at the corner of Church and Vesey. There were only one or two windows open (out of many, though I didn't count to get a specific number), and of course the lines were endless. But wait! There were these nifty new self-service machines with touch screens, and in less than a minute I got to use one. It turns out that the nifty new machines don't sell single stamps. The smallest quantity you can buy is a sheet of 18. I wasn't about to buy that many, as given our very low consumption rate most of them would probably just get lost before being used. What you can buy, however, is a single stamp in any amount you select, with a minimum of one dollar. So I end up spending a dollar for a single "custom denomination" stamp, instead of being able to buy a single, "normal" first class stamp for 42 cents (or whatever postage has gone up to). There's your post office "logic." Oh, to add insult to injury, the machines don't take cash, so I had to use my Visa card for a one dollar purchase. That's so SWPL-ly it's pathetic. My LIRR/NYCT blog |
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Re: Post office ''logic'' (amused rant) |
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Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Mon Apr 27 14:01:47 2009, in response to Post office "logic" (amused rant), posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Apr 27 13:52:52 2009. When I used to work in manhattan for a while, I used to always use the post office on 24th near 3rd Ave, and used to love the stamp vending machines there, they were "old fashioned", but you put in your money, and got what you want.......even if it was one stamp..... |
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Re: Post office ''logic'' (amused rant) |
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Posted by 5301 Fishbowl on Mon Apr 27 14:44:49 2009, in response to Post office "logic" (amused rant), posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Apr 27 13:52:52 2009. Last time I looked, the sheets of 18 stamps sold in the machines were of the "Forever" variety. That means that no matter how high the rates go up in the future, one of those stamps is good for a regular first class letter until you run out.Don't you ever send out birthday cards or Christmas cards? Those stamps would be perfectly good for those occasions. |
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Re: Post office ''logic'' (amused rant) |
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Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Mon Apr 27 14:52:11 2009, in response to Re: Post office ''logic'' (amused rant), posted by 5301 Fishbowl on Mon Apr 27 14:44:49 2009. Yes, they are good "forever", but he said they can be easily lost, especially the way he uses stamps. While I agree with you, his point is also valid, you should be able to buy "a" stamp..... |
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Re: Post office ''logic'' (amused rant) |
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Posted by 5301 Fishbowl on Mon Apr 27 14:57:42 2009, in response to Re: Post office ''logic'' (amused rant), posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Mon Apr 27 14:52:11 2009. While I consider myself to be irresponsible and disorganized most of the time, I always keep my stamps in a cash box where I keep my money and other semi-valuable items. And I don't have dogs or kids or wives who might take them from a drawer and start playing with them. I guess I'm fortunate that way. :-) |
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Re: Post office ''logic'' (amused rant) |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Mon Apr 27 15:00:26 2009, in response to Post office "logic" (amused rant), posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Apr 27 13:52:52 2009. The problem is the fact that the machines only take credit cards / debit cars. The processing fees that the credit and debit card companies and banks charge make it cost prohibitive for those machines to take anything less than $1.00. The machines are also likely cheaper, from a maintainance perspective, if they don't accept cash. |
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Re: Post office ''logic'' (amused rant) |
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Posted by Bob Andersen on Mon Apr 27 16:02:11 2009, in response to Re: Post office ''logic'' (amused rant), posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Mon Apr 27 14:52:11 2009. I bought 1 stamp just today - in the convenience store in the lobby of my office building. They charge 65 cents. I guess I should have just walked across the street to the Farley PO! |
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Re: Post office ''logic'' (amused rant) |
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Posted by Orange Blossom Special on Mon Apr 27 18:38:14 2009, in response to Post office "logic" (amused rant), posted by Peter Rosa on Mon Apr 27 13:52:52 2009. Yea, i like how you can no longer buy a stamp.I can't wait for car dealerships, health care, and supermarkets are run this way. |
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