December 2015 by athena icaria
Rude, slow, unreliable. Do not count on getting mail sent out on time, and don't try to make payments or count on business mail reaching banks or offices on time--even from Beach to Dickinson (THREE business days for 60 miles?) If you require general delivery while you attempt to set up a USPS REGULATION HOME MAIL BOX, expect all mail not sent FIRST CLASS to be tossed into the trash bin. The window is closed for lunch: The postmaster and the part-timers must all eat together, because they can't manage to keep that business window open so customers can run to the post office during THEIR working-day lunch hours. The window closes early, so forget it if you work till 4:30 or 5:00 in the afternoon. SATURDAYS? You have a single half-hour "window of opportunity" to mail or to pick up those packages or to do "limited" business. There aren't that many people left in Beach now that the oil boom has eased up, but the POSTMASTER at this little post office seems as swamped as ever Regulating and organizing the bulletin board must be a consuming task. Mail is a good thing. I used to love using the US Postal Service. Now I wish we had a UPS or FEDEX branch in Beach. (A lot of us in Beach share that sentiment.) Here, service to the customer seems secondary to following arbitrary and sometimes silly regulations DOWN TO THE LETTER. There have been times when I have driven to MEDORA to mail important packages and letters, just to make sure they get out on time. Once winter is over, I may establish a business and rent a box in Medora for the season. It's a nice drive from here, and the folks who work in Medora's post office are genuinely pleasant and helpful. They greet you with a smile, and it's a nice atmosphere, even if you do have to wait a bit during tourist season. So go ahead, Beach. Keep tossing, losing and smashing up my mail. I make most of my payments by phone now, anyway, although I really do still love STAMPS. If I find the time, I will write a humorous short story about my adventures with the Postmaster/the "Decider," in Beach, ND 58621. ..............., I won't submit it for publication from the Beach post office, though... Morning: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1015 Make that FOUR days. On TUESDAY, Dec. 2, BEFORE the mail was sent out, I posted a very important financial document to my bank in DICKINSON from the Beach Post Office. (Dickinson is 60 miles east on Interstate 94, and the weather is delightfully pleasant.) I expected it to arrive a little late, considering this post office. It is now FRIDAY, 7:49 am, and my bank has not even put the check (GOOD AS GOLD) on "pending" which means it may be stuck in the bottom of a box or sack right here in Beach. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4--Tomorrow is Saturday, and the Bank will not process my check until MONDAY. THANK YOU, BEACH POST OFFICE! I am about to drive down the Interstate myself, in my own car, because a "FOREVER" stamp must mean it will take FOREVER for one single letter to reach a post office in Dickinson. If I hit a deer or get slammed by a semi, just remember, I had no choice but to cover my accounts in person. If I had a good horse (which I once did) I would start now and be back in Beach by tomorrow morning. If we had PONY EXPRESS, the letter would have arrived on Tuesday evening and the transaction receipt would have reached me my by Wednesday. No wonder thr USPS is going under. No, I don't need to buy cards asnd gift boxes and stuffed toys at the post office. I need fast, reliable service---and we all know that the old saying about neither rain nor snow nor dark of night went out decades ago...kids don't even know what you're talking about any more. Today, I will have to drive 60 miles to deposit my check in person. I would not recommend doing any financial transactions with this post office unless you expect funds to arrive at their destination late--or not at all. Have a delightful Holiday Season, everyone! UPS and FEDEX are not
