What good would it do? You’ve all heard my rants about the post office before. More than once. I truly don’t know how they’ve kept their doors open as long as they have. A bunch of chimpanzees couldn’t run an organization any worse than the people they have there now do.
After we send out every issue, we get papers returned from addresses we have mailed to for years that we know are good, including Elkhart Campground last time around, and several Rainbow Drive addresses in Livingston, Texas, which is the Escapees Mail Service. In each case the envelopes were stamped “No Such Address.” So we have to send them out again, at $1.61 each, because the post office won’t acknowledge they are wrong and just put them back in the mail.
For a couple of years we used Stamps.com, but their system is very problematic so we switched back to regular postage stamps. Since we use a lot of stamps in a typical mailing, most post offices do not have them in stock and we have to order them. Two weeks ago I ordered the stamps needed to mail out the new issue of the Gypsy Journal, and last week when I sent the files to our printer I talked to our contact at the local post office, who assured me they were there waiting for us. So what happened when I went in to get them? No stamps! Apparently they are locked away in a vault and the only person who has access to the vault is gone. “Maybe” she’ll be in today. Or maybe not. Sigh.
After reading about the severe storms that came through this area Monday night, somebody asked me what they should take with them if they have to evacuate their RV in a hurry due to fire or bad weather. Nothing, because while you’re trying to figure out where you put whatever you may need you could be dead.
My friend Mac McCoy, who teaches fire safety at RV rallies nationwide, advocates keeping a bailout bag next to the front door at all times, which contains at least one change of clothing, copies of your insurance policies, a credit card, medications or prescriptions, an extra pair of eyeglasses, extra vehicle keys, and contact information for your insurance agent, bank, and doctors. A lot of RVers also include an external hard drive with their important computer information backed up on it. I hope you never need it, but if you ever do, it will come in handy.
It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time to kick off a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Longnecks & Twisted Hearts
Thought For The Day – Let go of people who dull your shine, poison your spirit and bring you drama. Cancel your subscription to their issues.
Check Out Nick’s E-Books In Our E-Book Store
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
For a guy who wasn’t going to snivel you did a lot of it! 🙂
I know what a pain the post office can be. Had something sent to a local post office by priority mail. It was mailed on June 9 & was supposed to be there in 2-3 days. I was there on the 12 & 13 and again the 16 & 17 (weekend in between). Clerk kept telling me it wasn’t there. Finally on the 18 she said she had something that came in the week before for Bob Smith but since she had looked at my drivers license each time and it said Robert she couldn’t put 2 & 2 together!! Then I had to argue with her to get it because my drivers license didn’t say Bob on it. She said I had to have something in writing that said Bob, not Robert. I went back to the campground & they wrote me out a receipt that said Bob Smith. I took that back & no problem, she handed me the package.
Now that example from “Robert Smith” or Bob….. is the extreme reason, people go “postal”. From what planet was this employee from?
Isn’t it amazing how we have to explain to so many service peoples how to do their job?
It’s because even though they say they are independent and not part of the government, they are, and once a person becomes a government employee, with salaries paid by you and me, and their jobs are protected by some phony union. There is no such thing as “Customer Service”. That’s exactly why I’m dropping my Amazon “Prime” membership. Amazon is shipping more and more things by USPS and even if you pay for “one day” shipping you’ll get it two days later. I’d rather pay for the shipping up front and get what I order when “I” want it.
Enjoyed reading your blog today. Canadian post office is no better either!????
My “Bailout Bag” might contain the external hard drive and copies of all my credit cards and Passport. I might also grab my computer, because it is usually near the door and my purse & iPhone which are handy, as well. From there, I can replace anything else I need with phone calls and a trip to Walmart. It is amazing how little time you have to just GET OUT!! We are replacing our absorption fridge with an electric residential model later this year … and fire is one very important reason.
Nick, I lthink you got it all wrong. The Post Office is pretty smart. They stamp a bunch of your mail with “No such address” and you have to pay another $1.61 each to remail them to the same address. Now that’s a pretty good scam. LoL. And then you complain about the Post Office locking your stamps in a vault. They were only trying to keep from stamping more of your mail with “No such address” and making you buy more stamps. You just don’t see the big picture. LoL.
For bug out I really recommend scanning all your important docs (incl. drivers license, passport, credit card, insurance, contact numbers etc.) and keeping these scans on an off-site storage location such as Dropbox. That way you can access your important stuff anywhere even if you lose it. I lost my passport and cards traveling to Peru many years ago and this method helped me greatly.
Within the RV only you and your family (kids, pets) are what you should think about. You won’t have time for much more. A bug out bag is great too, but it’s gotta be fully ready to go.
Nina
Nick I know that you’re not inclined to do so (and I kinda’ understand the reasoning), but I would have to convert all of your subscriptions over to digital. This would end all of these logistical problems. If someone just HAS to hold the paper in front of them, then just let them print one out.
Competition is a good thing it appears….what a mess the PO has been for you!! Hope things will get fixed ere long. I don’t know if they have a Costco nearby…but they sell stamps by the 5 or 6 books or so…plus it gives you a free stamp.
Does anyone remember the old saying, “you can’t fix stupid”. Nick your experience proves that way to much.