Rain nor snow nor gloom of night

There is a NYTimes editorial on the US Mail this morning.  We are bound for a 5 day mail delivery week and probably a postage rate increase by and by. OK.

There is that wonderfully stupid example that trots out every so often about mailing a letter and having on delivered by Pony Express. The horse just goes from point a-b while the mail goes here there and everywhere before it reaches the mail box. The horse wins.  What is missing is if the dispatch rider is given 2 envelopes to deliver - one over there and the other in the opposite direction.  The Post Office does it. On the other hand you either need two horses and two riders  to beat the Post Office or the horse dies midway from exhaustion.

This - the post office system - is a marvel of our society and has glued it together thru thick and thin. What is arriving via first class mail that can't wait a day?  If it is so damn important put it in express or Fedx it.  If it is a letter from a sister or a long lost friend...it is priceless and its arrival via that carrier is an event.

Comments