USPS has........

While building a house 150 miles from where I lived at the time, I sent the builder a check. After three days, he called and asked if I had sent it, to which I replied in the affirmative. A week later, it still hadn't arrived, so I sent another, which made it in two days. Seven months later, the letter is returned to me at my old address, but forwarded to my new home. I showed it to my builder to prove I hadn't been lying. The correct address was clearly posted, as was the zip code, but it was stamped undeliverable...no such address...two days after it had been sent. The builder had received mail at that address for years. Seven months later, it was again stamped undeliverable...bad address...return to sender. I have no idea where it was for seven months!

That said, the rural mail carriers at my last two addresses have been outstanding. Hard working, friendly, helpful. Yes, once in awhile they'll make a delivery mistake, but they do a fine job for all the mail they handle. Biggest problem I've seen with packages is their hand scanners not working properly, so they have to manually feed the beast. That's when errors occur.

My ***** is the advertising. I my 73 years I don't think I have ever bought an item advertised by mail, but I've probably thrown a couple tons of flyers, catalogs, and postcards in the trash. There is no way I will accept the premise that bulk rate advertising pays the bills.