Saturday postal service (USA) to be discontinued starting in August

[Vash01]

Not a big surprise. It was talked about earlier, and now it's final. The USPS will not deliver or collect mail on Saturdays, starting August 5, to stay afloat financially. They will deliver packages, however.

I don't mind it. The only time this could be an issue is if Monday is a holiday (Memorial day, labor day, MLK day, Presidents day), which could mean 3 straight days without mail. They had to do something to recover from the losses. However, their biggest problem was having to pay post-retirement health care costs ahead of time to their employees.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/02/06/news...html?hpt=hp_t2

[gkelly]

As long as the post office is open for people to go in and mail packages, etc. on Saturdays, which is the only time some people can get there during the week.

[vesperholly]

Interesting. A lot of postage prices just went up, with international shipping being the biggest increase (more than doubling across the board). I'm still surprised that they raised first-class package postage only 5 cents. They might have done better with a larger increase on the more frequently used service.

I participate in swaps on another website, and the now-$6 international postage (up from $3) will definitely make me reconsider international swaps.

[MacMadame]

I often forget to check my mailbox on Saturdays anyway.

[Skittl1321]

Because they are still delivering packages, I don't see this as an issue at all. Quite honestly, I check my mail so infrequently (was the absolute highlight of my day as a kid) now that I don't have a driveway box (new developments in my area are required to have cluster boxes, apparently in my previous city 'new' was considered post 1984!) that if they only did MWF residential delivery (5 day business) I wouldn't have a problem! I think the cluster boxes will become a lot more common too, I actually wonder if they will retro-fit them. They require a lot less time to deliver the mail, and a lot less gas, so it saves money as well.

The only thing I see changing is that we'll have to tell our tenant to make sure to mail her rent check earlier, the 1st is the 1st and it has to be here.

[peibeck]

As long as the post office is open for people to go in and mail packages, etc. on Saturdays, which is the only time some people can get there during the week.

According to the article it is only delivery service for non-packages which would end. Post offices would remain open, and PO Boxes in said offices would still get Saturday delivery.

[skatingfan5]

I often forget to check my mailbox on Saturdays anyway.

It's sometimes the one thing that will get me out of bed fairly early on Saturday. Actually, though, what I'm going to miss is the convenience of Saturday mail pickup from my house-- especially when I've forgotten to mail something on Friday that's due on Monday or Tuesday. I could get out and schlep to the post office that's only 7-8 blocks away, but it's been one of the locations they have been threatening to close for the past year or more. The next nearest one takes nearly an hour to get there an back by bus.

[Anita18]

I honestly think they could get away with delivery every other day. FedEx is known for overnight, and I don't see how getting your mail every day is really that necessary.

Now I shall wait for people to tell me I'm wrong.

[maatTheViking]

It's sometimes the one thing that will get me out of bed fairly early on Saturday.

our mail delivery has moved from arriving around noon, to arriving around 5pm. So that is not what gets me up from bed .

I forget to check mail most of the time anyway, and the only thing I get is usually advertising and the odd bill I haven't set up through online pay. For me a MWF delivery would be OK too, it is not like mail here is day to day anyway (I count most mail from the east coast get here in 7 days, local about 2-3. I only get exciting mail in my mailbox at Christmas and birthdays!


It is going to be interesting what the packages to overseas will end up costing me, it already was pretty expensive - $20-$30 for a small box.

In Denmark growing up I remember the mail was always there before 11am, and letters were always 1 day delivery inside Denmark (which would correspond to 1 day inside a state here, I suppose). I have no idea how the Danish postal service is doing, I bet they have their own problems.

[cruisin]

What would be nice is if they put out more mailboxes, like they used to. They only have them right nest to the post offices, around here. What the heck do we need mailboxes next to the post offices for? Our mail comes early and I never have it out.

[smileyskate]

I heard the main savings would be on the fuel costs. Too bad they could not negotiate something to get those reduced. They said now they will just be more slammed on Mondays.

[MacMadame]

Now I shall wait for people to tell me I'm wrong.

You're wrong!

(Um, what was the question again? )

Our Sat. delivery is kind of iffy anyway and often quite late. I only remember to check the mailbox if I go out and come back after it's delivered. During the week, we check it on the way into the house after work. We hardly ever mail anything either. We pay most bills online and when we do have to mail stuff, we attach it to the mailbox with a clothespin or I take it to work since I just happen to work next to a Post Office.

[numbers123]

I personally think that we could go to a M-W-F delivery, with some post offices opened on Saturdays for those who need to have mail services (i.e. sending out certified letters, etc.) or even two days a week.
Most of my transactions are electronic and the majority of my snail mail is advertisements, political mailings. The few pieces of true mail, I would like electronic mail anyway.

[cruisin]

I don't know that I would like to have M/W/F. But, I would prefer that rather than S/S, it be Sunday and maybe Wednesday. I'd rather it not be two days in a row. I don't like to pay bills on line. I know too many people who have dealt with identity theft, since that has become available. I also will not do any automatic bill paying. Too many experiences with (Verizon especially) screwing up my bill and over charging me. Then try to get it fixed, after it's paid

[orbitz]

I think many postal workers will probably either lose their jobs or have reduce work hours as a result of this, so I feel bad for them.

[Jenny]

I think many postal workers will probably either lose their jobs or have reduce work hours as a result of this, so I feel bad for them.

I thought I heard from the press conference that they did not anticipate layoffs or reduced hours - that it was only overtime that would be reduced? I know a lot of people depend on overtime, but if their job and benefits are still intact, that's pretty good.

[Skittl1321]

I thought I heard from the press conference that they did not anticipate layoffs or reduced hours - that it was only overtime that would be reduced? I know a lot of people depend on overtime, but if their job and benefits are still intact, that's pretty good.

Around here a lot of people are 'Saturday carriers". I am guessing, since they are temporary employees USPS doesn't consider it a layoff, but surely they won't be needed anymore.

[Karina1974]

I think many postal workers will probably either lose their jobs or have reduce work hours as a result of this, so I feel bad for them.

I don't. Go onto NALC's website - they're already calling for the Postmaster General's head, as well as his resignation. Sadly, that's one thing pretty much every union has in common these days: absolutely NO CLUE about what it takes to run a business and how to save it and keep it relevent during the downturn so it doesn't completely go under. They don't care if the business gets run into the ground, just so long as they receive their precious "perks" and often over-blown pay - $20+/hour to deliver mostly "junk mail' to household addresses (and this for a job that requires no form of higher education, just a high enough score on a test that is, for the most part, a personality assessment)? At least businesses (at least the one I work for) still get mail that "means something" like check payments, for example.

Next thing they should be focusing on in order to keep business is the way their carriers conduct deliveries. Such as my parents' carrier leaving packages on the front steps without ringing the doorbell *when the car is parked in the damn driveway so obviously there is someone home* or my own carrier leaving my mail box lid wide open on a day when pouring rain is forecast (and the mail IS small enough for the lid to close over it). Rarely if ever is something done about it, even when complaints are made.

I had to confront my carrier face-to-face to get a stop put to that, because TWO phone calls to Troy PO didn't do shit. Even now he occasionally leaves mail in my box that is meant for the office on the first floor of my building, which has its own mail slot in a separate door from the door to the 2nd and 3rd floors - the ONLY mail that should be going to my box has my name and apartment # on it. He's even put mail into the box for the one VACANT apartment in the building - mail that, again, was meant for the first floor office. I don't know if he is lazy or just plain stupid.

Dad's father AND grandfather BOTH worked for the USPS (Postmaster and Postal Inspector), so he knows what is expected of a carrier, and he's gone to the PO that handles his mail *several times* to complain, but nothing ever gets done about his packages being left on the steps (in a rather "ghetto" neighborhood I might add, which is why they have the front porch door locked at all times). The carrier doesn't even "brown card" the delivery, just leaves it out on the steps where any punk walking down the street can swipe it.

[JasperBoy]

SAturday delivery? What's that? We haven't had Saturday delivery in Canada for decades. We manage. I mean, who really uses mail anymore except to receive online purchases?

[milanessa]

I mean, who really uses mail anymore except to receive online purchases?

Me, for one.