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Re: USPS
I also mail preferably on Mondays. I avoid mailing on Wednesday through
Friday, so that fish don't spend an extra Sunday somewhere along the way. I
think Saturdays would also be OK, because they would be travelling on Sunday
and would probably get delivered on Monday (2 days). I also try and get
them to the PO before noon if possible, so they might catch an early truck,
flight, etc., possibly cutting an additional day off delivery time. Five PM
dropoff certainly go out that day, but probably catch the last truck,
flight, etc.
Lee wrote:
>More recently, a shipment of fish by Priority Mail to Texas was "Returned to
>Sender" with no explanation. I was not home for a week and the fish mostly
>died (10 days).
I've had fish "delivered" directly to my return address in the upper left
corner, not to the TO: address in the middle of the box. To avoid this
problem, I now put my name and THE ADDRESSEE'S address as my return address,
and the correct addressee name and same address in the standard addressee
location. [Hopefully, I double check the address.]
I've also had postal clerks almost refuse to take my styro boxes marked live
fish because "they won't be able to breathe - why don't you poke some holes
in the box?".
One clerk refused my box labelled "live fish" due to what she claimed where
postal regulations preventing shipment of live fish. I politely asked her
to mail it anyway, and then she she called in her supervisor to back her up.
He did, and showed me some postal regulation which allowed them to refuse
shipment of live fish. I had to drive to another postal office to get that
shipment out.
I no longer mark the boxes as "LIVE FISH" or "HANDLE WITH CARE" or "KEEP
WARM (OR COOL)" because of problems like the above at the local PO. Same
with carrying boxes of fish on airlines. I don't believe the parcel
handlers have time to read, and probably wouldn't treat them any
differently. None of the boxes I mailed this year with priority mail had
any problems not being labelled as "live fish" etc. and all were delivered
in 2-3 days.
Dale Weber worked at my main PO, and when I used to have these problems, I
could call him, and he would talk to the clerk, if necessary.
Unfortunately, that option is no longer available. Just one more reason to
miss him.
Bill
ps. When you reply to the list, please watch the reposting of the entire
digest in your response. This morning there were two inclusions of the
entire digest #471 within today's digest #472.