PSA

It's busy out there. Busy, busy, busy. One place whose business has really kicked up is the Post Office. Yes, I know, it's the holidays and it ALWAYS gets busy at the Post Office, but it's been steadily increasing over the last couple weeks. Know how I know? I go to the Post Office every single day. Yes, Every. Single. Day.  Between eBay, selling books and discs on amazon.com and shipping lovely knitted goods back to Vancouver, I am now on a first name basis with most of the employees at two of our local USPS offices. Here's a few things that should help you (and I) get through these next couple weeks at the Post Office ('cause I know at some point, you'll all be standing in line with me).

    Carolyn's 8 rules for Super Happy Fun Post Office Experiences

1. Fill out your address labels BEFORE you get to the counter.
2. Use the zip+4 service online when looking up zip codes. Zip+4 helps your package arrive faster.
3. Don't show up with an open package hoping to borrow tape from the grumpy guy behind the counter. Unless you're sending it Priority, they won't lend you any tape. Even if you cry. Believe me, I've seen it happen.
4. If you're mailing out of country, you'll need a customs form. Please try to fill it out before you get up to the counter. Most likely you'll have enough time to do it while standing in line.
5. Bring a pen. There's never enough to go around at the Post Office and for some reason, you'll always need one.
6. If you take a long time at the counter, that's ok. Don't worry about it, but please smile at the rest of us waiting in line when you're done. It helps to take the sting out waiting in line. It's really quite disarming.
7. Don't get huffy about having to wait in line. Great sighs, looking around anxiously,  and tsk'ing out loud doesn't help. It's the holidays. It's the Post Office. Waiting in line is so cliche it isn't even funny. When does it EVER happen that you can whistle in in December and not find a line? We should all expect it by now.
8. Bring some knitting. Or your journal. That way you'll have something to blog about when you get home.

Comments

[heather]

I have knit in line, yes. It is a great way to wile away the LONG line! I have the nicest mail people of all here at my work, Goddard has it's own "mail station" and she tapes for you as long as you are a frequent mailer. She also crochets. So she loves to fondle my yarn before I ask her for a box. :) Now the regular post office? yeah. I hear you! speaking of that...I do have a date this saturday to find parking and stand in line!

Love the zip +4! will bookmark it and use it! Thanks!!!!

[Beth]

I got yelled at at the Post Office once. I walked up to the counter after the previous customer left, and I wasn't summoned. Apparently, the clerk was going off to do something else, and didn't indicate that with the "next window please" sign, so I thought she was coming back, and waited patiently. I got called a child for not following the directions on the sign. Now there's an addendum stuck on the sign that says something more specific about waiting NEXT to the sign until you are CALLED, but the other clerks look at you like you've got a problem if you don't just walk up to them. Other than that one time, I LOVE the post office. Very helpful, very efficient. I love buying postage online and requesting a package pickup. Did you know all of those Priority Mail boxes are free? You can have as many as you want, and they'll even deliver them to you on a regular basis if you want. For free! I love the USPS. Just not that one clerk.