For those of us who have battled the US Postal Service there came a new
challenge today. I won a lot of Blue Amberols on eBay and they arrived
yesterday with a postcard note from my carrier to go to the main post office as
there was postage due. That seemed odd since the seller had gone to great
lengths to calculate and charge correctly.
When I arrived at the post office I presented the young guy at the counter
with my postcard. He went in back and retrieved the box then told me I owed
another $18.75 because they had opended the box after X-raying it and there
were no records inside so it could not be MEDIA MAIL. So, I told him they
were Edison cylinder records. I asked if I could show him. He called over
his supervisor. They allowed me to reach into the box and retrieve a
cylinder record. Both agreed that it was not a CD and not a record. I asked
for
the next higher up supervisor. They went and brought back the postmaster.
I showed him the Edison box labeled Edison Blue Amberol Record. He was
unmoved and somewhat uncaring. Just when I thought all was lost, an elderly
postal worker getting ready to open his window next to us, looked over, and
said, "I used to play records like that on my grandfather's grammyphone (sic)!"
SAVED... and then it only took 30 minutes to undo the extra charges so
the box would be once again just media mail.
And people wonder why our confidence in the government bureaucracies is
flagging?
Regards to all,
Al
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