Yesterday I wrote a post entitled Send the Postmaster General Packing (https://thatshiphassunk.com/2020/08/03/send-the-postmaster-general-packing-enoughisenough-vote2020/), and I was happy that the government listened! The hearing will be on September 17 at 10am ET. Of course this is after my birthday, so I imagine that a dip in cards received will reflect birthday sentiment fraud or wisher suppression.
After my post was published, Forbes put up its own thing on the topic called House Committee Requests Hearing With New Postmaster General To Address Mail Delays (https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/08/03/house-committee-requests-hearing-with-new-postmaster-general-to-address-mail-delays/#c36f89131b99.
Kinda wordy for a headline, but OK. Definitely not clickbait, so I’ll give them that.
Here’s the update on the status of my bicycle tires:
We’re coming up on the time that it would take to walk to and from San Diego from when they said the tires would be delivered.
What I realized after I posted yesterday was that the Postal Service does explain the delay, and it was in line with the slack I was giving to them:
I understand some of my mail delivery may be delayed? Why?
Postal Service Priority Mail® products and First-Class® packages may temporarily require more time to be delivered due to limited transportation availability as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
When will this happen?
This change is effective April 17, 2020.
How will this affect delivery of Priority Mail?
Priority Mail’s two-day and three-day service commitments will be extended to three days and four days, respectively. Customers will continue to receive improved product tracking and as much as $50 in free insurance.
https://faq.usps.com/s/article/USPS-Coronavirus-Updates-Expected-Delivery-Changes?r=8&ui-force-components-controllers-recordGlobalValueProvider.RecordGvp.getRecord=1
Obvious Problems:
- As we now know, “as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic” is a lie. The Postmaster General is slowing it down.
- The slowdown will only be a day: “Priority Mail’s two-day and three-day service commitments will be extended to three days and four days, respectively.” This is fantasy. I was supposed to get the tires on August 1. It’s August 4, and the tires aren’t coming today.
- “Customers will continue to receive improved product tracking.” Setting aside that if it was improved a long time ago, it’s now a baseline for tracking, the last update I had was on August 2, and it was super vague!
But at least there’s going to be a hearing about it next month. Maybe by then I’ll get my tires.