'Everything is sent by mail here': an immigrant spoke about the work of the US Postal Service
'11.12.2020'
Source: Yandex Zen
Although Americans actively use social media and e-mail, they cannot imagine their life without the services of the USPS, writes the author of the blog "The World Through Helen's Eyes" on Yandex Zen.
One item from the New Year's to-do list has been crossed out! The other day I sent New Year's cards to relatives in Russia, so today I decided to tell you about the local mail.
Probably, everyone who has not even been to America yet imagine from American films and TV shows that mail here occupies a very important place in the life of every person. Even now, in the age of information technology, the US post does not lose its popularity, and almost every day I find some paper letters in my mailbox.
The main players and what they deliver
Do you think only flyers with advertisements get into the mailbox? But no. Everything or almost everything is sent by mail here - from groceries and household items to important documents. You can get bank cards, driver's license, work permit, residence permit (green card) and super-secret social security number (SSN) by mail, and all this will simply be put in your mailbox. By the way, you can even vote for your candidate for the presidency of the country by mail.
On the subject: Do not lie down on the sidewalk and do not walk an elephant off a leash: the most ridiculous US laws
The main operator of postal services in the United States is the United States Postal Service (or simply USPS) - the US Postal Service, an independent agency of the US Federal Government. This organization is one of the largest organizations in the world in terms of the number of employees (more than half a million people), at its disposal over 228 vehicles, which makes the US Postal Service's fleet of vehicles one of the largest in the world!
The US Postal Service partners with and competes with two other major US private postal companies: United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx. As for me, they do an incredible job together. Whatever was delivered to us by mail, whatever was on our list of orders from online stores ... Buckwheat with a name in Russian, a video camera and batteries for it, backpacks, camping food and other equipment, a huge 20-kilogram box of dried apricots, paint thinners, brushes, a blanket, photo albums, a set of deodorants, a blender, coffee - the list goes on. We buy almost everything, except food that spoils, on the Internet. A few days after the application, we find our order either in the mailbox or under the door of the apartment. The post office works so well that we hardly go to non-grocery stores, which, of course, contribute to the collapse of American retail, not tied to online shopping.
Parcel delivery
Delivery of parcels by mail in the United States is very different from the delivery of parcels in Russia. There, after receiving the notification, I had to go to the post office, stand there in line and only then could I pick up my box. In the United States, any parcels are delivered immediately to the recipient's address, and they are often put simply under the door, and if not under the door, then in special mailboxes (in addition to the usual ones). The postal employee puts the parcel in such a large special mailbox, closes it with a key, which then puts it in an ordinary small mailbox so that you can pick up your parcel when it is convenient.
On the subject: Bad food and stupid Americans: an immigrant spoke about myths about the United States that should not be believed
I was calm about the mailboxes, but the parcels under the door at first surprised and embarrassed me. You order an expensive laptop, they bring it in and leave it in the middle of the day right under the door for everyone to see. At first it was scary, but then I gradually began to get used to it and calmed my inner alarmist, who shouted to me: “They delivered me, I have to run home, otherwise they will suddenly be stolen!” And in the evening, having enjoyed the package, you really make sure that it is in place!
Of course, every person passing by can pick up your package. It's good that this has not happened to me yet. I knocked on wood. Are there any thefts? I think yes. For example, our bicycle was cut off last year, but this is a completely different story, not related to the local post office.
Are packages lost? Sometimes it happens. They are sometimes found later, and sometimes not. If the parcel was not delivered to you, the money will still be returned to you. We ordered a photo album in March, then everyone started to panic due to the pandemic, the album was lost somewhere and did not come, but a month later we got the money back. With this money we bought an album at a nearby store. And a month later, we still received a loss. We now have two identical photo albums.
Some interesting facts about US Post
While writing this article, I found information that the US Postal Service does not use money collected as taxes, and to fund its activities relies only on the sale of postal products and services. Maybe that's why the post office works many times better than the local traffic police, which we sponsor by paying taxes?
On the subject: How Americans Celebrate Christmas and New Year: Russian Impressions
The mail here is really cool, and people change their addresses so often that when you move you just need to go to the USPS website (yes, the mail has a working website) and change the address online! The cost of the service is $ 1, but how useful it is! After that, all correspondence addressed to you will go to the new address. I didn't believe it, but when my husband moved, the postcard sent to him from me from Russia had not yet reached the old address, and after changing the address on the US postal website, he received my postcard in the new apartment with the old new address pasted over it.
Everything is delivered quickly. Postcards reach the country in 4-5 days, and from Europe and to Europe in a week and a half. And then I return to the New Year's cards, sadly remember the Russian mail and the New Year's cards that I sent in December last year. They, unfortunately, did not reach all my friends, and those that did reach were not in the mailboxes of the addressees for the New Year, and not even in January, but in February and March. After all this, I am very surprised when Americans start complaining about how poorly their mail works. Haha, they just don't know what to compare to. I am delighted with the American post!
This year, postcards flew to Russia in November, so we keep our fists and hope that they will all reach the New Year or at least January, and not by March 8, as it was last year.
Original column published on the blog. “The World Through Helene's Eyes” on “Yandex Zen"
ForumDaily Woman is not responsible for the content of blogs and may not share the views of the author. If you want to become the author of the column, write to us - [email protected].
