Anyone else noticed overlay crowded Post office's lately?

jdimmick

Is it me or is there a strong surgence of people using the post office lately?
I have noticed extremely long lines and longer wait times at post offices, at least in my area?

Is anyone else seeing that ?

I have had to wait as long as 45min to mail out stuff and there are about 10 Post office's in my area, all the same way!

I have been told that it is possibly due to a large number of e-sales/ transactions, and also because in this area being close to a large military base people sending stuff out to there family members who are oversee's in afganistan and sitting off shore in the persian gulf waiting to strike ol saddam.

BSqr

It's not just you and it isn't just because of military deployments.

If 45 minutes is the longest you've had to wait then feeel lucky. I've waited 90 minuted easy.

littlewicher

Whenever I go, there's no one ever there.

mbbiker

the longest i've ever waited in line was about 10 minutes and that was at 5:00 Friday

itsnotjustme

Anytime I go on a Saturday, it's bad. 20-30 minutes. And they are only open 1000-1200, with two windows running.

airplanenut

Never waited more than 5 minutes ... small town (~22,000), 3 or 4 tellers, few customers

MrKelso

Saturday Morning at my Post office 38 people in line i was now number 11, more people comming in see the line and walk out. ONE WINDOW OPENED ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

FatMan

I use 5 different post offices that are from home to my work. It doesn't matter which one, at what time, or what day. Minumum wait. 30 minutes- normal wait. 40 minutes- max wait. 1 hr. PO's here in north Atlanta suck!

prooflike

It's about 1/2 hour for me.

Lakesammman

I suspect it relates mainly to the security measures imposed some time ago - remember when you could mail priority/express w/o standing in line, if less than 2 lbs?? Now you have to be interrogated for every item. It's been really bad in Seattle, per earlier threads, simply because the infrastructure has been out grown (ditto roads, housing, parking, etc).

BSqr

Lakesammman,

I disagree. It has to do with community makeup. Large towns and areas with lots of immigrants have the longest delays and slowest service.

Twowood

Our local PO is as slow now as it was 30 years ago and the employees couldn't care less..
I've been going to the local "Mail Boxes Etc." Slightly pricier but there's rarely a line and he's got smiles for everybody. I can also send valuables thru UPS with "Mail Boxes Etc."


Twowood

fcloud

It depends on the USPS office I use. The two small town ones only take a few minutes. When I use the ones in Milwaukee, it can be quick or slow depending on who-knows-what.

Lakesammman

I see - the long lines out the door have more to do with immigrants than only 2 of 5 counters being serviced....interesting theory. I will concede that the ESL-folks BEHIND the counter does slow the service down.

flaminio

Depends on the P.O., and also on the time you go. There's a certain time at my local P.O. (and I'm not going to tell you when ) where there's never a line. I get there, park right out front, and walk right up to one of the several open windows. However, if you go to this same P.O. an hour later, you'll have to wait a long time. A little research in this regard can save you a lot of time.

lathmach

Town I live near has less than 2000 population. Once in a while there'll be someone else at the Post Office when I go there. Not often.
If I need to send something out, I just walk around out in the sorting room, and wake up whoever is working there that day.

Ray

BSqr

Lakesammman,

I must have touched a nerve there huh. You disagree with me so you turn to derogatory sarcasm. Nice.