Going Postal
It's a breezey 112 here in Phoenix today. So after driving home, breaking a sweat and getting just enough sun to give a fair Swedish child skin cancer, I opened my mailbox to find a slip of paper saying I needed to go to the post office to pick up a parcel. It was from "return to sender" and I apparently had to pay $5.35. Hmmm. A bit curious and a bit miffed that I would have to enjoy my air conditioned condo for all of 5 minutes before running back out to drive to the post office. I live a stone's throw away from a post office, but when ASU came downtown, they stuck a flag in the post office claiming it as their's, and my mail was put in the hands of another post office...5 miles away. They've lost stuff and botched up things too many times to count. I hate dealing with them, but alas...you gotta do what you gotta do.
So I drive to the lovely post office, get out of my truck, sweat, squint, feel the refreshing summer breeze of Phoenix which feels like a hairdryer the size of a semi blowing me (NOT in that good way), and I walk inside. The gentleman takes my slip and goes in the back. 3 minutes later he emerges carrying a parcel that resembles a relic Indiana Jones fought off natives to get. I see it is my writing. It is addressed to my friend Connor (ubermunkey). My eyes go the size of eggs. This is the package I sent Connor for his birthday. The package he never got. The package that was mailed NOVEMBER 12, 2008!
POST OFFICE: "Here we go. Looks like it was undeliverable. It'll be $5.35."
ME: *in shock but also pissed* "I mailed that thing last YEAR."
PO: *looking at the parcel*
ME: "I mailed it in November! My friend never got it. It got lost in the mail. And now...8 months later...you're going to CHARGE me to give it back to me?"
PO: *checking the date again* "Hmmm, it says it was undeliverable."
ME: "SO? Why is it undeliverable? That looks like postage on the corner. *pointing to the label that shows I paid to ship it* The address exists. The PERSON exists. I just talked to him. It took you 8 MONTHS to tell me I owe you money so I can get it back?"
PO: *reluctant* "Well.."
ME: "Thank God you don't charge interest. Look, I'm not gonna pay just so I can get something back that I paid you to deliver...and didn't deliver, ok? If anything, you should pay ME. I wasted $5.35 on postage, however much the package cost, and I've already REPLACED the stuff because it never got to him."
PO: "You know what? This was our fault. I'm not gonna charge you for this."
ME: *politely* "Thanks." *taking my brittle package and being careful not to let it blow away in dust*
When I got home, I carefully opened the package. Inside were 3 mix CD's I had made for Connor. It was his 40th birthday, and one CD was all songs from 1968 (the year he was born), another CD were songs by artists who were all 40 or over when the songs were recorded. And the last disc was just a mix of songs I thought he would like since for the last few years now, I always make him a "Munkey Mix" CD on his birthday. There was also a card, a letter, and a book. The book had dust bunnies on it! LOL
I've already called Connor and informed him of the discovery. Well Connor, you're birthday is only 4 months away. I'll try to get this in the mail for you so you can get it by February. :)
So I drive to the lovely post office, get out of my truck, sweat, squint, feel the refreshing summer breeze of Phoenix which feels like a hairdryer the size of a semi blowing me (NOT in that good way), and I walk inside. The gentleman takes my slip and goes in the back. 3 minutes later he emerges carrying a parcel that resembles a relic Indiana Jones fought off natives to get. I see it is my writing. It is addressed to my friend Connor (ubermunkey). My eyes go the size of eggs. This is the package I sent Connor for his birthday. The package he never got. The package that was mailed NOVEMBER 12, 2008!
POST OFFICE: "Here we go. Looks like it was undeliverable. It'll be $5.35."
ME: *in shock but also pissed* "I mailed that thing last YEAR."
PO: *looking at the parcel*
ME: "I mailed it in November! My friend never got it. It got lost in the mail. And now...8 months later...you're going to CHARGE me to give it back to me?"
PO: *checking the date again* "Hmmm, it says it was undeliverable."
ME: "SO? Why is it undeliverable? That looks like postage on the corner. *pointing to the label that shows I paid to ship it* The address exists. The PERSON exists. I just talked to him. It took you 8 MONTHS to tell me I owe you money so I can get it back?"
PO: *reluctant* "Well.."
ME: "Thank God you don't charge interest. Look, I'm not gonna pay just so I can get something back that I paid you to deliver...and didn't deliver, ok? If anything, you should pay ME. I wasted $5.35 on postage, however much the package cost, and I've already REPLACED the stuff because it never got to him."
PO: "You know what? This was our fault. I'm not gonna charge you for this."
ME: *politely* "Thanks." *taking my brittle package and being careful not to let it blow away in dust*
When I got home, I carefully opened the package. Inside were 3 mix CD's I had made for Connor. It was his 40th birthday, and one CD was all songs from 1968 (the year he was born), another CD were songs by artists who were all 40 or over when the songs were recorded. And the last disc was just a mix of songs I thought he would like since for the last few years now, I always make him a "Munkey Mix" CD on his birthday. There was also a card, a letter, and a book. The book had dust bunnies on it! LOL
I've already called Connor and informed him of the discovery. Well Connor, you're birthday is only 4 months away. I'll try to get this in the mail for you so you can get it by February. :)