> Hi Rehd, and what a pleasure it is to meet you also!

> Since you're a postal worker, Uh . . . I'm assuming you don't know where I
> live and harbor any grudges or own a gun, or best 2 out of 3 . . . ;-)

> I've actually had my worst experiences with UPS - - There are areas of the
> country where I swear they employ gorillas taught to destroy anything I
> would care to ship. The Post ofice might only lose items - UPS destroys
> them. Anyway, it's very nice to meet you, and I think you have assessed
> the shipping delay appropriately. Ya' get what ya' pay for. Priority Mail
> has been very good thusfar, I even found a cut-rate cell phone dealer in
> Guam that gets batteries to me in 2 days via PM cheap . . . Not too bad .
> . .

> Best Regards, Spidey

To Answer Your question first Ross, when you pay for parcel post, it is basically a ground service, and if it goes by aircraft, it only does so after all other classes of mail are taken care of. It is a low priority, and can even get bumped off of flights if something else of higher priority comes on board halfway to it's destination. The Postal service once had a fleet of airplanes, just like UPS and lost them to cost cutting about 12 to 15 years ago or more. We use commercial airlines and freight now. So, we compete with everyone else for space. That is also why our 2-day priority is no longer guaranteed for two days. An airline can simply leave something off, if they sell the space to a higher bidder.

And Spidey, UPS does not have a lock on the Gorilla types. We also have our share. There are those in every workforce who delite in trying to see just how much mischief they can get into, for the fun of it. They are few and far between, but, it only takes one to put a smudge on the whole system. Since the postal service is soooo visible, it is easier to blame them for everything that goes wrong, ie: the HF situation. We do our best and there are a lot of terrific folks in our business who bust their butts, but, one slip up and all that is for not. As for us and UPS, they handle about 150 to 200 packages a day per driver, and have someone else load their vehicles for them. We sort, case and deliver on the average of 2,500 to 4,ooo pcs of mail and around 20 to 40 packages a day per carrier. They get about $5.00 an hour more than we do, and charge about that much more also. But, they maintain their own fleet of aircraft, and so don't have to worry about getting anything on it's way on time.

I could find out where you lived a lot easier by asking my brother " a Hacker " to locate you by computer, but, fortunately, I'm, as I mentioned,a Perfectly Gruntled postal employee. That, and my guns are all for show, and I'm a God-Fearing, Born-Again Christian. Have a nice day. {;o) I have enjoyed your posts and watching you grow ( craftwise ). Keep up the great work. Hel.......Heck, I even like Ole George and Our friend Don, who has a good point, but, lacks a little tact in presentation.

Enough of the Off Topic Posts for tonight. C-Ya

Rehd