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An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.


"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil—he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

First People - The Legends. Cherokee Legend of Two Wolves. November 16, 2004. [accessed April 7, 2012].

Friday, April 25, 2014

Upper Marlboro Post Office: arrogant apathetic looks of bored disinterest couched in layers of studied discourtesy

Hi Upper Marlboro Neighbors;

            Since I moved here in 2004, I have been quietly fighting the postal service. I have tried to be polite about my damaged, shredded, ripped, stepped on letters and mailings sent to me in my capacity as Chair of the Historic Preservation Commission and former Trustee of the County Library System. I pay for a PO Box to send as much mail as I can, but the State and Federal government want to send documents that I rarely actually get to a physical address.  I wait in vain for checks from clients.

            I sort through my neighbors misdirected mail, and have tried many times to explain the problem while holding the evidence in my hands to the cavalier, arrogant staff at our post office, gritting my teeth as I listen to the explanations that suggest that somehow it is my fault that they misdelivered my neighbors mail.

            Holiday packages sent from monks in Kentucky never arrive, and I am told that perhaps I ate the cheese inside and am lying about the non-delivery or that perhaps one of my neighbor's walked over and helped himself to the cheese.

            Yesterday an attempt was made to deliver an international package - I was not home - and a notice was left to come to the post office today Thursday April 24th to get the package.  Upon arrival at the post office, the postal employee explained it had been delivered already. The postal employee even had th audacity to suggest we go home and check and then come back the next day. Also, as with the cheese, they suggested that our neighbors appropriated our delivery. (we do not live in a sub divisions and I can assure everyone our neighbors are not stealthily stealing our mail).

            After repeated attempts to point out not to our house - it was acknowledged that indeed it went to some different address than on the official address and was signed by someone not from our neighborhood - no further explanation was offered and the next person in line rudely decided we had tied up the unfortunate employee long enough.

            To make matters worse, it turns out it was not delivered to a wrong address but given by a clerk at the Post Office to a wrong person on a different route...this in spite of making us prove who we are every time we go to pick up a package - this rule must only apply to us.  Please note the package came from Russia and was covered in Cyrillic writing  (excepting of course our name and address which were and always are in the traditional western Roman alphabet) that the disinterested clerks could not spend the time to notice.

            The worst part is the rude, uncaring accusatory manner in which their mistake is turned into our fault. This is what really burns me up.  Not a single "We're sorry, we will see what we can do." 

            Nothing; just arrogant apathetic looks of bored disinterest.

           Today 24 hours later, no call from anyone at the post office; I went in person this morning having received an alternative version of what happened; called mid-day no information and was told yet another story this evening - the customer to whom they gave our international package threw it away.  I suppose the Post Office in Upper Marlboro believes that the world is filled with idiots who believe concocted stories, though given the studied disinterested and a committed, dismissive attitude I suppose it possible that they gave our package to a complete stranger with no ID and that the stranger not having received their package simply chose to throw our away.

            And, yes, after trying the understand not confrontational, extremely polite request,  I tried filing a complaint a few years ago when the holiday package never arrived...a useless exercise in wasting my time; nothing happened. I have put up with this for almost ten years now. I have had enough. Whom exactly does the Postal Service serve? -Certainly not our street or community as I am finding out from my neighbors.

            So Upper Marlboro, do you have a postal story to share?

Upper Marlboro, Md Post Office - the arrogance of apathy continues 


1 comment:

Dave C. said...

It sounds like the people and the system have failed Mr. Thompson.

However, I have found the window clerks at the Upper Marlboro post office to be unfailingly pleasant and polite, as well as reasonably efficient, although picking up certified mail is an overly time-consuming and bureaucratic chore.

I have had a few complaints over the past 29 years that I've lived here, but many of those were due to policies not of local making. Most were easily and promptly resolved.