Rain, sleet, hail or snow, will not, but.....

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 5:17 pm

...... Backing up sure will!! OK I am off topic, and if you work for the USPS you might
not want to read this, BUT, you can sure tell the organizations that are trying to make a
buck and those who it is not that big of a deal. Simply put, I am trying to arrange for a
kiosk on the exterior of a new building that will handle Fed Ex, UPS, and the Postal
service, boxes and machines. While we are taking the time and money to make it pretty
and accessible, we don't want it to be the first thing you notice when you enter the site. I
have spent a portion of a Monday working out size details, access etc. with UPS and
Fed-ex and they are tickled pink. For three days, though, I have not been able to make the
US postal service happy, with the exact same spot the other guys think is great. It seems
the USPS can not back up! I do not know whether it is a flaw in the vehicle they buy, or
the employees they hire but they can not back up! He is the conversation I just had.

Mslacat: OK the location is clear of any major obstacles, has clear access for a wheeled
up cart and/or vehicle approach and wheelchair access, it is well lit, and covered. UPS
and Fed ex have signed off on it. I have full drawing for the Kiosk and I am using only
officially approved post office boxes. So is this going to work for you!
USPS: No
Mslacat: OK, what appears to be the problem, I believe I have met and documented
everything we talked about yesterday .
USPS: Well it appears that, the driver of the truck we use to deliver large packages, will
need to back up once he delivers his packages.
Mslacat: No, look he can drive strait through after dropping off the package this way.
USPS: No that is an alley, we can not drive this truck down an alley.
Mslacat: No, this is not an alley it is a 20 foot wide access drive we put in specifically so
that fire trucks that also come in here can get out of the complex with no trouble..
USPS: By our definition, it is an alley, and we can not drive down an alley with this
truck.
Mslacat: OK, look, lets measure the distance from the Kiosk that your drive would
actually have to back if he chose.... about 15 feet that is 4 feet less that an average parking
stall at the mall.
USPS: Yes, but you your self just said we would have to back up, Our larger delivery
trucks do not back up. 5 feet or 50 feet we don't back up.
Mslacat: OOOOOO Kay. And a 20 foot wide drive way designed in all ways to facilitate
a large Fire truck to exit this property will not work either..
USPS: No because it is an alley by our definition, and we are not allowed to use alleys
with our large delivery truck.
Mslacat: Who's on first , What’s on second.
USPS: Excuse me!
Mslacat: Never mind I have to go (Mslacat runs like the wind before he lost it)

wbtfg · Post by **wbtfg** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 5:21 pm

Was it David Spade on the other end?

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 5:24 pm

wbtfg wrote:Was it David Spade on the other end?

Thats pretty good!!

I personally felt like I was in an Aboute and Coustello (ask your MOM) but that works very well ,too!

Post by **SonomaCat** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 5:29 pm

All I do know is that I Don't Know is at third base.

That's one helluva funny story, mslacat. I love the little dialogues that you share.

Bleedinbluengold · Post by **Bleedinbluengold** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 6:21 pm

I understand where the USPS is coming from. We just can't have USPS trucks and mail carriers going up and down alleys or driveways or fire lanes willy nilly. You've seen what they do when they have to much free will.

Funniest USPS irony that I've encountered (recently anyway)...For days, we had subcontractors at our house doing some work. The mail did not get delivered for any of those days because "mail box was blocked." This was what the "checked" item on the official 'sticky' note read. The sticky had been tacked to my mailbox's door.

The only thing I don't know is whether the mail carrier had to get out of the delivery vehicle in order to put the note on our mailbox, or not.

grizbeer · Post by **grizbeer** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:03 pm

mslacat I assumed you mailed the drawings to the person at the USPS. next time try inserting a medium size wad of cash in the envelope, maybe your alley will become a boulevard.

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:36 pm

Solution

OK you fine folks had listen to vent after seemingly bang my head against the wall, but at
7:30 this morning as I headed to work. I told myself that I needed to come up with a
solution and make Mr. USPS think it was his idea. So I told myself, "Come on Mslacat
we got to think "Outside the Box".... that one little phrase I got a ridiculously silly
possible answer to my weeks frustrating problem, I needed to think "outside the
mail box" So making sure Mr. USPS had plenty of time to have coffee I called Mid
Morning to the following conversation.

Mslacat: What about this, What if my client puts a sign up at the mail Kiosk that said "
No delivery of packages that will not fit in the Mail Boxes"
USPS: That would work. Then our folks would Deliver the packages directly to each
individual addressee.
Mslacat: What , about your delivery truck and access.
USPS: Oh they can pull into any parking stall in the complex and use their hand cart to
deliver the larger packages to the addressee.
Mslacat: So, the plans I gave you yesterday will work, and I can get approved as long as I include a
note to include the sign.
USPS: I will approve that!
Mslacat: Would you mind if I stopped by this afternoon and get you to sign off on this all,
I ll be in the neighborhood.
USPS: No, not at all, see you then.
Mslacat: I-don't-know on third.
USPS: What?
Mslacat: See you then!

Now the thing I did not ask him was how was his delivery truck that could not back up 14
feet in a driving lane, was going to back out of a 19 foot deep by 9 foot wide parking
stall. That is his problem now I have the written approval in my sweaty little palms.

Thanks for being there for me Guys.

Platinumcat · Post by **Platinumcat** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:08 pm

My dad works for the USPS and I am always teasing him. I am so going to have him read this!