Press Release

Your Local Post Office and Mail Workers; the Unrecognized Superheroes

Portola residents are still questioning why their packages are being held or delayed at the Post Office (PO), which has been experiencing a large amount of Amazon packages, and staffing shortages. Be aware that if you try to track your packages and it says it is shipped with USPS, although the tracking might say “out for delivery,” they can be holding the package at the PO to be picked up by residents instead of delivered, sometimes with no notice. One time we were given the excuse that there was “no room on the truck” for our package, which was not a large box.
So why are they forcing the residents to go to the PO, many of whom cannot do so and are housebound? How are you supposed to pick up packages that should be getting delivered if you work during the hours they are open? Why doesn't the Portola PO deliver Amazon packages on Sundays as other offices do? What could be the reason for them being consistently short-staffed?
When living in a small town, sometimes it can be easy to forget how grateful we should be for the services we have access to, and that sometimes a line to wait in can feel like an eternity, even when the majority of Americans are accustomed to waiting in lines. Sometimes our conditioning and programming can lead us to expect how long (or not) we should expect something to take. One of the things many people expect in a time frame is receiving their mail. In a small town where people are accustomed to waiting only five minutes in line, customers are inclined to complain and blame the workers, as if they have an agenda to delay progress for their own benefit.
One common misconception I would like to clear up is the lie that tax dollars pay for the
United States Post Office (USPS.) In fact, the USPS is self-funded through the profit they sell for services like package and stamp postage. Mail delivery is a free service to residents. Many people feel it is their privilege and right to this free service, with expectations of delivery times.

Submitted: 08/01/23
Article By: Sierra Booster