Where's my damn package?
One more little detail that bolsters the case for privatizing the postal service: tracking. Even if you slashed its cost to ten cents a package, it would still be a rip-off. It befuddles me why anyone in their right mind would bother even laying down half a buck for this ridiculous waste of a "service".
Let me explain. No, let me let the USPS itself explain just how useless they are. I shall illustrate by way of a simple comparison.
Tracking a package with UPS, you get this:
| Date | Time | Location | Activity |
| May 16, 2003 | 12:09 P.M. | SAN JOSE, CA, US | DELIVERY |
| 5:26 A.M. | SAN JOSE, CA, US | OUT FOR DELIVERY | |
| 5:24 A.M. | SAN JOSE, CA, US | ARRIVAL SCAN | |
| 2:15 A.M. | RICHMOND, CA, US | DEPARTURE SCAN | |
| May 15, 2003 | 1:04 P.M. | RICHMOND, CA, US | ARRIVAL SCAN |
| May 13, 2003 | 2:26 A.M. | MESQUITE, TX, US | DEPARTURE SCAN |
| 2:08 A.M. | MESQUITE, TX, US | ARRIVAL SCAN | |
| May 12, 2003 | 10:03 P.M. | AUSTIN, TX, US | DEPARTURE SCAN |
| 6:14 P.M. | US | BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED | |
| 6:07 P.M. | AUSTIN, TX, US | ORIGIN SCAN |
But UPS is an exception, surely. Not ALL major, nationwide private companies do this... well, no, actually they do. Here's a recent AirEx package that was sent to me:
| DATE | TIME | ACTIVITY AND COMMENTS | LOCATION |
| 5/28/03 | 11 : 52 am | Delivered. | Georgetown, TX |
| 7 : 36 am | Arrived at Airborne Station. | Georgetown, TX | |
| 12 : 31 am | Processed at Sort Facility. | Wilmington, OH | |
| 5/27/03 | 5 : 29 pm | Picked Up by Airborne. | Shipper's Door |
Well, let's see what the brilliant, bumbling geniuses at the USPS came up with for tracking:
You entered 9101 1052 8094 0201 0634 28Ah, that's helpful. I can see exactly what's going on -- the Postal Service [sic] was notified by either the shipper or the shipping partner (whoever that is) sometime three days ago that I should expect my package for mailing. Which means... what exactly? I don't know. That the shipper (or shipping partner, don't forget) has an intent to mail something to me? That he's already sent it. Okay, fine. So when should I get it? Where's the tracking, you incompetent boobs?The U.S. Postal Service was electronically notified by the shipper or shipping partner on May 27, 2003 to expect your package for mailing. Status is updated every evening. Please check again later.
This is the same organization that somehow thinks that it's necessary to install flat-panel displays behind its service [sic] counter... to give you handy flash animation-style ads about the latest stamps that are on sale from the Marilyn Monroe collection or the greatest events of the 70's. Someone tell me how this is an efficient use of our money. Someone tell me why you need stadium-style Diamond-vision billboards indoors, in a post office to advertise stamps for the love of god. Explain to me how even if they sell a couple thousand of packages of these 37-cent stamps that they'll even be able to pay that thing off.
Ah... but that's what you get when you give an organization billions of dollars and no accountability to the real-life, real-world market, with real people who need real results, at the lowest possible cost. UPS and FedEx and AirEx do it... if you want to know why the postal service [sic] can't, there you go.
Posted by Matt at May 30, 2003 9:44 AM
