LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Questions arise with more post office woes

To the Editor:

What to do about our inefficient post office?

This is not the first time I have written about the frustrations I have had with the Boca Grande Post Office and at the rate things are going, it might not be the last. I am mad. Really angry. And terribly frustrated. 

I left for home for the holidays and put my mail on hold. I filled out one of those yellow slips and handed it over to the clerk asking to hold the mail from December 7th for the requisite 30 days. 

About the 21st of December I received phone calls, emails and messages from several friends that their Christmas cards were returned to them with a yellow sticker on it saying “return to sender, unclaimed, unable to forward.” So I tried calling the post office … many times. Let it ring. No one answered. I kept trying for days on end. 

More messages, emails, etc. You get the picture.  

Finally, on December 30, I got through to the post office! I asked them to extend the hold. And they said they would. At that time the clerk did not say, “We have no hold authorization for you.” Just that she would extend it. I knew that the four weeks of the hold was up on January 4 and we were not returning to Jan 7. I thought all was good. 

I went to the post office yesterday to pick up the mail that had been on hold. The clerk asked me for my “yellow slip.” I said I didn’t need a yellow slip, I was just picking up my mail. The postal worker brought out a pitiful amount. One Boca Beacon dated January 7 and about six pieces. That for a month is ridiculous. Obviously it was only being held after I called on December 30.

I told the postal worker about the returned mail and asked why it was returned. He said there was no “hold mail” request and asked if I had “handed” it to the clerk or “mailed” it. As if that made a difference? I said there was indeed a hold mail request, as there has had been for the past 22 years. An argument ensued. The worker held firm on his position that there was no hold request, and that by law therefore they had to return mail. 

I asked to speak to the postmaster, who was on a conference call. I asked the clerk to acknowledge that a mistake was made on their part, for I knew I was right. A simple “I’m sorry- we made an error. And I understand your frustration” would have eased my frustration. But no, just a continual attack on me and making excuses for their abominable behavior. The postal worker even had the audacity to laugh at me. I was wrong obviously. I asked him to at least admit that they “could have made an error.” Did not happen. I told the postal worker it was embarrassing for me to have mail and presents returned to my friends. I told them that I have experienced many times medicines returned, tax bills returned and other important material. You all know this because it has happened to you, I know. 

They tell us how to address our mail correctly. We do. Somehow it is always wrong and so it is sent back. 

What can we do? I have personally submitted a complaint with the USPS website. Despite the fact that I had a choice of being emailed or phoned and I chose a phone call the answer was “You will be contacted by email in one to three days.” Great. I don’t think I got through to the government.  

Anyone for mailboxes?  

Oh boy, I bet I just opened a big can of worms. 

Boots Tolsdorf

Boca Grande