A little jab at the USPS

[Racinbob 11,082]

We all have our stories about delivery issues with the various services. I do a fair amount online and the vast majority go through the USPS and there's rarely an issue. Early this month I purchased an item which was located in Kalamazoo, MI. I had the option of picking it up and thought about it since that's only about 118 miles away but I decided to have it mailed and it would easily fit inside the mailbox. I figured it would take 3 days max but fortunately time wasn't a concern.

From Kalamazoo it went to Pittsburgh, PA. Then it went to Detroit, MI. I figured from there to South Bend as all packages do prior to Knox but no. It then went down to Indianapolis. Finally it made it's way to South Bend, then Knox and delivered. The package traveled 1124 miles to ultimately cover 118. I simply got a chuckle out of it and I'm sure it will come to mind the next time the USPS says they have to raise their rates again. 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Racinbob

[Ed Kennell 38,196]

[JoeM 7,874]

42 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

The package traveled 1124 miles to ultimately cover 118

I wondered that too.

Had a friend explain the logistics of the not so logistic means of mail package travel. As hard as it is to believe the goal is to get it there the shortest route and on time......but that all goes out the window when the system gets clogged up. As it turns out the PO has limited storage capacity and material has to be on the move. So, the delivery algorithm will make adjustments to checkerboard the delivery so the system doesn't stop or get shut down. 

The cause of the frequent flyer miles    "Artificial Intelligence" Scary huh?

[squonk 41,136]

Computers and scanning got involved. 

 

We've been having issues with getting our prescriptions filled lately. You call the Pharmacy. The computer generated service rep asks for your info ect. You give it the info. When the script is out of refills it asks if you want the pharmacy to contact the doc for the refill. You say yes. Here's where the fun starts. The computer contacts the Doc's computer. The Person at the Doc may or may not see or they may forget about it since they are "short staffed" You call or stop in the pharmacy 3 days later. "We're still waiting for the doc's approval" You call the doc. "We haven't got anything from the pharmacy" And round and round we go. Took 3 weeks to get my wife's blood pressure meds. And she's getting Pi$$ed about it raising the BP further. Then I go to get my meds. Every time I walk in it's a different pharmacist and staff. Then not all scrips are filled there. They have a separate central fill location for the pharmacy chain. More computers, more scanning and more hands stirring the sauce.

[squonk 41,136]

And it's not all USPS UPS and Fed Ex do the same thing. My wife ordered something once. She watched the Fed X tracking. We live about 10 miles south of the NYS Thruway. She watched that package pass our exit back and forth 6 times.

[Ed Kennell 38,196]

2 minutes ago, squonk said:

 

We've been having issues with getting our prescriptions filled lately

This is one of the few "intellegent" system that works for me.   We get all our meds from the local GIANT Pharmacy.   They send a reminder text when a scrip is coming due.

I call and type in the scrip number and it is filled in one or three days if they need to contact the MD for renewal.     They call when it is ready to be picked up or will deliver it for a fee.

[JoeM 7,874]

8 minutes ago, squonk said:

You call the Pharmacy.

Had the inside track on that for years. The wife work at the local pharmacy, then she retired. And the pharmacy changed or I should say run off the the good help. I ask for her advice, said go mail order. Mail order is not trouble free but was a lot better than the merry go round phone thing. 

[Ed Kennell 38,196]

I remember a previous USPS discussion where a package shipped from the mid west to the east coast  took a two week vaction in Hawaii before it was delivered.

[ri702bill 8,327]

A couple of years back I ordered an item on Amazon. Their tracking on the day of delivery is usually OUTSTANDING - the vehicles have real-time GPS tracking you can follow once the truck is within your area. It's a Friday night, item was supposed to be delivered by 3 PM that day, but there was a delay. It was about 7:30 PM, and I can follow the delivery route - I'm up in 2 stops!! Truck goes to the stop before me, stays a while....... and then I see the truck on the screen GOING BACK TO THE HIGHWAY!!! No package!!

It arrives the following afternoon - I ask the driver what was up with that. He says they "work" until 8 PM, has to get the truck back by then to be loaded for the next day............... No, I was not their first stop either!!

Doing their part to keep the VICE in service...

Edited May 15, 2023 by ri702bill

[Mike'sHorseBarn 2,998]

I hate fed ex with a passion for this issue. That and the delivery drivers trust their phone GPS like it's the bible and don't bother to read number on the house or the mailbox. 

 

I had this issues with USPS earlier this month. I mailed a fuel pump for my galaxie to Massachusetts to get rebuilt and it got tossed around up there like it was a tennis ball at Wimbledon lol 

[sergeant 291]

I had a Package coming from California via USPS, go to Colorado to Washington state to Illinois where it was supposed to Go then to another Place in Illinois and finally  Back to right Illinois delivery location took 15 days was supposed to be 3 days

Edited May 15, 2023 by sergeant

[ri702bill 8,327]

15 minutes ago, Mike'sHorseBarn said:

I mailed a fuel pump for my galaxie to Massachusetts to get rebuilt

Mike - Then and Now ??

[Mike'sHorseBarn 2,998]

1 hour ago, ri702bill said:

Mike - Then and Now ??

 

No, Arthur Gould Rebuilders

[JoeM 7,874]

8 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

I remember a previous USPS discussion where a package shipped from the mid west to the east coast  took a two week vaction in Hawaii before it was delivered.

kind of makes me want to mail myself somewhere......can't fit in a large flat rate box and they don't have the super, super duper size option.