The USPS is notorious for running in the red these days, and I’ve read that more service cuts are needed (possibly already made by now) in order for it to keep operating. Perhaps it should take a look at the Azerbaijan mail system (or lack thereof) for some ideas.
The postal system here is personal, with low overhead. Mail isn’t delivered to homes and businesses. If there is a letter for you, it will be given to a friend or neighbor or colleague who happens to be in the post office. That person will then pass it along until it reaches you. For example, a couple of letters came for my site mate, Malaika. They were given to Alma, the woman who is in charge of the IREX computer center because another American PCV is assigned to the center. Alma gave me the letters when I came to the center to use the internet and I brought them to Malaika because her host mom is my Azeri tutor. No trucks, no heavy mailbags involved.
When I moved to a new host family, I went to the post office to tell them my address changed. This was really unnecessary in some ways, since there is no home delivery. But my mail is no longer given to my old neighbors to pass along. Now I get it at the College where I work. When a letter arrives, several teachers will text me to tell me where it is. The last time a cleaning lady spotted me in a classroom late in the afternoon, and brought me the packet that had ended up in the Deputy Director’s office.
Getting a package is more personal, since I have to pay a small fee and show my passport when one arrives. The post office man will call me, or more likely my site mate, Carrie to say I have a package. When I go to the post office, he spots me at the back of the line and welcomes me, “Elizabeth, where have you been?” I am then escorted behind the counter to sit down while he finishes with his customer. Then it takes him about 10 minutes to fill out the forms for me to get the package. It is weighed to show that nothing is missing since it was mailed, or since it arrived, I’m not sure which. The last time one arrived it had burst open, so he found a plastic bag and helped me transfer the contents to get them home. He also checked the contents against the form on the front to make sure nothing was missing.
If you’re in a rush,or you can’t carry your own packages this system won’t work for you. But it is personal, and there’s no junk mail!
