The us postal service is becoming a dinosaur soon to become extinct if it doesn't revamp itself. There is a new generation on thehorizon and that is who will be deciding who survives and who doesn't. Between the internet, fax machines, apps, cell phone, ipads, UPS and FEDEX, Netflix, Hulu and the ever changing technology.....folks don't even have to leave their house anymore to shop.

Most pay bills on-line, send pictures via internet, send greeting cards via internet, sign and deliver legal documents via FAX. Remember there is 'emal and then there is what is now referred to as 'snail mail'. The post offices are a total disaster come Christmas time. We have had to wait up to almost 1 hour in line at the Heritage po to mail Christmas pkgs. Now we go on line and print out labels and UPS comes right to the house and picks them up.

The postal service has served it's purpose well, but once this old generation dies off....the new generation will use it even less.

My uncle and a friend of ours is recently retired from the u.s.postal service!! Their union retirement package is to die for. Perhaps they should rethink and renegotiate on a smaller scale if they want to stay afloat!

Basically......they can't afford their lucrative retirement packages any more. imho

If you had to wait on line an hour at Heritage Station -- maybe you waited until too late to mail your packages.  That is why, I do my Christmas shopping early -- have everything purchased by Columbus Day.  Then I send Saint Nicholas Day (Dec 6)  presents and Epiphany/Little Christmas (Jan 6) presents to my out of town relatives.    --  the post offices are certainly more pleasant the  FIRST week of December and the FIRST week of January than they are the THIRD week of December.

Heritage Station is a great station --- and so is the one in Rotterdam Junction --- the post office in Rotterdam Square Mall is NOT convenient precisely because it is IN the mall.   It would be better if it were a stand alone facility OUTSIDE the mall.

Quoted from Tommy

The pony express was more of a legend than anything else. It closed within a year, and was deeply in debt.

The only 2 services guaranteed by the constitution, are the postal service, and the census.
I notice that bailouts, subsidies, corporate welfare, an insanely large military budget, and foreign aid to countries where the citizens never see a penny of it, are not.

I  predict an awful lot of late fees by credit card companies, who will charge it whether the payment is late, or not.We take it for granted, that that we can afford computers, their upkeep, and the cost of internet access.
That's not to mention the learning curve, of which many people are unwilling, or unable to tackle.

What about those living hand to mouth on unemployment, or social security checks that come by mail.
What of mail order? Amazon, Netflix etc? Even FedEx uses the US Mail in rural areas for the final stretch.
A signed document that has to be delivered with proof of receipt? I'd rather not pay 10X the cost that it is now.

Who the hell said that the postal service was supposed to "turn a profit" in the first place?
The pentagon, DOT, DSS, DHS, TSA, etc etc sure don't, and an awful lot of that money is just flushed down the toilet.

Dissolving, or crippling the postal service is just another part of The United States' downward spiral.

The US is #1 at absolutely NOTHING, other that military might, but we sure are good at faux patriotic country songs, and yelling WE'RE NUMBER ONE! USA! USA! USA!

the government is subsidising cell phone so 'poor momma' can call her family....so the government will upgrade to the 'poverty level' and offer 'smart phones'....my guess is that the taxes we pay on our cell phones/fios/cable etc will fill their need.....and make it 'acceptable'.....I dont feel bad when someone doesn't have an item....I feel bad when the government FORCES the rest to hand it out via
corrupt systems....I'd rather give it to you personally....THAT'S American....America wasn't founded on the government fluffing pillows for the plebs....kings promised pillow fluffing and came far
shorter than the individual.....

anyhow....I hear what your saying....it will go the way of the rotary phone and the 'tethered phone' of old....and I saw this in my lifetime....less than 20years it took.......humans ALWAYS find a way
if they want to....that is NOT something the government can own or promise....

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

I have never had a problem mailing packages at Heritage Station -- and it is a lot easier to get into and out of than the post office at the mall.  Like I said before, I worked in the mall for 8 years and never used that post office.  

Now if that post office were in a "stand alone" location -- or one that could be more easily accessed  (for example the post office in Rotterdam Junction is a lot easier to drive up and walk into than the one in the mall)  than I might use the postal facility.

The discussion is not about individual post office locations, it's about closing 250 PROCESSING centers.
You know, the ones like the one on Karner Road that have all the machines that read the zip codes etc, and route the mail where it's supposed to go.
THAT is what is going to cause the slowdown.
I'd rather see 5 local post offices close, than one processing center.

rampage: You are absolutely correct. The first highways, were post roads, and many of them still exist today.
The Boston Post Rd. is still named that, and originates in NYC.

Quoted from Tommy

The discussion is not about individual post office locations, it's about closing 250 PROCESSING centers.
You know, the ones like the one on Karner Road that have all the machines that read the zip codes etc, and route the mail where it's supposed to go.
THAT is what is going to cause the slowdown.
I'd rather see 5 local post offices close, than one processing center.

rampage: You are absolutely correct. The first highways, were post roads, and many of them still exist today.
The Boston Post Rd. is still named that, and originates in NYC.

Actually --- the discussion was about closing a post office location -- because I was responding to someone who said that there is a plan to close the post office in Rotterdam Square Mall.

There is NO plan to close the processing center on New Karner Road -- but they did consolidate the Glens Fall processing plant INTO New Karner Road.

Finally -- the US Constitution allows the federal government to create "Post Roads' .. but to say that the US Constitution is specifically or implcitly authorizing "Highways" is just not supported by the facts.   The "post Roads" were little more than dirt trails through the wilderness, were not wider than a single lane -- and through most of the year were almost impossible or extremely difficult for wagons and carriages to travel on.

Ironically, the best time to travel on a post road --- was in the winter -- if you could afford a horse drawn sleigh or horse drawn wagon with runners.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Actually --- the discussion was about closing a post office location -- because I was responding to someone who said that there is a plan to close the post office in Rotterdam Square Mall.

There is NO plan to close the processing center on New Karner Road -- but they did consolidate the Glens Fall processing plant INTO New Karner Road.

Finally -- the US Constitution allows the federal government to create "Post Roads' .. but to say that the US Constitution is specifically or implcitly authorizing "Highways" is just not supported by the facts.   The "post Roads" were little more than dirt trails through the wilderness, were not wider than a single lane -- and through most of the year were almost impossible or extremely difficult for wagons and carriages to travel on.

Ironically, the best time to travel on a post road --- was in the winter -- if you could afford a horse drawn sleigh or horse drawn wagon with runners.

I stand corrected, but yes, I'm aware that they aren't closing the Karner Rd location.
However, the increased traffic fron Glens Falls will serve to bog it down a bit.

Quoted from Tommy

I stand corrected, but yes, I'm aware that they aren't closing the Karner Rd location.
However, the increased traffic fron Glens Falls will serve to bog it down a bit.

New Karner Road is still the best place to drop off your mail -- if you want it delivered to almost any address in the Capital District the very next day.

I have found that if I drop off mail at Heritage Station BEFORE  noon -- it will be delivered to almost any address in the Capital District the very next day.

Quoted from Tommy

I stand corrected, but yes, I'm aware that they aren't closing the Karner Rd location.
However, the increased traffic fron Glens Falls will serve to bog it down a bit.

Yes it will and folks (especially the young folks) will just resort to a faster more convenient method if available. UPS and FEDEX were ahead of the curve a few years ago when you could do just about 'anything' on line. From tracking a pkg, to pick ups to deliveries to printing labels for returns/deliveries.

Again....I'm sure that their retirement benefits are the biggest drain on their bottom line! These lucrative retirements can not be sustained any longer. If this trend continues, the consumer will find other ways to meet their needs.

Simple solution ---- go back to the old-fashioned system   ( 19th century)   where PRIVATE persons/businesses could contract to run a post office ------ say at the back of their store ----   no need to have a union employee running a privately operated post office facility.

It would save the Post Office money --- and would help small businesses out.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Simple solution ---- go back to the old-fashioned system   ( 19th century)   where PRIVATE persons/businesses could contract to run a post office ------ say at the back of their store ----   no need to have a union employee running a privately operated post office facility.

It would save the Post Office money --- and would help small businesses out.

YOU said that....WOW!!!!

Quoted from senders

YOU said that....WOW!!!!

Yes -- it worked for the first 100 years or so of the Post Offices history ... it should be able to work again.
The actual Post Office department would be responsible for picking up mail from the boxes and mail & packages from the "customer service units" , home & commercial  delivery and the processing centers -------------- the customer service units where people buy stamps and send out packages -- could be privatized ... with a preference given to putting them in small businesses.    This would help the small business owners out by increasing foot traffic in their places of business.  It would help customers out because these "customer service units" could be located in places where they actually frequent.    Finally, it would save the Post Office a load of money by eliminating the need for high cost union employees just to sell stamps and collect packages for shipment  from customers.