It is true that we don't run on government money, but the government has subsidized the usps when needed. In the 80s they also borrowed a ton of money from us and still have yet to repay the "loan". We also have some freaky laws that apply to us, like the one preventing other companies from delivering 1st and 3rd class mail and guaranteeing the USPS all the gas they need, always. We don't get a gas discount but even if there is a shortage we are supposed to be guaranteed gas. The government has also used the USPS to bail out other companies like some of the American car manufacturers. Big car company in trouble? No problem! Suddenly the USPS will be buying hundreds of thousands of trucks from you. It's happened at least twice before.
The hazmat thing is correct and a recent thing since 9/11. We used to just force it to go surface if you did that. Now it gets sent back. This also happens if you send a package over a certain weight with just stamps without handing to a clerk to be hand stamped (Or have a computer label stuck on it). I believe the weight is 14 ounces, but it has been a while since I worked at the counter so I could be wrong.
We are trying to make lines easier, especially with the new APCs (Automated Postal Machines) that can do most of the stuff you can do at a window. They are only in select post offices right now but are supposed to be all over eventually. I am skeptical though since people seem afraid of our regular stamp vending machines and almost never use the things, so when they get an APC giving them 20 mailing options it is going to get worse.
The open another window thing sounds like a local office rule to me. We don't have that at my office and couldn't enforce it if we did. We generally have as many people as we have to spare at the window and if they took anyone else to put them at the window they would hurt the operations in the back (this is part of why I no longer work the window.) They are more worried about the back operations these days since for example in my medium sized office a delay of 1 minute getting the mail to the carriers means potentially 30 minutes of overtime as we have 30 routes.
QUOTE=sirhc-;1847783]That is incorrect. The post office might have the government support and benefits of being a governmental agency but it does not use ANY taxes from the federal government. All expenses, operating costs, etc are paid from the revenue of postage and postage-related products/services.
http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/whoweare.htm - click on postal facts.
Things you can do to help out. Is write the to and from address neatly. If you don't it will have to get re-routed to where it can be inputed by hand I think.
It also must have a return address or it will get stopped and take surface mail even though you paid airmail.
Don't reuse any box with a hazmat sign or any kind of alchol beverage box. The post office will slap a sticker on the TO: address preventing it from going any further and it will be returned to you and you'll have to go through the trouble of getting a refund. Explanation of why should be on the sticker.
The post office has gotten a lot of bad rep, which they're trying to get rid of. You can buy stamps at wellsfargo atms, costco, automated machines. So, you don't need to wait in the dreadful lines. Which they know about and hope to correct.
Supposedly if there is more than 3 in a line with some kind of interval of wait, they will open a new window, and keep opening windows till all the windows are open or the line has gone down.
They'll be starting an add your face to a stamp or company logo. For a small fee of course. Great for wedding invites, or products, etc. Any form can be filled out online now, I believe. Change of address can now be done online, etc.[/QUOTE]