Wednesday, February 04, 2009

What would Cliff Clavin do?

I know that we could break this down, run some numbers, get a consultant or 200 in to figure out the grave inefficiencies in the system (D.C. Main Penn. Ave branch, I am looking at you) and avoid what the Postmaster General proposed could be a scenario to save money if something doesn't change soon.

We're talking about the possibility, albeit remote and temporary, of one less day of MAIL, people.

If faced with the nation reducing its delivery days, Cliffy would lose it. Unacceptable. Unfathomable. The mail is the one thing that runs on time (or relatively so), come hurricane or flood or other national disaster. It reaches every tiny township in America. And mailmen (and women) are completely dedicated to the service they have become inscribed to -- a badge of honor. They're not just serving residents, they're serving their country in those dreamy postal blues.

Cliff: I've the best safety record in the branch, Coach. Never even been near an accident.
Paul : Not since you were born.
Cliff: Was that comment addressed to me, Paul?
Paul: Oh, no Cliff. If it were addressed to anybody, it'd probably get lost in the mail.
Cliff: If I wasn't wearing this uniform, I'd ask you to step outside.
Norm: If you weren't wearing that uniform, we'd all step outside.

* Props to my home state's Sen. Susan M. Collins saying she was "very disappointed" at the possibility of changing to five-day delivery. Regardless of political party, we Mainers do not like to go without our mail. Not everyone is online and many don't have phones. Or a TV, much less cable. But everyone, even on the islands, has a mailbox.

1 comment:

Patrick said...

On the postal motto: "You know, interestingly enough, it harks back to the early Persian empire, about 500 BC. Oh yeah, yeah, as a matter of fact a lot of our ancient wonders are postal related. Oh yeah, no really, the pyramids for example, they were post offices and the sphinx, that was a late night drop-off, but I digress..."