the post office in my city employs some of the most stupid & useless people. I mail a lot of stuff out for the , but refuse to use the walk-up counter because I just don't have the patience to deal with their incompetence.

When the rates were changed for mailing bubble mailers & there were many posts about different rates, I went in on a Saturday & had one of their clerks give me a price to mail a chip inside of a bubble mailer inside of a small manila envelope....$1.08 or so & had them write the price down but did not stamp or mail it. Went back three more times -- once to the same clerk -- and got different prices for the same package from two of the three. I mailed it with the first clerk when I showed her the price she noted earlier -- $1.08. Monday, got the envelope back postage due.

Okay...so I thought that I would just use the automatic machine. A week or two later, mailing out new member packets -- mind you, they're all about the same weight & cost -- I have four left when the machine shuts down. So I go in & have a clerk do the remaining four -- about 35 to 44 cents cheaper. I ask "Are you sure?" & she responds yes, she's sure. Monday, I get all four back postage due.

I am fortunate to have a satellite office in the back of a stationery store in my town. The guy who runs it is GREAT & I never have a problem with anything that he does. The problem is that because of how efficient he is & how inept the other post office is, Saturday is ten people deep. Of course, he's a contract employee & not a direct postal employee.

Steve B