Buy Or Don’t Buy

Like most of you, I have to mail my rent check to the landlord every month. This is honestly the only time I ever use the postal system here, and every time I do, I say a little prayer that the tiny piece of paper standing between me and coming home to see all my belongings on the curb (I’m talking about my rent check) actually makes it through.

So far so good.

The Electronic Mails have basically replaced any and all need for sending things through the post. We’ve known this since the 90s. But would it be such a huge and innovative step to be able to pay my rent via Paypal? Or any other bank transfer service? I can pay my internet, cell phone, electric, and even gas (lol yes I cook things on the stove) using the internet. I see it immediately reflected on my bank statements, which I also manage via computer, and I even get a confirmation number in the event something goes wrong.

I’m bringing all this up because I recently had a RETURN TO SENDER drastically shake my confidence in the postal system. I’m not surprised in the least, because apparently I’m serviced by the worst post office in all of New York City. I really wish I had taken a picture of the letter that wound up back in my mail box, because it had a huge yellow sticker on it, and in giant Sharpie black ink it stated the apparent additional postage that was due. Here’s an artist rendition:

I took my poor, ghetto, rejected letter (a lease renewal contract headed for, whom else? My landlord!) and walked it down to the post office, in person. I waited in line, and when it was my turn, handed the lady behind the counter my letter and said “I need to buy enough postage to mail this letter.” Instead of weighing it and handing me the stamps I needed, she ripped off the giant yellow sticker, scrawled out the Sharpie writing, those red bar codes the Post Office prints on letters, and told me to pay her 34¢. Which I did. In baffled silence because I have no idea what kind of shit goes down at the Post Office. like, was my letter carrier having a bad day when he scribbled that I owed him “51 cent?” Was my letter now getting special treatment? Did it actually just end up in the trash? Is it even deliverable with all that jibberish on it? Who knows. I didn’t get a confirmation number! Things are so much easier to do on the internet.