By The Way...

Monday, May 14, 2007
9:20:00 AM EDT
Hearing Clean -- Depeche Mode
... When it comes to the new prices on mail delivery, that is:

The new regulations mean larger envelopes and packages will automatically cost more than smaller mail. Currently, postage is determined by weight, unless it's an especially large or odd-shaped package that warrants special handling.

If your solution come Monday is to stuff the same amount of material into a smaller envelope, the Postal Service could get you there, too: There are new thickness restrictions.

For first-class, letter envelopes, the allowed thickness is a quarter inch. If you go over a quarter inch, you run into more costly large envelope or parcel rates.

I suppose I would be more concerned if I could actually recall the last time I sent a first-class letter, but honestly, I really can't. Everyone I know uses e-mail. These days I use mail to send books and other bulky packages that I can't fit into a stream of electrons going from one computer to another, and as they're already bulky, I don't suppose I can complain if the postal service wants to rate them by size or whatever. But basically, all the postal service rate hikes generally pass me by.

How about you? Worried about the new rates at all?


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This entry has 6 comments: (Add your own)

• #6 Comment from gifdude 
  5/15/07 5:54 AM | Permalink

  I don't use snail mail no more.
  
  All my bills are paid automatically through my checking account.
  
  The U.S. Postal System is a dinosaur. Long dead and just useless.
  
  
• #5 Comment from ptrburd 
  5/14/07 11:34 PM | Permalink

  I still pay a number of bills by check.  And I'm still working through my roll of 37 cent stamps, let alone my 39 cent roll, which today led to a pleasant discussion with the FRIENDLY, JOVIAL POST OFFICE CLERK (I'm not lying) about how many 2cent stamps I need.
• #4 Comment from mavarin 
  5/14/07 3:22 PM | Permalink

  I'm with you - I hardly ever snail mail anything. When I do it's either a one or two page query or a Priority Mail envelope, either of which I go down to the Post Awful to send. I'm so averse to mailing things that I drive halfway across town to make the one monthly payment that I can't do electronically.
• #3 Comment from jabarett 
  5/14/07 11:03 AM | Permalink

  I don't send a lot of First Class mail either, but I did rush to get graduation invitations out this weekend before the rate hike.
• #2 Comment from monponsett 
  5/14/07 10:52 AM | Permalink

  The amazing part is that most post office shootings are done by employees.

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