Hot Off The Press

A Philatelic mind is a terrible thing to waste!

Your not going to believe this one !!

Postal workers have long done battle with Dobermans and inclement weather. Now a mail carrier in a small Massachusetts town has a dangerous new foe -- turkeys.

Mail delivery in the town of Rockport was recently halted by a gang of 10 turkeys (including two male ringleaders) who have been chasing and trying to peck a letter carrier along his route. For some reason, these fowl fiends have homed in on the postman and are targeting him in particular as he makes his daily rounds.

"Some of the neighbors said their dogs have been attacked, but mostly it's just been our postal truck," said the town's delivery master. "They chase the truck down the street -- two males in particular -- it's just unbelievable."

Following an incident on Jan. 15 where the gobblers chased the mailman, delivery to the area has been stopped. There are schemes on the table to ward off the turkeys with umbrellas, but for now the mail route has been deemed unsafe.

Not only that, Dianne, but when I lived in Texas in 1995, you could place a letter in your mailbox, with the proper amount of postage affixed, and the letter carrier picked up that letter and took it back to the post office! Even if you did not have mail coming into your letterbox, he still did that.

USPS=Amazing service.

I am always surprised when I hear Americans complain about the USPS... they haven't dealt with Canada Post!

David

I do the same thing except I don't get them canceled. I hate when they tear them because the ends are sticky.

I guess we could go back to the days there was no rural delivery too, why not , except that they will not do Saturday then where does it stop.

I felt so bad for the post office I went in a purchased a sheetlet of Year of the Ox stamps to help them out..i will send them to trading partners and friends who do not use meters on their mail to me !!

I place mail in my mailbox with real stamps & an occassional cachet to be picked up by the carrier so he doesn't get bored just delivering advertisements and coupons to my neighbors. Plus he gets to bring me mail with colorful stamps on it.

Phil..I agree 100 percent, any collector who sends mail using a meter stamp, should be subject to a public flogging

Flogging is for minor offenses Mr. News,sports and weather !

Phil..is that a mushroom, or the name of the new Guatemalan President ?

By the way..Did you find Rick ?

Bobgggg neither..its the Latin you are suppposed to say at Mass now with Benedict !!

I've heard this story, or one similar to it, for at least thirty years. Ever since the Postal Service became semi-independent they've trotted out the same tale of woe every year and Congress has to cough up the money to keep them going. The 'five' day delivery argument is facetious at best. Why not go to three days and really raise profits. It makes no sense. If you can't make it with six day delivery you are not going to become profitable with five day deliveries. Even if they succeed in getting Congress to go along with this I'll bet they'll be back every year with the same sad story to get their annual appropriation supplements. We now have instituted annual postal fee hikes, now possible delivery cuts...what next? It is like the educational system, a bottomless pit.

So.. nearly 10 years ago. I wonder if we will see any changes.