Archive: Opinions

EditorialFor the most part people are giving the U.S. Postal Service some slack for taking so long to reopen the Lansing branch.  After all, it wasn't their fault that someone plowed into their branch office with an SUV.  But the fact is that the branch could have opened more than three weeks ago when it passed Postal Service and Town of Lansing inspections.  Even so it looks like it will be another two weeks or more before it actually does -- if we're lucky.

Meanwhile the closed branch is negatively impacting local business, causing inconvenience to customers that is incremented every day the office remains closed.  And that inconvenience has caused a situation that I believe is encouraging postal authorities to come to erroneous conclusions about the impact their foot-dragging has created.

When I interviewed Ithaca Postmaster William Hrynko the other day, for example,  he said that since Lansing post office box holders have been forced to come to the main post office on Warren Road he has observed that they rarely come every day and many come several days apart.

As a box holder myself I pointed out that I have done that because the Warren Road Post Office is twice as far from my office as the Lansing branch is, and because waiting in line takes time away from tending to my business.  I explained that when the Lansing branch is open we go there to get our mail almost every day.  While I know that is not the case for some people I suspect that many are in the same boat.

Last week I actually stood behind a woman who was there to pick up a piece of mail when she didn't know who had sent it and didn't know exactly who it had been addressed to, or even the exact address it would have been sent to.  While I sympathized with her plight, I stood behind her for 20 minutes before switching to the retail line.  When I said I was just there to pick up my box mail the woman behind the counter looked as if she was about to tell me I was in the wrong line until she looked over and saw what the situation was.  She was kind enough to get my mail for me, and after a half hour of wasted time I had it.  Surely I am not the only one who is experiencing situations like this, when it would take about 30 seconds to get the mail out of my box.  If I could do that.

I was stunned to learn that people who pay for post office boxes will not be given any consideration for the reduction in service, but I was willing to accept it when we were talking about the branch being closed for a month or so.  Now we're looking at over two months.  That is more than a sixth of the rental period box holders are paying for.  We are not paying for 'general delivery' to have our mail forwarded to a post office in our name.  We are paying for the convenience of an address that we can access when we need to at a specific location, without having to stand in line.

Yet the Postal Service was quick to claim compensation from the Lansing Plaza  landlord to pay for a postal employee standing guard as contractors completed repairs.

Postmaster Hrynko also told me that only about three people have consistently complained about the reopening taking so long.  I've heard more people than that complain.  And I have to say that as annoying and time consuming as it has been for me and my business, I was very disturbed when I learned it is negatively impacting business at Lisa's Dream.

Mr. Hrynko acknowledged that the amount of time it is taking is a result of a giant bureaucracy grinding along slowly.  As far as I can determine -- from talking to him about this issue over the past two-plus months, and he has made himself available to be interviewed and has been, I believe, frank and forthcoming -- he is personally staying on the ball, following up on things that need to be done before the region will agree to reopen the branch. 

I greatly appreciate that.  But while this will make his life more difficult, I am going to suggest that more people should complain.

It would be great if we could complain directly to someone in Rochester, but who is that person?  Postmaster Hrynko is the face of the Postal Service here.  If he heard from more than three people what the impact of the delay is, he would, of course, pass those comments up the line.  It would actually help to provide him with the ammunition he needs to try to get those bureaucratic wheels turning faster.

I believe Mr. Hrynko is sincere when he says he wants to get the branch open as soon as possible.  But if he doesn't hear what people think postal authorities are free to draw whatever conclusions they choose.  That's why you should calmly and respectfully complain.  As often as it takes to get our branch reopened.

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