SAD, BUT TRUE

Gary’s Postal services have been ranked by Garyians as one of the worst in Indiana.  In other words, deplorable.  This ranking includes mail delivery, as well as in-store customer services reps.  The rankings also included Gary’s USPS inconsistency in mail delivery.  Sometimes you get mail, and sometimes you don’t; for long periods of time.  It was duly noted that oftimes, the mail carriers seem to use every excuse in the book as to why they could not deliver mail to you.  In other words their delivery is inconsistent; leaving residents to always ponder where is their mail, and constantly making visits to the Main Post Office to find out what is going on with their mail. Garyside would also like to point out the blatant inability to answer the damn USPS business phones.  Also duly noted was Gary’s   USPS total shut down of services to the public to take their lunches.   A freaking UNITED STATES POSTAL OFFICE is literally shut down, and closed for their lunch schedules.   It does not take rocket science to deduce that the USPS for crying out loud should have the decency to have staggering hours.  This should be done in an effort for US citizens to be able to utilize the postal office at all times during normal business hours. Who shuts down an entire government facility for their lunch hours, and for Glen Park their lunch is an hour and a half.   This isn’t Mayberry RFD, and for Garyians this is sad, but true. 

Listen, Garyians did not depict all Gary USPS as the worst or deplorable, but the overwhelming majority did.    As some Garyians put it.  “Gary’s USPS is just piss poor”.  Others stated “it is just f___ed  up”.   This survey, for the most part, was sad, but true. 

Adding insult to injury, the majority of the USPS mail handlers, customer service reps don’t even wear uniforms anymore.  This was pointed out some time ago.   Some Garyians reported seeing Postal trucks coming through the alley.  A shortcut.  How disgusting.  Not to mention the disdain that is felt from seeing what should be a uniformed civil service employee doing a job in civilian attire.   Some rankings show that these same USPS employees have literally taken this to another level.  Rankings reported that in the main post office on Martin Luther King Drive, a Hispanic had on a dirty sweatshirt at the counter waiting on customers.  What’s more, he was totally out of uniform and wore no badge.  He had no problem with this either when asked why he wasn’t in uniform. 

Imagine if you will for a moment someone coming to your door in civilian clothes, as they call it with no visual identification.  No uniform whatsoever.  It catches you off guard, and even folks, who would not normally open up their door, unless they see a badge, will succumb to someone delivering mail.  In this era of  COVID 19, everyone seems to be expecting some type of mail via USPS.  Not to mention those who don’t use the internet. 

There are still millions on top of millions of people that rely on handwritten/typed mail instead of email you know.  I guess the postal inspector did not get that memo.  Not everyone wants to receive their mail via the internet as opposed to USPS delivery.  Another undertaking that we are forced to accept.  

Suffice to say, even those people who won’t open their doors to strangers, will in fact open up their doors to receive mail from a USPS worker.  This practice of streetwear instead of a postal uniform only sets the stage for a disastrous outcome; where it is inevitable that bad things can and/or heaven forbid will happen.  Then afterward the police will only be able to say “well it wasn’t forced entry.  They had to have known who it was to open the door.”  They would not figure that someone could have been disguised as a mail delivery person, out of uniform.  All they had to do was appear to be an official USPS worker.  This can be achieved by having what looks like mail in their hand and walk towards your door.     Who would not open their doors to someone carrying and delivering mail, even if the postal truck is parked up or down the street?  Most people would just think it is a new carrier.  Now this behavior presents a new opportunity for a criminal.  Scoundrels and/or criminals watch and wait for windows of opportunity.  Ways to get into our homes and this practice opens up the door.

It is sad, that all postal offices in Gary NEVER answer the company business phones, and they all take lunch at the same time which shuts down the post office during their lunch hours.  Again, it does not take rocket science to deduce that they should have staggering hours, so patrons can utilize the postal office at all times.  

USPS employees got the jobs.  They interviewed for the job.  They put their best foot forward during the probationary period to keep the job.  THEN DO THE JOB!  USPS  will not always be able to hide behind a union for bad work ethics, and the REAL black folks are standing up, and are fed up at this point.  Yes, the ones who will make noise, and not only that but will point out your flaws to your supervisor turned friend,  as well as your supervisor’s friend’s boss, all the way up to the postal inspectors.

Listen, things have got to change in the service you are giving to Garyians.  We demand the best service,  after all, if we were not here, you may not have a job.  Think about it. 

Some find any excuse not to deliver mail.  Then the mail is tossed somewhere never to be found again, and we wonder about identity theft which is not always done on a computer.  Identity theft can also be done through consistent misdelivery of mail as well.  Misdeliveries, pose identity theft opportunities.  Official documents are misdelivered or thrown somewhere and not delivered.  Our social security cards and/or replacement cards, credit cards, birth certificates, and driver’s licenses, identity cards, etc., and even some people still have checks delivered to their homes.  These items don’t come through the computer via the internet.  They are delivered by regular mail.  Not excluding those who still want their bank statements, utility bills, homeowners insurance papers, etc., delivered via USPS delivery , and have opted out of wireless notifications. 

Listen Gary postal workers,  you and your service to the community believe it or not are important and valuable to us.  A precious commodity.  We also know you all are getting a bad break at times, especially with the media’s portrayal of the USPS in a bad light, to justify destroying and privatizing the postal service.  Oftimes, we know you are treated like pieces of shit.  We know. Listen, believe it or not, Gary’s USPS is an important part of the black community.  Your job is very important to us.  We rely on you.  On the other hand, people should be able to say “Gary may have its issues, but mail delivery isn’t one of them.”   People should be able to depict the Gary USPS as one of the best in the state and/or nation.   You know how we do.  The best of the best.   Do your job well.   Be a role model.  There are black children in our community who do not see themselves in college and don’t want to go to college.  You are their role models, as they see you as being consistent and doing a good job.  Whether you want them to or not; they may one day say “I want to be like that mail person that delivered our mail every day.  Like clockwork”  It shows responsibility and pride.  Come on now, everyone is watching you.  Do your best.  Be Gary’s best.  As Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, and Garyside quotes: