As technology continues to weave its way into everyday life, including how we do things like communicate with each other, and pay our bills, it is not an entirely unreasonable thing to wonder about whether the post office is still something that we need or if it will need to be scaled back as time goes on.
The post office has been around for centuries. It was the way that people communicated with each other in the days before the telephone or even Morse code telegrams. It has been a constant presence, and there is something sort of reassuring about seeing your mailperson go out on their daily route or walking into a post office and handing over a letter or package to a sometimes friendly mail clerk and knowing that you will have a record of sending it.
Let’s not be so hasty as to write an obituary for the venerable post office. It still plays a very important role in our society. How so? Let us look at the various things:
They Do Their Jobs Without Looking For Profits
A lot of places do business with only one goal in mind – get as much money each year as they possibly can … and they may rely on our tax dollars to be able to do that. The United States Postal Service, on the other hand, does not.
They are not elitist, only setting up locations in areas where the wealthy reside. Instead, they have offices in all kinds of areas, whether they are rural, suburban, or urban. That means that people of all kinds of economic classifications can use these services.
A Lot Of People Still Use Mail
Even these large online businesses use mail. If you order a package from Amazon, there is a good chance that it will be delivered by a person from the postal service. People get stamps and they can apply for passports and also get money orders from these places.
Do you have a business that uses invoices? Marketing materials? Do you send packages? All of them need to be sent through the mail, and the United States Post Office usually has the best prices for all of these business needs as opposed to the for-profit companies.
You Can Get a Lot of Things From The USPS
If you have a mailing address, you can use USPS. You get things like money orders, retail services, and postal delivery. You are also not restricted to just domestic delivery – there are international shipping services available, too.
You can also determine how fast your letters or packages are sent to their recipient – the USPS offers things like Priority Mail, where you can ensure that it arrives at its destination as soon as the next morning. They also typically offer this at a better price point than the other options. That will be better for your wallet.
Businesses rely on these services since even though e-mail is a big part of things now, there are times when hard copies are needed and it is better to send the actual document in the mail rather than be worrying if your printer ink is going to run out on that seventy-five-page document that you got as a Word file.
People Who Live in Remote Areas Need It
This is one of the few options for those who live in areas that are far from other people. A post office is one of the places that they can use to stay in contact with others. This is especially important for those who might not be in a home that has internet access. Yes, there are still those places where people might have to drive into town to also get reception on their cell phones.
People who live in rural and remote places can also get a post office box so they can get their mail there if they don’t have a mailing address. It is a great way for them to be connected to others and see other human beings. Many times, the USPS is the only option here.
Postal Workers Help In More Ways Than Delivering Packages
While it is true that the USPS is vital – moving millions of letters and packages each day, with that amount increasing exponentially during the holidays, they are also indispensable in other ways.
If there is a natural disaster, like a hurricane, they tend to be one of the first people on the scene alongside fire departments. They can also get to know the people on their mail routes and can notice when things are amiss, like a full mailbox when they know that the resident is not on vacation – which could lead to a life-saving wellness check.
As you can see, even though society is moving steadily toward a technology-driven future, the USPS is still a major part of everyday life. So, when you pick up your mail today, take a step back and try to imagine what life would be like without this service. It would be different … and most likely not better.
