Elastic Bands

[Stormproof]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 950582.ece

FInal Word: Look lads, just stick them in your pocket

We will be hearing squeals of protest in the coming months as the chancellor of the exchequer tries to cut back public spending. Judging by all previous tightenings of the government belt, it won’t be long before special interest groups are insisting that there’s simply no more fat to cut. When that happens, remember this simple tale of the post office and the elastic bands.

It has been revealed that the post office has been buying 872m elastic bands each year – at a cost of about £1m – because posties keep dropping them on the ground when delivering the mail.

There is an obvious solution, but it seems to have escaped Royal Mail managers. So, in language they might understand, here it is: they should formulate a top-down communications strategy outlining an innovative blue skies policy with reference to the transfer of product interface binding equipment from the product surface to an on-person portable receptacle. In other words, they can ask the posties to stick the elastic bands in their pockets. Is that so very difficult?

* Have your say

My post sometimes arrives with 2 or even 3 elastic bands attached, plus the odd one left on my doorstep. I reuse them in my business packaging, so Royal Mail is saving me money!

Not too profitable for RM though?

LK, Rawtenstall, United Kingdom

We get at least one and often several each day. Very useful they are, too. Thank you Royal Mail

Colin, Sevenoaks,

[DGP1]

What they don't say is the bands snap after 1/2 uses

[tiredwalker]

What they don't say is the bands snap after 1/2 uses

1/2 uses if you are lucky. Many don't even make it to there first use before snapping.

[DGP1]

What they don't say is the bands snap after 1/2 uses

1/2 uses if you are lucky. Many don't even make it to there first use before snapping.

Sorry I didn't mean one or two uses but half a use

[Spedley]

I've dropped lots of elastic bands this year (I think, I didn't see it happen) - 3 out of my 5 pouches have holes in them.

I've decided, if I see any more elastic bands on the floor I'll put them in the nearest dicarded coke can.

[baldrick]

It would be easier to get them into the discarded KFC boxes.