Mail collection site far from first class

[Geezer]

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/opini ... 5681685.jp

Published Date: 26 September 2009

LAST Wednesday I had the experience of going to the Royal Mail's new collection office at Portobello from my home in Leith.

I had received the card from them telling me to wait 72 hours before calling. It used to be 48 hours to wait but that's apparently called improvement.

This depot is located in an industrial estate and takes about ten minutes to walk to from the bus stop (providing you set off in the right direction).

I require to take the bus for a parcel, so it takes a lot longer than the ten-minute walk in total that I used to have.

Of course, I could request, by paying an extra 50p, a delivery to a local post office. It is certainly a lot cheaper than a bus fare, but there again, would I have longer to wait and would I be able to get to the post office when it was open?

Oh dear, I forgot all about the internet connections. All well and good provided you can access the internet and your provider is working well. All these obstacles to overcome.

Eventually I found the Royal Mail offices located within the industrial estate.

I walked past loads of Post Office vans that were being loaded up by people pushing cages across the pavement. A constant bustle and hive of activity. Vans moving off and vans arriving.

Well, I wandered through them all, probably looking lost, which I was, until a gentleman walking his dog pointed me in the right direction.

Thanking him, I approached and entered a very small room with a counter hatch. Well, at least I was lucky there was only one person in front of me. If there had been another two or three the room would have been near to bursting.

I think back to the old collection office which had a reasonably-sized waiting room and was far more accessible from Leith – which is no small district.

All this is due to the Post Office improving services. Not for me it isn't, and I will certainly avoid now buying anything that requires delivery by post, for I have no wish for a return visit to this new collection office.

I am certainly becoming cynical for when I hear the word "improvement" I just know it is in someone else's interest rather than mine.

Yvonne Bruce, Balfour Street, Edinburgh

[jockstrapp]

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