Royal Mail lets us country folk down

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Royal-Mail- ... z2MN7SpT3K" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

IN the country we rely on the postal service as much or possibly more than town dwellers. And the public service ethos of Postman Pat, battling through all weathers, lives on in many minds.

As it did in mine until a recent Saturday morning trip to the Post Office.
​
A decade ago this would have meant a stroll up the hill to the local shop. But that's closed and the shopkeeper's retrained as a chiropodist.

A decade earlier the fine Georgian Post Office on the green became a private house.

So now it's a three-mile drive to town and the nearest establishment that pretends to be nothing other than a Post Office. And it has a proper post mistress who, eventually, turned her attention to me after a lengthy conversation with the previous customer.

I put my package on the scales and inquired about the next collection. "Just gone," she said, glancing at the clock showing a smidgen after 10.35am. "He was on time today," she said with a hint of either pride or malice. It was difficult to tell. The collection after that? "Monday. 5pm."

I knew we'd lost our Sunday collection some time ago but had thought, perhaps naively, that the Saturday pick-up might be towards the end of the day. Or at very least noon. When I dared moot this the response was swift, a shade patronising, and somewhat tautologous.

"This isn't the city. We're in the country here."

So I asked if there was a later collection anywhere nearby. There might be. In Cranbrook, eight miles away. She wasn't sure. Could she possibly call Cranbrook and ask? No. She didn't have the number.

So the small package with its expensive first-class stamp to ensure delivery by Monday morning would now not even start its journey until the only collection on Monday – in the late afternoon.

My postie couldn't be nicer or more helpful and apologised profusely when the suits abolished morning deliveries to us.

Maybe the Royal Mail simply no longer deserves its monopoly and, like BT before it, might actually become a better service if privatised. Even if that does do away with one of the few remaining "public" enterprises…

More matters at http://kent" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; countrymatters.blogspot.co.uk/

[pinstripe]

Maybe the Royal Mail simply no longer deserves its monopoly and, like BT before it, might actually become a better service if privatised.

So, the answer to the running down of the service in preparation of privatisation is to privatise it. Well done. I'm sure you will be impressed with the new privatised Royal Mail.

[Phantom]

BT is wank compared to VIRGIN media especially on broadband speeds!

[billyboy123]

this is royal mails idea of progress or maybe to make the company cheaper to sell ? who knows

[TeeferTiger]

Yeah, cos the service is going to improve in the country if the service is privatised, innit?!

[SP115]

BT is wank compared to VIRGIN media especially on broadband speeds!

Depends where you live buddy, Some areas are massively over-subscribed (Virgin), I know of people on 100-120mb connections getting 25mb at the best of times and the latency (Ping, Packet loss) is horrendous, Online gaming is impossible.

If your area isnt over-subscribed you could have a decent connection but most inner-city areas are now.

Sky or Plusnet's Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) is much more reliable these days (as its much newer and has a lower customer base).

[RedBagMan]

Plusnet's Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) is much more reliable these days .

I've got ABTC* - it's sh*t ...



* - All Bran To Cameron

[dodger162]

An article written in a similar vain to those complainants that get surcharged for underpaid mail and then blame Royal Mail. Reminds me of a colleague I used to work with a few years ago. Wanted a cooked breakfast about once a month but not between 8.30 to 9.00 when the 2nd class shift had their break. Then there was loads of fry up stuff out. No he wanted it at 9.45 when there were no fresh eggs out but nevertheless the canteen staff would offer to cook an egg for him. But no this simply was not good enough, the eggs should have been out there fresh everyday just in case he turned up for his egg!