I have a few complaints about the South Windham Postal Office. Before I elaborate let me state that I have no complaints about the postal clerks working in South or North Windham or elsewhere for that matter. We are blessed to have so many fine people serving our postal needs.
Many folks have asked what that pile of junk is right beside the entrance of the South Windham Post Office. It includes a Portland Press Herald vending machine, a barrel, a few chairs and lots of what looks like metal shelving. The purpose of the junk pile is noble. The downspout, which has been in horrible shape for the past several years – if not decades – dumps water from the roof right onto the parking lot by the entrance to the Post Office. During the winter, water freezes and turns a portion of the parking lot into a skating rink. At least one person has fallen. Why not repair the rain gutter system and have the water drain on the lawn somewhere instead of the parking lot?
Speaking of the parking lot, why does the handicapped parking space become buried under tons of snow when the parking lot is plowed? The lot is dangerous enough with the ice present so when the one spot available for handicapped drivers is gone, what then?
I have two complaints about the building. Will that furnace ever be repaired correctly? Sometimes I feel like bringing firewood for the clerks to warm themselves when the furnace conks out for the umpteenth time. Second, what’s with the sign above the mail slot in the lobby? Can’t the Postal Service afford a new one? It really looks unprofessional.
Perhaps my biggest complaint is that business hours are being curtailed while costs rise for postal patrons. When the rural routes were transferred to North Windham from South Windham, there was a written guarantee of no reduction in services to South Windham. The hours of operation have been reduced during the past few years I have lived in Windham. My box rent has increased from $22 to $31 and I have less time to access my mailbox.
And why do patrons pay an arm and a leg for a mailbox when they are cheaper in other towns? A check at the US Postal Service Web site shows the costs of a small mailbox can range from no fee for those who qualify (I’ll check that one out) to $37 for a six-month period. South Windham is the second highest rate!
The most perplexing question is why is the box rent seemingly tied to the city and rural routes. It seems logical to me that patrons paying for mailboxes located in a post office are helping to subsidize those who have mail delivered to their homes for nothing. Doesn’t make sense to me!
“The way I understand it, the Russians are sort of a combination of evil and incompetence…Sort of like the Post Office with tanks.” – Emo Philips
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