the post office

i have been spending an inordinate amount of time at the post office. every day packages have to be mailed, and the best way to do it is to drive 3/4 of a mile to the post office and mail them.

it's funny, but i like going in there when it's crowded. i don't like the wait, but i like the people watching part. you can tell that the customers don't want to be at the post office, and the employees really try hard to be nice. it's like an antagonistic relationship. it's a better relationship than at, say, the dmv, but you can tell there is tension.

the post office that i go to has some really nice people behind the counter. they really, really try hard. but i've watched some awful behavior by customers there. take the rotund surly guy yesterday. he was mad when he got there, and it looked like he wanted to argue with someone. his package was partially wrapped and after waiting a few minutes, he plopped it onto the kiosk in disgust. all eyes turned to him. then it was his turn. he got to the counter and plopped his package down again. he was complaining about something, and then, for some reason, he wanted to buy 142 stamps to mail it. if you coated the whole box with stamps, 142 wouldn't fit on it. he was even more disgusted when he realized that 142 stamps cost $60. but, he bought them and stormed out muttering. i wonder if he really put all those stamps on that little box?

the people at the post office know me by name now. they give me tips on how to ship more economically. they tell me about their day, their children, their wives/husbands. it's kind of nice. i look forward to going there. and i certainly have better insight into why the post office can be such a tough place to work.

crazy how a place you are conditioned to hate can be such a nice place to go.