POSTMEN BATTING 2 OUT OF 10

In this ever-changing world in which it seems there are fewer and fewer things you can depend upon, it’s comforting to know that at least one part of the American way of life remains as it has for decades: Civil service workers are still incompetent.

We were reassured of this fundamental truth recently when we conducted a simple experiment to determine just how efficient various branch post offices in Dallas are. We mailed 10 packages -the exact same size, weight, and destination – and 10 identical letters from 10 different post offices to determine the human-error factor in what should be a uniform entity: postal rates. Before mailing the items -a letter to Bermuda and a 29-ounce package addressed to Zambia, South Africa-we obtained a U.S. Postal Service bible for foreign and domestic postal rates (Postal Bulletin 21290) and determined the correct postage for each item.

The postal service was two for 10 in our survey. Of the 10 post office branches we visited, only two got the postage correct for both the letter and the package. And even those two came up with different weights for the package. Rates for our package, which should have cost $10.66 to mail, varied from $7.66 to $11.32.

In all, we got seven different weights for our 29ounce package, with only two postal clerks (at the North-lake branch and the Park Cities branch) getting the weight of the package correct. And even then -you guessed it -they charged us two different rates to mail the package. The Northlake postal clerk charged us the correct amount, $10.66, while the Park Cities clerk undercharged us by an even $3. That’s because the Park Cities clerk thought Zambia was in North Africa (it’s not) and charged us a cheaper North African rate.

The clerks had just as much trouble with our letter to Bermuda. It should have cost 35C to mail, but we were charged as much as 70? at the Vickery station because the clerk determined that Bermuda is outside the Western Hemisphere. (Think of it, cartographers have been wrong for all these centuries.)

The Postal Service had no good explanation. “Our intent is not to rip off the public,” spokesman Bill Schwartz says. “The scales are supposed to be calibrated every day. It appears they’re not.” It appears the clerks aren’t either.

Meanwhile, postal clerks are eagerly awaiting confirmation of a new contract they almost went on strike to obtain. The contract will pay beginning postal workers about $20,000 a year.

The results of our survey, by individual post office branches, are as follow. South Dallas branch: package weight, 26 ounces, postage charged, $10; letter postage, 35￠. Brookhollow branch: package weight, 32 ounces, postage charged, $11.32; letter postage 350. Park Cities branch: package weight, 29 ounces, postage charged, $7.66; letter postage, 35*. Downtown branch: package weight, 26 ounces, postage charged, $9.34; letter postage, 35*. Greenville Avenue branch: package weight, 30 ounces, postage charged, $10.66; letter postage, 40￠. Royal Lane branch: package weight, 28 ounces, postage charged, $10.66; letter postage, 40￠. Vickery Station branch: package weight, 28 ounces, postage charged, $10.66; letter postage, 70*. The North-Park branch weighed the package in at 30 ounces and the Northlake branch reported it weighed 29 ounces, but both branches charged $10.66 postage for the package and 35￠ postage for the letter, both correct charges according to the Postal Bulletin.