I don't like the President either, but not knowing this group at all I was a little standoffish. I spoke with them briefly after I left. They wanted money which I don't give unless I've checked out the group.
When I got into the post office all I had was my package and the outgoing address on a piece of paper. I got to the counter and said "I need to ship this media mail, its books." They always ask "what is it?" so I beat them to it.
"We don't provide labels. Do you have a label?" the lady said.
I've been to the post office many times and thought I'd seen them slap labels on before. So maybe this is new?
"No, I don't have a label, " I said.
"We sell labels over there," as she pointed to the rack against the doorway. I guess this government run agency which is payed for with our tax dollars and is owned by an entity that can print money (and does to our detriment) needs more of mine to keep going.
Seeing that I was not agreeable to buy one of their labels she said "Or you can tape the paper with the address to the package and just use that."
"Ok I'll do that, do you have any tape?" I said.
"You can use this scotch tape," (which was next to her on the counter) "and maybe it'll work. But we don't provide tape - we sell it, " she pointed to the rack again. I looked at her with disbelief. We had passed from an understandable inconvenience to ridiculous. The irony of the anti-Obama protesters was not lost on me because right around that time an angry woman came into the post office and began banging on the post master door. It took two sets of bangs for the postal lady to respond.
"The post master isn't in," she said.
"Well I want to speak with him!" the middle aged woman barked.
"He's not in." The lady at the counter was strangely very calm about this. It was like working for the government had removed her to a state of serene apathy.
"Who's in charge here then?!"
"Nobody, its just me here. Sorry."
I have a feeling she was angry with the protesters right outside the post office, but I could be wrong. She was really irritated. But hey, its a free country. Liberals are all about getting rid of free speech.
At any rate, the counter lady had just made the poor girl in front of me buy a roll of tape who, seeing my similar plight, kindly offered it to me. I taped it right in front of the counter lady so she could watch me use the free tape and my free makeshift label.
And so, Peter and Audrey, when you get your package in the mail you will now know the story behind it.
