OT:The common sense of some people

[michael adams]

Like a lot of people nowadays I rarely need to use a Post Office. And if I do, I avoid High Street ones - often in back of W.H.Smith nowadays, in preference to smaller ones in suburban rows of shops.

My usual choices only open at 9 a.m and bearing in mind scare stories about long queues I found another one in a fairly upmarket area which opened at 8.a.m This was the usual combined P.O, grocers, tobacconists.

I turned up at 7.45 expecting to find a queue already but I was first there. The shop was open so I checked with the person serving that the P.O opened at 8 which was confirmed. I was going to wait outside but somebody else turned up at about

10 minutes to, and explained people queued inside the shop. I though this a bit unhealthy, but was in no position to argue so masked up and went in.

In the ten minutes I was waiting a snaky queue built up inside the shop, up and down two aisles. When the counter opened dead on 8, only one chap was serving. He was politeness itself and very thorough. I had two jiffy bags to post which still took ages although as I was first in the queue I wasn't bothered. When I left the shop at around 5 minutes past 8, with still only the one counter open. there was a queue of people outside stretching all the way down the parade of shops.

And yet not one of them thought of turning up a bit early say at

10 minutes to, same as the first chap who turned up after me.

michael adams

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[T i m]

<snip>

And what if they had, you would have to get there at 6am?

Cheers, T i m

[Dave Liquorice]

Whats the point of turning up early if the place isn't going to be open 'till 0800? I'd rather have the extra 10 mins in bed than stand in a queue and that was pre-Covid. These days I'd not want to be standing in a queue near to people from other households for any longer than absolutely nessessccary.

I don't understand why people all leap up from their seats to form a queue in an airport lounge the instant the gate to the plane opens. You have an allocated seat, your there. Just carry on reading or people watching until such time as you can just gently stroll over to the gate and straight down to the plane and your seat.

[Pancho]

I always assumed they did it because the liked queuing because it gave them social interaction, the opportunity for a chat.

[T i m]

To get ahead of everyone else (effectively pushing all those who turn up at the 'right time' back)?

Quite. ;-)

Absolutely, especially given how many people don't seem to follow / understand the guidelines or what 2m actually is.

;-)

Yup. I *hate* queuing and have been know to turn up to the cinema / cafe / shop / the dump, see a queue (even a shortish one) and walk / drive off and go back at a later time / day.

One of the things that has been putting me off selling some of our surplus bits-n-bobs (on eBay etc) is the 'having to go to the Post Office', (even pre Covid) because of the queuing. Anything that will go in the local post box is ok, printing your own postage labels etc.

Was it the Post Office that were talking about picking stuff from (std customers) up as well as delivering? I was also interested in the various 'locker' drop-off services [1] as I could go there at midnight when the roads and pedestrian areas are generally empty. ;-)

I took the dog out a bit late in the afternoon the other day and that meant it was actually dark when we were about half way round (~4 miles). It was actually quite nice having the place to ourselves for most of the way home ... and to be able to make use of my night-vision as I didn't have the Mrs with me waving her torch in my face! ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[1] I was also using the collection lockers quite a bit (pre lockdown) because even an Amazon 'next day' could turn up at nearly any time (8am to 10 pm so far) and if it's important / valuable that means someone staying in to receive it. Plus the nearest locker is only a short walk away and open from 8 till 8/6). ;-)

[Michael Chare]

There can be a problem with space in overhead lockers, although maybe that problem will reduce once Easyjet start charging for stuff that won't fit under a seat.

[T i m]

<snip>

And the fact that there is might make people think about just how much they choose to carry on?

Should it be the case that there is enough space for every passenger to store their stuff easily, as long as they keep their stuff to a minimum, rather than testing the limits?

Cheers, T i m

[Alan J. Wylie]

Been there, done that.

Plane had taken off from Basel for Manchester, the transponder wasn't working, we had to turn around and get off. They were going put us all on a plane to Heathrow, a huge milling crowd formed around the desk. I sat on a comfy couch reading until it dropped to about 3 people. When my time came, the rep. smiled knowingly, handed me a wallet of paperwork and explained to me the two desks I had to take it to at Heathrow to get us onto forward flights. I was then given a boarding card for a first class seat next to the door.

I delivered the first set of paperwork, then headed for the 2nd desk. Again, a milling crowd who really didn't want me to push to the front, despite the fact that no-one was going anywhere until I'd delivered the papers.

[Jonathan]

Shortage of overhead locker space so far as I am concerned.

Jonathan

[Martin Brown]

Depends what you are doing and why you are travelling. Hold baggage doesn't always make it onto connecting flights so if you are away on business for a couple of days it makes sense to use carry on only.

I reckon about half the time I fly bouncing off a hub airport it has been a couple of days before my hold bags caught up with me. Heathrow to Manchester leg seemed to be particularly bad for it.

[Spike]

And how does driving off, only to return later, help the environment you are so keen for others to 'save'? Are you aware that your self-centred behaviour makes you look like a hypocrite? Is this a special trait of right-brainers?

[michael adams]

Well yes.

But they didn't, did they ?

Which was rather my point.

michael adams

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[Peter Johnson]

My local Spar shop, which includes a PO counter, displays signs saying that the PO is open whenever it is open, ie seven days. I haven't tried it on a Sunday. Now that pensions and benefits are paid by transfer most of the demand seems to be from eBay sellers.

[michael adams]

The last time I used a big W..H.Smith post office was the day after the referendum. I happened to mention to the person standing in front of me in the queue what a disaster it was going to be. A woman in the adjacent curl of the snake jumped out of her pram saying it was a great idea as her son or daughter couldn't afford to buy a house on account of all the foreigners we had to let in. Further "chat" and "social interaction" then ensued.

michael adams

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[T i m]

<snip>

Yeahbut should there be enough space for everyone's carry on luggage then?

I mean, should it matter what you are doing personally if that then restricts the others?

eg. If the allowance for a carry on bag size x,y,z and everyone brought that sized bag would they be able to accommodate them all? [1]

If no, then is it because some people might travel light that means other can use the full 'allowance'?

If yes then it wouldn't matter if you left it till the last moment before boarding and avoided the queues / rush (assuming the seats were reserved etc, especially if you have an isle seat!).

Cheers, T i m

[1] I ask because I've only flown twice (Niece to London and back to London a week later) a long time ago.

[michael adams]

That would certainly be useful. The 24 hour P.O. in St Martin's le Grand near Trafalgar Square, closed a few years ago, now. A new 24 hour post office inside a shop in New Oxford Street was announced around

3 years ago and featured on various websites. Googled this yesterday. Also Googled were the present opening hours - now opens at 10.a.m.

When opening the PO counter there was a lot of afffing about opening a big grey safe with a really thick door. But as most of the business is probably done nowadays on cards, with stamps being printed out on demand except for a few sheets worth. So there's probably more money in the shop tills.

michael adams

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[Dave Plowman (News]

I'd be surprised if Ebay sellers used a PO - presumably for stuff too big to go in a letter box, by letter post. Hermes etc is cheaper. And Ebay offers a postal service too for larger items.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Ages ago, my local SavaCentre had a post office open all the hours it was

- including Sundays. Very handy for taxing the car etc when you had to do this at one. It closed many years ago.

[ss]

I have posted 1520 items this year from ebay sales. Most I buy the postage via paypal (if letter box postable) and print the label. Larger items I use Hermes. Not had any issues and much more convenient than using the post office.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Pretty well the same here. I did get some accurate scales for weighing things going by letter post - have a box at the end of the road. And the Hermes collection point is much more convenient than any post office.