Tag Archives: USPS

Social Media Diary

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  • On September 22nd, I posted my question on Twitter and linked to my blog post in the following tweet:

Tweet

I used the hashtags #USPS, #postoffice, #SouthBronx, #Bronx, and #jobs as they seemed like they were the most relevant that would garner the most amount of hits.  I however failed in attracting any response.

After I didn’t receive any reply to this either, I started to wonder if there were better hashtags for the Bronx and the South Bronx, and found out that people use #bx as a Bronx hashtag.

I tried using some other hashtags, and rephrasing my query in order to attract possibly business owners in the South Bronx.  I still did not unfortunately receive any response. Because so much of the South Bronx’s population is living under the poverty line, I think it is safe to assume that a lot of them have very limited internet access. A lot of the unemployed people of the South Bronx (who are the people who I am most interested in speaking with, in all likely-hood do not peruse Twitter).

  • On October 5th, I posted the following on Flickr to promote my question and blog post:

I posted my question and link in the description of the photo, and added relevant tags (Melrose, South Bronx, Post Office, USPS…).

Elderly Residents of Melrose Lament Possible Loss of Post Office

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The possible closure of their post office will mean more than a loss of jobs for residents of Melrose.

The US Postal Service has announced a list of post offices due to close by year-end, which will inevitably mean layoffs for postal workers.

Photo by Alex Robinson

The Melcourt Post Office, situated on Melrose Ave, is one of the branches facing the axe. This could mean the two main employees of the branch could lose their jobs, but Branch Manager Tinka Williams is not worried. “I have 20-something years in, so they have to find me some place. They can’t just lay me off,” said Williams.

Williams said she is more concerned about how the branch closure will affect the residents of the neighborhood.

“It’s a bad thing for the area, because we have a lot of elderly people around here and they need this. This is close to them, and easy to get to,” she said.

With the closure, elderly residents of Melrose will find themselves without somewhere to do essential things such as paying bills.

Ethel Griffith, a 63-year-old retiree of the community said she is at a loss as to how she will cope without it.

“I send my checks for my rent, my check for my light and gas, my cable. I send my checks from here,” she said.

For the many residents living under the poverty line in Melrose, using the Internet to carry out these functions is not an easy option, as few have Internet access at home.

Proximity is a big issue for the elderly in Melrose, said Williams. Without the Melrose branch nearby, some will have to travel all the way over to the 149th and Grand Concourse branch.

“Please, please don’t close the post office. Leave something for us. Do something for us, please,” pleaded Griffith.

If your local post office closes, how will it affect you?

Would You Miss the City’s Worst Post Office?

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The Post Office in Kensington, Brooklyn

The post office in Kensington, Brooklyn. Photo reproduced by permission of Jim Henderson

The recession, budget problems and a decline in the amount of mail being sent and received have combined to force the government and the United States Postal Service to consider drastic measures.

Postmaster General Patrick Donohoe publicly outlined a plan that would cut service, create massive layoffs and potentially lead to the shutdown of thousands of processing centers and post offices across the country.

CNNMoney reports that President Obama recently spoke out in favor of ending Saturday mail service as a way for the Postal Service to save money and avoid cutting jobs. The news cite previously discussed how the layoffs, potentially 120,000 of them would effect one of the nation’s largest employers of minority workers.

For the residents of Kensington, Brooklyn all this doom and gloom might not be such bad news. Their local post office has often been referred to as the worst post office in New York City. Complaints range from slow waits and rude staff to mail delivery well after business hours. Several years ago a Wiki page sprang up collecting complaints from customers and even local politicians. The site also links to a popular Youtube video of an enraged man literally “going postal” on a rude teller.

So you might expect that people in Kensington won’t be too upset if their mail service is cut, since it can’t get much worse. You might even think that many residents wouldn’t shed a tear if the branch closed completely.

“It’s still the worst.” Said Connie Lambropoulos, a local restaurant owner.

Lambropoulos however, along with many other local residents say that the post office still has plays a critical role in their daily lives. “I do need it for my business. I use it for all my business mail” She admitted. “So I would miss it if it was gone.”

How much do you still use your local post office? If your neighborhood had the “worst post office in New York City,” would you miss it?