Sticking stamps no longer

ARE you sending Christmas cards overseas this year? Then be aware of problems that can arise when simply visiting the post office to purchase postage stamps.

Last Friday, I rang our local post office and asked what would be the cost of a surface mail stamp and an airmail stamp on a standard size letter to the UK. I was told surface mail was R6.70 and airmail R8.40.

I went to the Hunter’s Retreat Post Office to buy surface mail stamps and had my R80.40 ready to pay for 12 stamps. I said, “Twelve surface mail stamps for the UK please. Standard size letters.” The teller said, “Airmail.” I said, “No! Surface mail.” He said, “We don’t have any surface mail stamps.”

“You must have,” I said. “Someone told me the price over the telephone 10 minutes ago.”

He then appeared to be guessing at different values by entering them into his computer until he said “R7.10”. At this point I decided to accept the difference between R6.70 and R7.10.

Now this is where things got a wee bit strange! He asked for my envelope to check the size.

He then printed a sticky strip of paper with words and numbers on it, and stuck it on my envelope. I asked, “What is that?” He said, “Your stamp.” Looking totally bewildered, I said, “OK, now do the same for the other 10”, which he did! “Now, what about the envelope I have at home that I haven’t addressed yet?”

“You’ll have to bring it with you another time,” he said.

“You have to be joking. Next year you can write the addresses for me as well,” I said. He smiled.

So, if you want to send your Christmas cards and letters surface mail, be sure they are completed and the envelopes are fully addressed. Don’t leave them at home.

Surely, this not so great system was created by someone somewhere, who probably got paid a lot of money, to save the public from having to lick their stamps but was actually designed to teach the public not to use letterboxes.

Just call into your local post office and wait in a long queue while your teller sticks the stamps on for you!

Dave Bath, Kabega Park, Port Elizabeth