Coronavirus spreads. But don't panic! (topical thread)

[mordant]

Add in that USPS is going to be slowed down considerably...

I haven't used them for anything important since before the pandemic. In fact I can't recall the last time I shipped anything by USPS or sent a letter. There are too many alternatives. And 98% of my incoming "mail" goes straight to the trash.

I buy a lot online and the majority of merchants use USPS. Next popular is UPS, except for food and drink, where Fedex seems to be preferred.

Since some of what comes by USPS is part of a "last mile" delivery partnership with UPS or FedEx, it's hard to be sure how much of a role they play in even the deliveries that are made by the postman. All I know is that there was a time not long ago when a first class letter took no more than 3 or 4 days coast to coast and now routinely takes 5 or more days over much shorter distances. During a transition before direct deposit was established, my paychecks from one of my employers took 8 business days to go from Atlanta to upstate New York. That was fun, because those checks not being from a local business, my bank took the excuse to put a 1 week hold on the funds as well. So between the usual deferred pay period, a couple of weeks to get the check, a day or two to find time to walk it down to the bank (exceeded the mobile deposit limit) and a 1 week hold, various people had the use of my money for the better part of a month after I had earned it. And the USPS had the biggest role in that mess.

So I simply don't rely on them anymore, and lo and behold, there are almost always alternatives. For example, my accountant used to insist on paper signatures for tax returns, but has been accepting PDF scans delivered by his secure digital service for several years now.