The post office

Bill had suggested that I mail home some things that I won't need for a while, so I started collecting some small boxes for that purpose. Monday I walked to an office supply store during lunch to buy some packing tape and wrapped up 3 boxes for mailing. Yesterday, Tuesday, I brought the boxes to school with me and then carried them to the main post office after classes were over.

There were many windows to choose from when I got there, but chose the one that said "Acceptance of Postal Items" over it to start. After making my way to the head of the crowd (never a line), the clerk looked at my boxes and told me I would have to purchase one of their Mongol Post boxes and repack my stuff. So, I walked over to the counter where the boxes are for sale, bought the box and yet another roll of packing tape. After repacking my stuff into the new box (I could have mailed more things home, had I known that I was going to be required to buy this new, bigger box), I went back to the first counter. The clerk there opened my newly sealed box in order to examine the contents and then told me I needed to go to the Export window. So I did. That clerk told me I needed to get the box weighed at the window where I had just been. So I did. Mind you, all of this takes place in a crowd of people who don't mind pushing and shoving you around so that they can make their way up to the front.

After getting the weight of the box, I went back to the Export window where I filled out the necessary paperwork to get the thing shipped. This clerk took me back to the first window, where I was told the cost for mailing. I presented my Visa card, but since they would accept only cash, I went out to the lobby to an ATM. After receiving my cash, I went back to the window and paid. The clerk there said "finished", but since my box had no address on it yet, I wasn't about to leave until that was taken care of. Eventually the clerk affixed the shipping papers to the top of the box and I felt satisfied that I could leave. So I did.

My fun and games at the post office took an hour and a half.