WHAT does FRAGILE mean?

[rebelcowboysnb]

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We did that but were only gave straws tape an two paper towels. No box ether.

Your video link does not go to a video but to a list of videos. None seem to match what you described.

 

[jennifersmith326]

I am starting to think fragile means to kick very hard and break what is inside.

 

[theredbirdlady]

As a former mail carrier, I can tell you that when packages come into your local post office, a human sorts them to the individual routes. He or she stands in the middle of a bunch of rolling hampers - essentially a big plastic tub on wheels - that are in the same spot every day, labeled for each route, and they are trained to know which addresses go to which route. That person picked up a package, reads the address, and tosses it - literally tosses - into the route's hamper. Package throwing mail handlers that have been at a particular post office for a long time can sort really quickly, and some don't even have to look when they throw packages, because muscle memory knows how far and fast to toss a package to get into a particular hamper.

If you want them to know that it's fragile, it's best to write it in big letters on the same side that the ADDRESS is on. (Writing it on all of the other sides helps, but the package thrower is only looking for the address.) Whether or not the package thrower CARES that it's fragile is an entirely different story. They are also usually rushed, as none of the mail carriers can leave the post office until ALL of that day's packages are sorted to the routes, scanned as arrived at the post office, and then the individual carriers mark them off in their mail so they know when they get to a house that has a package. But as a former carrier, one of the first things I learned was that my packages marked fragile, more often than not, were at the bottom of my hamper, underneath bigger and heavier packages.

In a small post office, with a handful of routes, it might not get thrown far at all. In a larger post office, packages are thrown (literally - and that's also what it's called - "throwing packages"...as in, "Mary is still throwing packages, so we can't leave yet.") more than ten feet in some cases, depending on where that route's hamper lies. In all likelihood, the dent came from being tossed some distance into a plastic hamper.

If you want your mail especially taken care of, send it registered mail or Express. It gets sorted out completely separately, and Express Mail comes into the post office on an entirely separate truck from the rest of the regular mail and packages. Having it insured will reimburse - it does not get treated ANY differently by the package thrower.

Sorry, but it all can't be blamed on the machines. All it takes is a package thrower or mail carrier who is lazy, careless, or has a bad attitude to break a package. Most of the time, they don't do it purposely, but a package thrower and/or mail carrier who cares will be sure that your fragile package is treated differently because it is fragile. I completely changed the way I ship things after having worked for the USPS and seeing how mail is really handled.

 

[galanie]

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Actually, most of the damage occurs during the legs of the trips that FedEx works- USPS contracts part of the shipping to FedEx.

This is also why you often don't see updates on their website for Delivery Confirmation packages, because FedEx has them. And let me tell you from personal experience, takes their sweet time about getting them to your post office, where they finally get scanned because this was the first time they were really at a USPS facility. I was maddest when they took 5 days to get a package to my city then SENT THEM BACK, because they were marked "Live Embryos" and the label said they FedEx doesn't handle live embryos on a weekend! Please, please, please, if you ship eggs don't mail them from ANYWHERE but a real, honest to God post office because those "ship and mail" or whatever places are almost always the source of this kind of craziness.

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An absolutely perfect description of how it's done at the destination post office. After carrying mail a number of years, I've had the "honor" of having to work at the sorting facilities too and I can say that a number of the people there couldn't care less because they never have to look a customer in the eye. There are going to be the ones that care because they are decent people but the relatively few that don't can make everyone look like ogres. In those cases I'm almost thankful that machines do nearly all the sorting.

Even among ourselves there is a joke about "Fragile" meaning "drop kick as far as possible" because we've all seen those who probably treat their garbage more carefully. Makes you just want to kick their rear ends up between their ears.

 

[In His Service]

Quote:
"Whatcha got there, lady?"

"Chicken hatching eggs, officer."

"Don't try to snow me, lady. I been around, I seen things. I know a racket when I see one."

"No, really. They're French Black Copper Marans, Coronation Sussex, and Blue Andalusians."

"Riiiiiiiiiight. Hand over the box, lady. Slowly. Do this right and no one gets hurt."

Exactly!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

I have decided whenever I buy eggs from now on I am going to ask the seller to insure the package for at least $100, and then we can split the profits

Seriously, it only costs a couple extra dollars to insure up to $100 value, I think. So, I will gladly pay $2 more to get something out of the deal. this is the second time this spring this has happened. Just gets my gizzard churning!!!!

Illia's package was sent on Wed. and arrived today from Washington. I had eggs shipped Tues. from Ohio and still haven't seen them. Makes me go "Hmmmm."

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Have fun getting them to pay out on eggs.

 

[FireTigeris]

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If its what is worth its what its worth, some rare eggs are worth more then that.

 

[speckledhen]

They won't insure eggs, sorry.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

They are not supposed to sell insurance on eggs an when they do they wont cover your losses.