Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Darn UPS

One day last week, upon returning home from work, I was delighted to discover I had received a package. A decent sized and somewhat heavy rectangular box of a package. Interesting. I wasn't even expecting anything. But upon closer examination, I realized I didn't so much recognize the return address from Diane in California. And an even closer look revealed that it was not even addressed to ME, but rather to a person who had a not-so-very-similar name. Like if you added a letter and crossed the L's in my name. Yes, Jeanette J. And the street address was not even close to mine other than that both streets began with an M. The original address had been crossed out and a new label printed and placed next to it with my name and address. When I peeled back the label, I saw someone with 1st grader-ish looking handwriting had written "Don't live here, try Janelle J. at..."

I was SO irritated with the dadgum USPS. They are notoriously lazy and sloppy, and lack an eye for accuracy and detail at our local office. It is almost frightening, if not infuriating.

After nearly a week of looking at it on the counter and preparing my return speech, I finally made it to the post office to give them what FOR!

When I entered, nobody was at the counter. I could hear them diligently working just out of sight. The door made its gong sound alerting them to my presence, but not one of them stopped what they were doing to greet me, much less HELP me. I quickly revised my original speech to include the most recent offenses as I waited and waited and my fury grew with each passing second.

As I stood ready to attack, I just happened to look down and see at the bottom of the label...guess what...a UPS logo...and oh, what is this?...a UPS Ground Tracking #?..nowhere on the box did it even say USPS.

My package and I quickly, quietly, and HUMBLY exited the building without incident.

But now what the heck do I do with it?

I feel like Tom Hanks in Castaway. Maybe I should take a trip to California to return it to the sender in person. I think I'll take it to the local UPS store today.

Now THAT thar is more interesting than meatloaf.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like something that would happen to me. Hey! I worked for UPS back in 1986-87. Didn't know if you knew that. No! I wasn't a driver. haha. I was the girl at the counter in my cute brown uniform. Not. It was a fun job.
Good thing for you that someone had your back.

Anonymous said...

SO funny that you made such a blunder! I would never do something so foolish. I wouldn't even unpack both children from the car (waking a sleeping Grant up), load them into a cart, hurry into Home Depot to return some items I purchased last week, wait 20 minutes in line, empty my bag onto the counter, proudly hand the cashier the receipt "I have the receipt", and then suggest I quickly scoot back to the fastener department to get the cotter pin I need...only to receive a look of suspicion and disgust from my oh so perfect cashier and an "Umm, I'm going to need a Home Depot receipt. This is for Lowes and it looks like all of this stuff has Lowes price tags on it. So I can't return it." Oh really?? Rats! Caught red-handed trying to scam Home Depot. So I packed my LOWES goods into my LOWES bag, took my LOWES receipt and my children and left. This happened yesterday. Must have been a rough day for both of us, BF. Liane - this was immediately after we exchanged your baby-head son.