Frustration builds in D.C. region over mail delays

[IronLionZion]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/01/11/dc-mail-delays-snow-covid/

Residents across the D.C. region have become increasingly frustrated over delays in mail deliveries, with last week’s snowstorms, a spike in coronavirus cases and long-standing problems with the U.S. Postal Service contributing to a breakdown in services.

Julia Miller, who lives in the District’s Brightwood Park neighborhood, said she did not receive any mail from Dec. 30 to Jan. 9. A birthday card from her mother, who lives across town, took three weeks to arrive, she said. Some mail finally arrived again on Monday.

“It is disappointing that this is happening in the United States of America,” Miller said.

Arlington resident Diana Wahl said she received no mail between Dec. 27 and Jan. 9. She finally received some mail on Monday and Tuesday, but older mail — that she had seen photos of in “informed delivery” emails she receives from the Postal Service — has not yet arrived. One of those Postal Service emails showed a letter from Social Security on its way to her.

Her estimated tax payments are due this month, but she doesn’t trust that the Postal Service will deliver them: “I’m afraid to put them in a mailbox.”

The postal problems were exacerbated by staffing issues due to layoffs and the coronavirus.

An American Postal Workers Union official said more than 250 postal employees in D.C. were let go near the end of the year. Although the union is trying to get more information about the layoffs, officials say similar layoffs have occurred across the country.

I empathize with short staffed postal workers. I've seen package tracking show stuff arrived in DC and then not get delivered until a week later. Same with outgoing shipping. UPS is facing similar problems so we probably can't put this all on DeJoy.