When Will I Learn?

I needed to go to the post office today.

There's a post office branch just a couple of blocks away from where I work, and it usually isn't very busy. So whenever possible, I go to that post office. Unfortunately, it's not very convenient to our home. In fact, there are at least two post office branches closer to our apartment, including the main branch. My mistake today: Going to the main branch at 4:30 pm.

I walked in the door, and there were 17 people in line in front of me, all of whom appeared to have some postal difficulties or another. The worst conversation I overheard:

Clerk: So you want to send this "express mail," right?
Customer: No.
Clerk: Well, you've got "express mail" tape on the box.
Customer: That's the tape that the other guy gave me to use.
Clerk: You can only use "express mail" tape on "express mail" packages.
Customer: Well, how much would it cost to send it "express mail?"
Clerk: It starts at $13.65. But your package is pretty big, so it'll be more.
Customer: But I can just take the "express mail" tape off of here, right?
Clerk: Sure.
(Customer removes all tape)
Customer: Do you have any tape I can use to seal this up?
Clerk: Ma'am, all we have is the "express mail" tape.
(Customer slowly begins to tear her hair out of her head, and leaves Post Office.)

Apparently, one of the cost-cutting measures made by the US Postal Service is removal of all tape. Who knew?

Anyway, I was in line for about 25 minutes. When I left at 5pm, I counted the people still waiting in line behind me. Twenty-two.
As much as I bitch about my job, at least I'm not a postal worker.