Postcards from the edge

Over Christmas, our family headed to the Riviera Maya, south of Cancun, Mexico. It was a wonderful respite from Winter in Wisconsin. Mexico is an annual vacation destination, and every year, while sitting on the beach, I write Christmas greetings postcards to a handful of friends. Once finished, I drop them off in the mail slot in the hotel lobby and hope for the best. Three months later, they're starting to show up in people's mailboxes!

Some years they arrive within a week or so, some years, never. I've always suspected Mexican Postal workers of steaming the stamps off ($1.05 each, American) and reselling them, tossing the hapless tourista cards in the trash. This year, when the card to ourselves (also a tradition, and a test of the postal system) didn't arrive within a reasonable time (8 weeks) I assumed the worst.

(local Mexican Post Office)

Here's what an un-named multi-national company advises on the "Servicio Postal Mexicano." ...there is an open debate about its effectiveness. No self-respecting business that places much importance on the timely distribution of its correspondence would rely on it for anything other than mass-mailings. Companies tend to have "propios", in-house messengers, for the delivery of important correspondence and paperwork of any kind. Invitations for important functions are also hand delivered, although usually by a specialized delivery company.

Make all the jokes you want about the US Postal Service, but they get the job done. Even with the impending rate increase May 19th to $.41 1st class and $.26 for postcards, it's still a bargain.