So I had made a bib for a friend’s baby– one like these – a very small and lightweight item.
But knowing I was to be away for a few days, and eager to get it delivered, I decided to post it.
And I had a small jiffy bag – measuring 140 x 225 cm [the sort they call “Large Letter” size.
And I put the bib, and a postcard, in the bag. I sealed it up and went to the Post Office, remembering to take with me a stiff A4 sized envelope to post to Mags in N.I.
It was pouring with rain, I went in the car, but had to dash through the puddles to get into the Village Post Office [which also sells sweets, newspapers and a most bizarre selection of other items]
There was nobody else in the PO queue [but two customers at the sweets/newspaper queue were having a very loud discussion with that assistant about the recent shenanigans at the Parish Council Meetings. It would not be correct to repeat their opinions here!]
“One Pound Ten Pee” said the lady when I gave her the envelope.
Then I put my Jiffy Bag on the scales
“Two Pounds Twenty Pee”
“What?!!!! but it’s tiny! It’s just a little baby bib, and it only weighs 50 grams”
“Yes, but it’s a parcel you see. Too big for Large Letter”
“Surely not?”
So she said smugly “I can see just by looking, it won’t go through here” and she waved her Postal Rule at me.
“Show me” I said. And she pushed the ‘large letter sized jiffy bag’ through the slot in such a way as to make it wedge half-way.
“Oh that’s daft. I am not paying £2.20” I said “Please may I have it back?” She gave me the parcel.
And then, my friends, I put it on the floor [address side down, naturally] and jumped up and down on it to flatten it.
“There” I said, handing it back. “It will go through the slot quite easily now” And it did.
“That’s 69p” she said. I paid up.
“I never expected you to do that"” said the bemused assistant
“Well, it’s brightened up your morning, hasn’t it?”
And I turned round to see there were now five people in the queue behind me. I left the PO very quickly.
Now I await the news on village grapevine to get back to me “We hear you had a fit in the PO on Monday Morning, Ang” and also for my friend to say “Thanks for the bib, Ang – but do you know, there were muddy footprints all over the back of the envelope!”
Now that's creative problem solving! Have a great week
ReplyDeleteHow I wish I had been there to see you :)
ReplyDeleteL.x.
What a different attitude to that of my post office lady. Yesterday one of my parcels wouldn't go through the slot, so she asked if she could squash it for me. When we realised it had air in the parcel she asked if she could make a small hole in it, and proceeded to do so with the nib of her pen, reducing the postal cost in the process. Were you imagining it was the post office lady when you were jumping up and down on it?
ReplyDeleteExactly the same thing happened to me last week when I was posting a very light padded envelope to a friend. Unfortunately, I didn't have the savvy at the time to jump up and down on the envelope so grudgingly handed over my £2.20. I'll remember next time - thanks for the tip, Ang.
ReplyDeleteYES!!! Brilliant! It shows what a touch of lateral thinking can do! Well done!
ReplyDeleteGood for you!
ReplyDeleteBRILLIANT!!!
ReplyDeleteJane x
Nice one Ang,
ReplyDeleteAs someone who posts things almost daily for my hubby's buissness I have quickly learnt who to be served by in the post office and who to avoid lol Also if we miss a parcel being delivered I know which days to avoid trying to pick it up thanks to a lovely guy known locally as face ache in our local sorting office.
xx x x
You're so funny, Ang! Speaking of the postal line, when I stand waiting I think of you because there are many butterfly embellished items displayed in that corner of the shop.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story--I only wish I could have been there to see it (and the expression on the postal worker's face)!
ReplyDeletexofrances
Hope your post office doesn't have CCTV or you'll probably end up on YouTube... I can just picture you doing that though!
ReplyDeleteLynn P
A very sensible way of approaching a typical bit of bureaucracy! Tread on it.
ReplyDeleteNice one!
ReplyDeleteLove from Mum
xx
Bless you, well done. I can just imagine what they are all saying about you. Never mind it saved you a far amount of money and was the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteX x
Hilarious.......a Monty Python moment, I can imagine in these times of financial hardship quite a few of us may be 'foot stamping' our post before handing it over the post office counter to try and beat the dreaded Postal Rule...........certainly brightened my morning.
ReplyDeleteExcellent!!! Will be listening out for the gossip :-)
ReplyDeleteHilarious! I wonder if the P.O. thought they could make some extra money -- but they reckoned without you!
ReplyDeleteThis post has certainly generated much comment. I am wondering now if the post offices up-and-down the land will be full of bloggers jumping up-and-down!
ReplyDelete