DEAR ABBY: Sometimes I think that the U.S. Postal Service is its own worst enemy. They came out with a five-digit ZIP code which the public finally accepted (after a lot of grumbling). But right on top of that, they reduced the state abbreviations to only two characters which makes them very, very confusing. And now, four more ZIP code digits have been added!
Advertisement
Abby, ask people who don't come from these nine states the following questions:
Is "MA" Maine, Maryland or Massachusetts?
Is "NE" Nevada or Nebraska?
Is "AL" Alaska or Alabama?
Is "MS" Mississippi or Missouri?
I have recently had five mailings returned by the U.S. Postal Service because the address on the envelope had no apartment number on it. If the people who gave me their address did not include an apartment number, I have to address their mail as I see it. Why put the onus on me?
People tend to ignore decisions they feel are wrong and that they had no choice in making. Maybe they hope that the rules will be modified. -- HOPEFUL IN DAYTONA BEACH
DEAR HOPEFUL: The Postal Service now uses computers to speed up mail delivery. However, the machines that scan and sort the envelopes cannot decipher them properly unless they are coded with their new two-letter abbreviations. Mail addressed using the old familiar abbreviations is automatically shunted aside to be handled by postal employees -- which slows the process.
If you have forgotten the new abbreviations for each state, a pamphlet listing them is available at your local post office. Keep it handy, and you'll be amazed at how quickly you will learn the new system.