I think it should be more like the post office or public transit, where a nominal fee is charged (or none at all) but that fee is not the primary source of fund

I think it should be more like the post office or public transit, where a nominal fee is charged (or none at all) but that fee is not the primary source of funding. Small fees are very effective at limiting the human tendency to abuse anything offered at $0. I agree that the current fees are higher than is necessary to prevent abuse - and I think it should be free to taxpayers.