4 ms·

This actually works fine in the USA where I live now. In the few letters I actually send I usually simply write the person's or company's name and the post cod

by gumby 2y ago

This actually works fine in the USA where I live now. In the few letters I actually send I usually simply write the person's or company's name and the post code (zip code). This postal trivia is becoming more amusing all the time -- I check my mailbox once every 6-8 weeks, or even less, and rarely have more than one or two items in that time. I get the impression that nobody bothers to use the postal service for anything important any more.

Kon-Peki 2y ago
The postal service routing system developed into a highly fault-tolerant system, by necessity. You may intentionally omit required information, but the system doesn't know that. It could also have been obscured, damaged, etc. The machines try as hard as they can to get the letter as close to the destination as possible and then a human takes over. Unless your local postal carrier is a jerk, it is highly likely to succeed. Even in NYC/LA/Chicago: the postal carrier has a small area they are responsible for, they are just as likely to know all the names as a postal carrier in a small town.
- JumpCrisscross 2y ago
  > Even in NYC/LA/Chicago: the postal carrier has a small area they are responsible for, they are just as likely to know all the names as a postal carrier in a small town A full name and zip code are also frequently unique.
rightbyte 2y ago
> I get the impression that nobody bothers to use the postal service for anything important any more. Try to send invitations to parties by email and see how many actually reads their mailbox filled to the brink with spam. I want everything important from companies by snail mail. Friends etc. could use sms, telephone or snail mail. People don't seem to read private e-mails that often and a lot are missed. Me included. Note, I am referring to private correspondence. At work I check my email properly.

by gumby 2y ago

Kon-Peki 2y ago

The postal service routing system developed into a highly fault-tolerant system, by necessity. You may intentionally omit required information, but the system doesn't know that. It could also have been obscured, damaged, etc. The machines try as hard as they can to get the letter as close to the destination as possible and then a human takes over. Unless your local postal carrier is a jerk, it is highly likely to succeed. Even in NYC/LA/Chicago: the postal carrier has a small area they are responsible for, they are just as likely to know all the names as a postal carrier in a small town.

JumpCrisscross 2y ago
> Even in NYC/LA/Chicago: the postal carrier has a small area they are responsible for, they are just as likely to know all the names as a postal carrier in a small town A full name and zip code are also frequently unique.

rightbyte 2y ago

> I get the impression that nobody bothers to use the postal service for anything important any more. Try to send invitations to parties by email and see how many actually reads their mailbox filled to the brink with spam. I want everything important from companies by snail mail. Friends etc. could use sms, telephone or snail mail. People don't seem to read private e-mails that often and a lot are missed. Me included. Note, I am referring to private correspondence. At work I check my email properly.