A copy of the letter I just sent to the US Postal Service:
Since moving into our neighborhood in Elkridge, MD, my wife and I have adored our normal letter carrier, Barbara. She always takes care of everyone’s packages, even wrapping them in plastic and tucking them into the door when it rains. She consistently has a kind word at the mail box, and is a bright spot in our days.
Lately she has been very rushed. I understand that the US Postal Service is in an awkward position – you’re an essential part of our infrastructure and are mandated to service locations far and wide, yet are expected to be profitable despite these onerous constraints. It’s a difficult task, and cutting back on workers or delivery days is a reasonable approach to it. I do not begrudge you the tough decisions that you must make.
But for the life of me, I can’t understand why you had a second mail car following Barbara through her route last Thursday. At first, I assumed that he was just switching out a bag or dropping off something – who knows – but as I got closer, I could tell that he wasn’t doing anything in particular. He was listening to Led Zeppelin (a good choice) and gazing off into space. I jokingly asked Barbara if they were sending managers to follow her around and make sure she was working fast enough. A consummate professional, she didn’t answer, though she was clearly upset. But I believe that he was doing just that.
This cannot possibly be efficient. Give the man a bag and let him help at least.
The USPS has a lot of factors working against it in a frugal economy. As a government agency, you are bloated and unwieldy – you will never be as nimble as your competitors. One thing that you do have is a lot of quality people like Barbara who have been serving the community for decades. If you lost that…I’d rather just send an email. Cut costs to stay alive, but remember not to lose your soul in the process.
Words 
That’s an awesome letter Mr. Furst. Thank you for sharing.