Dear Editor, For those of us from Airdrie with rural route mail, the last few weeks – to say the least – have been frustrating. To replace the current mailboxes with something less “tamper proof” is certainly appreciated, but the manner that it came about defies any common sense, whatsoever. Changing us to a 911 address is supposed to make it more efficient for fire, police and couriers to find us. However, the marauding thieves running rampant in the rural areas seem to have no problem locating us. Apparently, we are one of the last areas in Rocky View Country to update to a 911 address. The fact that this program has been enacted across 90 per cent of Canada already, and the system is still this screwed up, speaks to the unorganized inadequacy that runs rampant at Canada Post. Putting aside the fact that the mailboxes were moved to out-of-the-way, bizarre locations in many instances, there were daily hour-long (or longer) waits to get into the post office to pick up your mail while they tried to sort out this disaster. Three weeks later, we are still receiving only a trickle, if any, of our mail. Is the problem an inadequate, unproductive sorter and/or delivery person working on the rural route mail? If that is the case, the person, or people, in charge must, at some point, be held responsible. Where is the accountability? Passports, visas, seniors’ monthly cheques are all being held ransom. As a neighbour aptly put it, “You can’t make this up. They couldn’t have planned a worse screw-up.” “We’re working on it,” “You should see your mail start coming through in the next few days” and “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to tell you” are just not going to cut it. “We didn’t realize so many people would want to make changes.” Seriously? Your mailbox used to be two miles down the road – now, it’s six miles through a coulee to a dead-end road that doesn’t get plowed in the winter. Surely, it was obvious this was going to be a problem. Kudos to the front-end staff at the Airdrie post office. It can’t be easy facing a mob of unhappy, grumpy people on a daily basis, when none of this screw-up is their doing. However, if you’re looking for sympathy while you’re in strike mode, Canada Post, keep looking. I vote all Canada Post employees have their paycheques mailed to them – perhaps then we’ll see some changes come about. Rhonda Bollum Rural Airdrie
