Why do we (🇺🇸) still have the mail?

[MikeTheBartender]

I remember a Seinfeld episode about this years ago, many years ago, before Amazon and Jeff Bezos even existed. Seriously? With email, FedEx, UPS, etc, why do we still use the mail? I think the only time I send something is around Christmas time. And the difference between the mail and FedEx, UPS, etc. You don't have to pay for FedEx and UPS unless you use them. Whereas the mail is paid with our tax dollars. What are your thoughts?

People in other countries reading this? What are your thoughts for your country?

[NoDecision]

The government does not finance the post office. They get their income from selling services and stamps. The government will bail out auto makers and banks, but not a dime to the post office. As far as UPS, Fed Ex, and Amazon, they hand off a lot of their parcels for the post office to deliver because the post office has to deliver to every address in the US, no matter how remote. They have carriers delivering over water ways and even to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, whether it is profitable or not. The other companies dump their unprofitable deliveries to the post office.

[MikeTheBartender]

I love your explanation... And google gives mixed answers on the funding... But all sources say it loses millions if not billions annually. So as we used to say when the register came up short behind the bar, the math ain't mathing...

[Amy10223]

Well, believe it or not, some people don't have access to computers in order to pay their mortgages or bills. Some people like to have penpals that they write to. And others still like sending cards such as birthday cards and holiday cards to one another.

Besides--how else would we be able to get all that paper junk mail?

[MikeTheBartender]

I totally get that, I just hate that 95% of the mail is shit we don't want. And I signed up for dma choice, and all the other bullshit that is supposed to take me off of those lists.

[fishbone77]

I don't know. 90% of what I pull out of the box goes straight in the garbage. It's just stealing money from us at this point.

[MikeTheBartender]

And the other 10% you could probably get by email, Amazon, etc

[fishbone77]

100%

[Abbycado]

I still get some USPS stuff at school. My school mailbox mostly gets filled with junk flyers from different school groups.

[NathanDavis]

to mail packages... and spam people at their houses

[DishLady]

Bc there's still a generation that doesn't email.

[msc545]

We still have the mail because it's cheaper, generally, and we also still have the mail for delivering mail ballots.

[Amy10223]

Let's not forget those! Important in this election especially.

[exitseven]

We still have the mail to give military veterans a place to have a good job.

[MrChinaski]

Denmark has almost eliminated mail.

[Likes2drive]

They were supposed to privatize years ago

[Anonymous]

I haven't sent a letter in years