I just read an article in Bloomberg Businessweek that the US Post Office, with its cutbacks in independent postal stations, is looking at small businesses, i.e. cafes, stores, to house USPS minimal service desks/postal boxes, etc. Of course, lockboxes are already situated in various mailing/package depots. The article states that it was only after the Civil War that independent buildings were created, as a result of a growing trust in government. Interesting.
mmm...I remember when I lived in Bloomingdale, Illinois in the 50s and 60s. Bloomingdale was a mere crossroads between Elgin and Chicago; our post office was located in the locally owned hardware store. I remember his face, but can't remember the name of the store owner. He or a woman handled the postal services.
I like the convenience this offers, especially in one of my favorite coffee shops; then I wonder about privacy issues with postal boxes....would a regular Postal employee deliver mail to the lockboxes?
Also, I remember, though I felt leery of walking into the dim hardware store filled with men gathered talking, there was a sense of community. A corner bar was the only gathering spot at that time, or on the steps of the grocery, enjoying a 10oz (8 oz?) Coke, frosty and cold, from the outside vending machine.
The article is: 'The Post Office's Back to the Future Rescue Plan' pp 38-40;Bloomberg Businessweek May 27, 2013.
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