Test Your Vocabulary

[Simon]

Quote]

What is lacking is any support for that assertion...

Not in the villages around here, it isn't.

[scottycelt]

I've just stumbled on this most interesting off-topic debate on a 'game' thread and find myself having a whole lot of sympathy and fellow-feeling for VC standing alone and refusing to budge his ground. He does so, I'm sure, mainly because all the evidence rather tends to support his case ...

It almost goes without saying that the counter-arguments are largely based on sentiment and a yearning for 'the good old days' and the usual nonsense like Beefy's 'it's the EU wot's to blame'.

The simple fact is that the majority of us don't need POs like we used to. I only use the PO once a year to literally dump the Xmas parcels after arranging the postage online and have noticed how small the queues have been for postage in recent years. Either less people are sending parcels (unlikely) or more are doing the same as I and many others already do on their computers (probable). Presumably every forum member has a computer and the RM website has recently been simplified and is much improved. These days, even in towns like my own, POs are largely found in shops or supermarkets like the much-maligned Tesco.

There are cases, of course, where elderly or disabled people or the small minority without computers and transport still need somewhere to provide a local service, especially in rural areas. Again a shop or pub could take over that role for the relatively small numbers who require this service and also have a special section for simply dumping parcels for the rest of us. The number of these 'dumping centres' could be increased at Xmas time. I'm sure it's not beyond the wit of RM management to come up with an arrangement that works for everybody who simply wants to send a parcel!

I used to go into a bank three or four times weekly but haven't been in one for about twenty years (apart from occasionally depositing a cheque) because there has been simply no need to do so ... at least I've never come across such a need ... and cheques themselves are virtually now redundant. Like most these days I get my hard-earned money from the nearest available cash-machine. Much better than the old days.

Stand firm Vile Consort ... all the available evidence wholly supports your case and all the others are (mostly) wrong, IMHO!

[MrGongGong]

I was wondering whether it REALLY was a case of the "Clowns of Brussels"

so had a look ......... quite simple really with the Internet

http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/press/doc/post_office_closures.pdf

enjoy the Alphorns

[Dave2002]

What is service to the community anyway? Even if I only use our local PO a few times a year, I find it very useful to have it there. They might be more use in some shops/outlets than others.
For example, I recently found a service called collectplus - http://www.collectplus.co.uk/send?ut...FcLHtAodyBkAXg and used it to return an item. This took me to a shop I'd never heard of or noticed before. It might be useful if shops like this could perform the PO function, rather than the PO. OTOH I would probably prefer the PO to do it, but I doubt whether the people who run it would want to be available for most working hours 7 days a week.

Re the community aspect of POs, there is the possibility of those running POs building up a relationship with their customers, and sometimes that may be helpful. I did hear of one PO where the staff noticed that one older member of the community was sending payments to a rather dubious outfit each week. They probably acted illegally, but I believe that they did not carry out his instructions, and notified his family, thus saving him and his family £000s in payments which he was being duped into.

You can discuss amongst yourselves as to whether others in a community should take action like that. A "faceless" business enterprise is unlikely to be so helpful.

Obviously we are now totally off topic!

[teamsaint]

There has been a powerful drive to strip away the need for post offices.and to make people much more dependent on rather more unaccountable online services and providers.
Like so much that in the past that we have been told is inefficient, costly, past its sell by date, we will miss them when they are gone, and perhaps a day returns when we do need them.

[ardcarp]

There are cases, of course, where elderly or disabled people or the small minority without computers and transport still need somewhere to provide a local service, especially in rural areas

Scotty. Welcome to this (what is becoming a rather repetitive) debate. I, and others who live in rural areas, will know that the majority of the population fall into this category!

[teamsaint]

here is a "Rural" facility that we were told was of no commercial or practical use, and was closed in 1966.
It turns out (as american TV Scientists say) that in fact 100,000 people per year find it rather handy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Templecombe_railway_station

You can make the facts fit the story.

[MrGongGong]

There has been a powerful drive to strip away the need for post offices.and to make people much more dependent on rather more unaccountable online services and providers.
Like so much that in the past that we have been told is inefficient, costly, past its sell by date, we will miss them when they are gone, and perhaps a day returns when we do need them.

Indeed it's a classic case of the misapplication of "business" methods , seeing everything as a "business" rather than a conspiracy by the EU as some would have us believe ......

[Beef Oven]

Indeed it's a classic case of the misapplication of "business" methods , seeing everything as a "business" rather than a conspiracy by the EU as some would have us believe ......

No EU conspiracy. Just EU legislation banning government subsidies in preference for open competition. A rational position to take up, but it doesn't work for our post office issue.

Simple as that.

[amateur51]

No EU conspiracy. Just EU legislation banning government subsidies in preference for open competition. A rational position to take up, but it doesn't work for our post office issue.

Simple as that.

I wonder then why our MEPs are so ineffectual in fighting for the Post Office

[MrGongGong]

No EU conspiracy. Just EU legislation banning government subsidies in preference for open competition. A rational position to take up, but it doesn't work for our post office issue.

Simple as that.

But that's simply not true

The Postal Directive does not prohibit the UK government from giving rural post offices state funding.

http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/press/doc/post_office_closures.pdf

It might be rational if it were true
but it's not
so it's not

Simple as that ..............

[french frank]

The simple fact is that the majority of us don't need POs like we used to.

This seems to be the view expressed by those who don't use the service. I do, and the fact that I'm in any sort of 'minority' is irrelevant to me and everyone else who uses the PO. The PO figures show that millions do use their POs, and that's a big enough minority for me.

"92% of adults visited our branches within the last 12 months (78% last month)
20 million adults – half of the adult population – visited a branch last week
All socio economic groups use us – 42% of those who visit weekly are ABC1
Half of all small businesses use us every week."

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

This seems to be the view expressed by those who don't use the service. I do, and the fact that I'm in any sort of 'minority' is irrelevant to me and everyone else who uses the PO. The PO figures show that millions do use their POs, and that's a big enough minority for me.

"92% of adults visited our branches within the last 12 months (78% last month)
20 million adults – half of the adult population – visited a branch last week
All socio economic groups use us – 42% of those who visit weekly are ABC1
Half of all small businesses use us every week."

I don't read scotty's comment in quite the same way, frenchie: even those of us who do use the PO (and I include myself here) don't "need it like we used to". I get my stamps from the supermarket, my TV licence Online, and I do a lot of my correspondence via e-Mail (provided, in my case, by the PO). The only times I go into an Office is to post parcels, letters abroad and to get my Road Tax - not nearly as much as I used it even ten years ago.

[amateur51]

I don't read scotty's comment in quite the same way, frenchie: even those of us who do use the PO (and I include myself here) don't "need it like we used to". I get my stamps from the supermarket, my TV licence Online, and I do a lot of my correspondence via e-Mail (provided, in my case, by the PO). The only times I go into an Office is to post parcels, letters abroad and to get my Road Tax - not nearly as much as I used it even ten years ago.

I would never dare send my Passport Form off without first passing it under the all-seeing eyes of Raj & Parita of Salusbury Road Post Office NW6.

Triffic service and some of the cheapest and nicest wrapping paper in the land - they also used to have a special pop-up 3D card featuring the Pope but it was removed from sale recently because it featured the Pope before last who apparently is on his way to becoming a saint (such a busy after-life some people have )

[scottycelt]

This seems to be the view expressed by those who don't use the service. I do, and the fact that I'm in any sort of 'minority' is irrelevant to me and everyone else who uses the PO. The PO figures show that millions do use their POs, and that's a big enough minority for me.

"92% of adults visited our branches within the last 12 months (78% last month)
20 million adults – half of the adult population – visited a branch last week
All socio economic groups use us – 42% of those who visit weekly are ABC1
Half of all small businesses use us every week."

Ferney is correct. I use the PO as well but I do most of my PO business online these days. There must be many thousands who do likewise.

The PO cannot be expected to keep going making a loss on services where there is no longer the same demand because of the internet. I actually find things easier now than I ever did before. Instead of walking to the PO I can do it all from home apart from the physical dumping of parcels.

I realise there will be a difficulty in getting elderly/disabled and non computer-literate people to do the same but presumably many of the very same people need assistance in getting to a PO and filling in forms anyway? With each new generation there will be fewer and fewer people unable to access the internet. Already those who cannot will normally know someone who can and that will be easier than travelling themselves to the nearest PO simply to fill in a form .

I am not advocating that there should no longer be PO branches merely that it seems reasonable to suggest that some smaller outlets could close by offloading essential services to shops and supermarkets in order to save money and hold down costs. There is now no second daily delivery because there are far fewer personal letters sent due to the popularity of e-mail.

I cannot see this gradual process of change in our methods of communication not continuing, and if there is less and less demand for traditional services it seems a bit unreasonable to expect things to stay exactly the same as before?