Postal shenanigans

I live in an area covered by the XX1-4 delivery office. I'm expecting a parcel - too big for a letter box.
I was expecting a 'card' and then I;d have to go to the local delivery office - about 10 min walk away, which is open 7.30am-5pm 3 days a week, and 7.30am-12.30pm on the other 3.

But today I got my 'sorry we missed you card' asking me to go to the XX45 Delivery office in Ned-estate. And even then it is only open 8-12 each day! Seems ridiculous.

It is on my way to hospital (kind of, but I risk being late, and I need it asap. It seems stupid that they did not try to deliver it from my local Post Office. So I need to leave 30 minutes earlier, and may get there late!

Any ideas?

Does anyone know what this thing on top of a post box is for?

Lost in the post

While posting my sleep rant, I found this saved draft which I had forgotten to publish, so here goes.
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The other week I bought a jumper, on which the sleeves were too long (stop laughing) because although my body is normal size, it would seem that my shortness is due to short limbs (allegedly). Anyway, being useless with such things, I left the jumper with Mum & Dad, and Mum took it to a place near home to have the sleeves altered. Mum expressed herse;f very pleased and said you would hardly notice that it had been altered. Because they were going away on holiday, and I wasn't sure when I would next be down there, Mum posted it up to me, certificated and everything.....

3 weeks later it is still not here. Nor are the books I ordered lastweek.

I know the post office is busy, but it seems that only my bills get through. And there isn't even a scuccession of red cards telling me to go and collect a parcel because it is too big / needs signing for.

The one advantage of the courrier companies is that with internet tracking, I can at least track my parcel then take a print out from the website along with passport and untility ill to an industrial estate between Cambuslang and the middle of nowhere and claim back my parcels.

The problem then is that they take my intrnet print out off me and I have toi navigate out of the industrial estate again....and of course they are all new builds, so don't show on the SatNav......

Factors, electricty and post

Today I got a letter from my beloved Factors (who take vast quantities (in my opinion) of my money every 3 months for (apparently) cleaning the communal areas, keeping them painted, insuring the building, keeping the lift working, and keeping the door entry system working. They are at best reactive, since there are some issues which they haven't resolved in three years (see later...)

Anyway, today's letter was about electricity. It seems that the developers of my flats were rather lax about transferring the 'common' electricity supply for lights and lift, over to the factors. This has resulted in the factor not charging us for the electricity. So today we got a bill for the common electricity usage from Sept '04 - May '06 of (in my case £201.40).

So handily, in the month where I have no income, I get a bill for £201.40... and thats only up until 2006!

The factors are also useless at dealing with other issues, like post. Our mail is classed as being a 'commercial building' by the Post Office, so we only get mail on business days (not Saturday's) and only in a big sack, not sorted. It is also just left on a table at the bottom of the stair and not delivered to our flats. We do have a 'pigeon hole' style arrangement for letters in the bottom of the stair, but these are totally open, and due to the great 'SERVICE' button on the door entry system, stuff goes missing occasionally. I am now cheesed off enough about this to complain to the Post Office that they are not delivering my post properly.....wish me luck.

Postman Pat....

Due to the random post strikes around here recently, the post came be very haphazard. For example, having had none on Monday or yesterday, today I had a veritable mountain. some of which was quite interesting

• A cheque from the BMA charitable trust towards my tuition fees this year for Uni
• A new shiny nectar card to replace the old one
• A nice letter from my new power company asking for my meter reading and telling me how many points I will earn for my Tesco Clubcard.
• A letter offering me a loan
• One from ING Direct asking me to open a savings account with them. the only issue being that I already have one.
• A nice letter from the University telling me that I don't start until the 20 something of October as I passed SSM2 last year.

Mind that could be all my post until Monday now....