Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Postal Service, Insurance Offered by

I am very suspicious of postal insurance. When the post office employee asks me "would you like to insure this," I am always tempted to ask "why, what are you planning to do it?" The trouble is, I always thought the insurance should be implied. I give them the package, they deliver it safely and intact. When I get in a taxi cab, the guy doesn't ask me if I want life insurance. It is implied that he will deliver me safely and intact to my destination.

The whole "would you like insurance" question always reminds me of a mob shakedown.

"So, what's in the package? Is it, ya know, valuable?"
"Well, kind of..."
"You should, ya know, insure it... packages like that can be very delicate. It'd be a shame if it had an accident."

While we are on the subject, what is it that they do the packages that aren't marked 'fragile?' And what is with the instructions not to 'fold, spindle, or mutliate.' I can understand the fold thing, spindling just seems archaically quaint right now, but asking them not to mutilate my package also seems like it should be an implied request. "I'd like to mail this, and please don't chop it into confetti."

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