Snail Mail
A friend of mine was at the WWW 2007 conference in Banff, Alberta. I sent a package via US postal server using the so-called priority mail option. The postman said that the package should arrive within 3-5 days. It was a Saturday, and my friend was supposed to be in town for another 8 days. The next option up was twice as expensive and would have arrived in four days. I didn’t see the point in paying twice as much to have a package delivered in the same alleged time period. Just for fun, I insured the package and bought the tracking option.
Well, the package was mailed 5 May. It’s now 15 May and it still hasn’t arrived. The tracking information (which is allegedly updated nightly) says:
Out of Foreign Customs, May 11, 2007, 11:20 am
Into Foreign Customs, May 09, 2007, 5:14 pm, CANADA
Arrived Abroad, May 09, 2007, 5:14 pm, CANADA
International Dispatch, May 07, 2007, 1:41 pm, MIAMI AMC
Enroute, May 07, 2007, 2:39 am, MIAMI, FL 33112
Enroute, May 05, 2007, 2:02 pm, KNOXVILLE, TN
Acceptance, May 05, 2007, 12:10 pm, KNOXVILLE, TN
Why the heck did the shippers send the package to Florida and waste two days in transit?! And then it stalls for two days between Miami and Canada? And another two days in customs? I just hope that when the hotel marks “return to sender” that the package actually arrives at my house. This is infuriating.