USPS

I have to say that i despair of the United States Postal Service.

Before go any further, i must add that, on the whole, i love the U.S.A. And have done ever since i was little. I memorised the Pledge of Allegiance when i was thirteen or fourteen and can still recite it. The Americans, in general, are the most generous, friendliest people on Earth. I love the countryside there, and the cities are so much more dynamic than anywhere else. I am very proud to be an honorary St Louisan and i believe that the Delmar Loop area of St Louis is my spritual home.

I don't like their political situation at the moment, but that's irrelevant to this post.

So much for the preamble.

I don't order schtuff online very often – i prefer to spend my money at local independent shops. But sometimes i want something that is simply unavailable locally.

I recently ordered a biography of Thomas Jefferson from amazon dot ca – it arrived two days later. I recently ordered a Caro Emerald CD from her website in Holland and it landed in my mailbox a week later.

I ordered a John Hiatt CD from a place in Connecticut and it arrived in five weeks. And that's typical – four to eight weeks is the norm with anything from The States.

Maybe, just maybe, Canada Customs holds American packages for longer, but i can't imagine why they would, so the problem must lie with the U.S.P.S.

It baffles me.