Legal Commentary

Mail Service to Island Trash Can Ends

By TChris

From the "If it ain't broke ..." department:

The U.S. Postal Service has ended a decades-old tradition in which mail was delivered to [Sutton Island, Maine] by a private ferry service and left in a specially marked trash can on the dock for recipients to pick up. Postal Service higher-ups got wind of the practice used to serve those living in the island's 25 or so seasonal homes and decided it had to be halted for security reasons. ...

Shea Howell, who lives in Detroit, Mich., during the winter, said residents will now have to make the 2-mile ocean journey to the post office in Northeast Harbor. "That can mean a three-hour trip out of your day just to get the mail," she said.... Howell said having mail service is important, especially for older residents who stay on the island for several months at a time and rely on deliveries to pay bills, stay in touch with loved ones and even receive essential medications.

Security issues apparently don't trouble UPS or FedEx, which will continue to deposit deliveries in the trash can.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on August 02, 2008 (boomark / email).