@ Ray: To impugn the morals of a man that most likely
saved that little girls life is truly sad. Not to mention disgraceful. You should be ashamed of yourself.

I was a plank holder at the Chattanooga REC. We had one city, Atlanta GA. The letter mail goes through high speed sorters. The mail that cannot be deciphered has images taken that are sent to a REC. The images come up on a computer monitor where the operator types in codified address info. This info then goes back to the originating city where it gets paired up with the particular envelope. A bar code is sprayed on the front and then it goes through another high speed sorting machine where it gets sent on it's merry way. Is truly amazing how the REC data gets put on the correct envelope. We're talking 100's of 1,000's of pieces of mail. When images are taken to send to the REC each envelope has a unique bar code put on the upper back so the data from the REC can find the right envelope. If you get an envelope that has a bar code sprayed on the front flip it over. Look along the top edge for the identifying bar code. It's kind of an orange color, can be very hard to see. If you do see one that tells you it went through a REC. The code is not the same as the POSTNET bar codes used to sort the mail on the front.

A few tips to really speed your mail.

1. Use ZIP +4, 5 digit ZIP codes are almost worthless.
They will slow it down since it has to go through a REC. You can get any ZIP +4 codes off the USPS.gov site.

2. Please use block letters instead of script if you
hand write the address.

3. I know it might be nearly impossible but try not to
use red envelopes for your Christmas cards. They are truly murder for the high speed sorters to read the addresses from. Even the REC operators have a terrible time with them. The article even mentions them. Yes I know they look real Christmassy and all but do you want the card delivered in a few days or a week or more? If you absolutely must use a red envelope maybe you could stick a white address label on it that you've hand written or printed with a printer. A lot of label programs can also print out POSTNET bar codes which is a terrific added benefit. Windoze Word is one.

Hope your eyes haven't glazed over! I can really get into bar codes. GGGGG

Ooops, a plank holder is a person that's part of a ships commissioning crew. I was at the Chattanooga REC when it opened back in 1994. She was shut down a few years ago. I think they were handling around 20 cities then.

BTW the reason the price for stamps keeps going up so often is simple. The unions are destroying the PO just like every other industry they get into. That and the outrageous bonuses the supervisors get annually simply for doing their job. 99% of the working stiffs at the PO really do try their best to deliver the mail quickly & accurately.

Then again they might eat all the tree snakes that I understand are all over Guam. I think they came in on a ship also.