Like many of you, I addressed, stamped, and mailed some Father’s Day cards last week. One in particular struck me as a bit strange because the envelope was marked “Extra Postage Required” in the stamp area. The card did not seem to me to be particularly heavy, so I broke out our kitchen scale and weighed the whole thing before I sent it. Sure enough, the card and envelope together were less than an ounce, requiring zero extra postage. It just made me wonder, what’s the deal? I am sure a lot of people would have put that extra postage on as instructed without giving it an extra thought. How many cards out there are like that?
Greeting cards are virtually the only thing I send through the U.S. Mail these days (and, much as I hate to admit it, I really don’t send many of those). Bills are paid online, and I send email instead of letters. I know the Postal Service is a real money loser at this point — could they be teamed up with greeting card companies to find a sneaky way to increase revenue? I know it’s a stupid, paranoid conspiracy theory, but it doesn’t seem all that far-fetched when you think about the way greeting card companies essentially manufactured holidays to provide themselves with business.
On a lighter note, happy belated Father’s Day to all you dads out there, especially my dad!
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