What the U.S. Postal Service doesn't want you to know

Kenneth Ringle wrote a letter, published in the December 13, 2007 Washington Post, about the postal service's secret; the correspondence follows.

Trying to Close the Book on 'Outrageous Crime'

This morning I sought to mail a book to my sister in Lynchburg, Va.

The postal clerk quoted me a rate of $14. I asked for something cheaper, and he said $9.

"Wait a minute," I said. "This is a book. I know there's a cheaper rate for books. That dates back to Benjamin Franklin. Books and periodicals go cheaper to encourage an informed voting public."

"You want the book rate?" he said.

"That's why I've written 'book' on the package."

"Well that doesn't mean you want the book rate. You have to ask for that. We don't offer that unless you ask."

"You mean that's a postal policy?"

"Yep. We're not supposed to offer that or even tell you about it unless you ask. I know it seems deceptive, and I've said so. But it falls on deaf ears."

The book rate was $2.40, about one-fourth the cheapest rate otherwise. This is a small but really outrageous crime being committed by a major public institution. People mailing books for Christmas should know about it.

....................

Christmas?

Heck, anytime.