Going postal
Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 8:18 pm
A friend of mine in South Africa just relayed to me an experience one of her friends had recently.
Christine was taking two large and identical parcels to the post office - smaller than many others she's sent but still not the standard "through the security window" size. After lining up with her heavy parcels for 30 minutes, she reached the counter only for the worker (one she'd not seen before) to tell her, "That is too big. You must go to the main post office".
Christine explained she'd sent larger ones before and if they'd let her bring them through the door it would be all right. Once inside, the worker put the first package on the scale and it weighed 12.48kg but it was rather wider than the scale bed.
"You see?" said the worker. "This part that is sticking out of the scale, the scale is not measuring this. You need to take these parcels to the main post office where the scale is larger."
So Christine turned the parcel on its side and, to the worker's amazement, it still weighed 12.48kg even though it was now only slightly sticking off the edge.
"Ah no!" said the worker, scratching her head. "That much is still not being weighed. At the main post office, the scale can weigh it all"
And so Christine took them many kilos to the main post office where the scale is wider and each parcel registered 12.48kg.
Christine was taking two large and identical parcels to the post office - smaller than many others she's sent but still not the standard "through the security window" size. After lining up with her heavy parcels for 30 minutes, she reached the counter only for the worker (one she'd not seen before) to tell her, "That is too big. You must go to the main post office".
Christine explained she'd sent larger ones before and if they'd let her bring them through the door it would be all right. Once inside, the worker put the first package on the scale and it weighed 12.48kg but it was rather wider than the scale bed.
"You see?" said the worker. "This part that is sticking out of the scale, the scale is not measuring this. You need to take these parcels to the main post office where the scale is larger."
So Christine turned the parcel on its side and, to the worker's amazement, it still weighed 12.48kg even though it was now only slightly sticking off the edge.
"Ah no!" said the worker, scratching her head. "That much is still not being weighed. At the main post office, the scale can weigh it all"
And so Christine took them many kilos to the main post office where the scale is wider and each parcel registered 12.48kg.