USPS Discontinues Mail Delivery to the Playa

[some seeing eye]

Fedex and UPS do not deliver to the playa. In past years the US Postal Service has, through their tiny Gerlach post office. There have also been shifts in on-playa mail delivery services.

(Something in fuzzy memory might be that the original disgruntled postal worker mail delivery service on playa was started by a Cacophony member who was a Bukowski-esque disgruntled postal worker)

The volume of mail has been growing as awareness of outside world to BRC mail delivery spread. I have heard that the breaking point was last year when people tried to have a large volume of Amazon deliveries. This created a large volume of undeliverable return to sender traffic back out through the Gerlach post office. I have also heard there was on-playa inspection of packages by LEO dogs for obvious reasons.

The post office decided this year not to deliver mail, but that news did not make it back out to burners.

BRC to BRC delivery continues without the undeliverable return to sender requirement.

When social media outrage ensues, people become bullies.
Don't be a bully to the Gerlach USPS staff

https://www.facebook.com/brcpo/

Related: viewtopic.php?f=403&t=76046&hilit=post+office



Related: viewtopic.php?f=403&t=76046&hilit=post+office

[Captain Goddammit]

I used to be with the BRCPO a long time ago.
You're exactly right, the BRC Post Office was originally just schtick, never intended as a real, serious post office.
The whole gag was red tape. You stood in line, got to the front where you were told you were in the wrong line... you filled out ridiculous forms, then were criticized on your penmanship... eventually you were gifted a BRCPO post card.
A few items were taken to Girl-Lack and actually mailed. Around 2002 or so it changed leadership and started becoming more of a real post office.
I dunno what the fuck went wrong to let that happen.
Expecting a real post office out in Black Rock? Wtf is wrong with you!

[FlyingMonkey]

Meh, next year online retailers will be delivering to the Playa via drone anyway.

[Canoe]

... The whole gag was red tape. You stood in line, got to the front where you were told you were in the wrong line... you filled out ridiculous forms, then were criticized on your penmanship... eventually you were gifted a BRCPO post card...

Bwaaahaha
I should have seen that.
My first year I was being super patient and kind with them on the post Exodus Tuesday thinking they're a little burnt or used to take the short bus, with some possible playa-condition. I got them bottles of water and Emergency-C packets and even helped walk their camp for MOOP. They never let on. They must have laughed their asses off at me.

[gaminwench]

Mail addressed to the PO Box address for BM was delivered through the 3 & 9 o'clock BRC3/9POs as per usual. General delivery processing (6o'clockPO) was discontinued this year.
Use the PO Box address for continued postal service in future.

[Sham]

As we all know, most everything in BRC is staffed by volunteers. Last year was a particularly heavy year for people thinking it's cool and fun to get mail and package delivery on the playa. Some resident in the surrounding area sent a letter of protest to every intersection and address in BRC---thousands of them. Also, people felt it was cool to have Amazon make package deliveries since they could.

The woman who ran the post office felt it was time to pass the baton and the new person found the task daunting. Outgoing mail is rather simple and important packages (ie: medications) that need to be delivered can be held at the post office in center camp for pick-up.

[darkfred62]

"The woman who ran the post office felt it was time to pass the baton and the new person found the task daunting."

This statement is not fully accurate. I was part of the 2015 BRC post office team. The person who had control of the BRC post office did not relinquish control in any way. The 2015 team that worked was way too small for the task. A large percentage of the directed ticket sales that were supposed to go to people that would have made up the core of the post office camp went to people who did not work in the camp.
The person whom the "baton" was supposed to be passed worked very hard with a small amount of resources available (bodies willing to work). The task of sorting mail and getting it out was only "daunting" because of the lack of people to make it work and the lack of planning by the person in control.
If you need more background talk to the "Ex BRC post office workers" theme camp (yes there is such a camp. I wonder why?).

But whatever, this is all done and over. BRC PO can go back to "Schtick" rather then providing a desired service to BRC.

[Captain Goddammit]

I think the original schtick was better than this real post office crap it somehow turned into. That's why I'm an ex BRCPO person. That, and Sylvia Dutch, the late Postmistress is gone. The modern BRCPO is zero fun.

[MyDearFriend]

I think it's fun to gift postcards and stamps and to send postcards & letters through the BRCPO, so, I hope they continue in some form or other.

[Bless]

A friend of mine's son ran one of the post offices on the playa this year.

[some seeing eye]

I'm not in touch with the various BRC post offices. But maybe the solution is for a BRC post office to pick up mail in Gerlach daily, but store undeliverable mail on playa and bring it by truck in one delivery to the main Reno sorting facility after the event?

Incoming volume is good for the Gerlach PO stats, and the undeliverable problem isn't bad for them.

[Elderberry]

I liked the idea of the post office. It just seemed to fit--I mean everything you encounter on the playa is unexpected and how much more unexpected could it be to have a real post office there! On the two years I couldn't make it to the playa, I enjoyed sending postcards to camp members and they enjoyed getting them. (Though Amazon deliveries might be pushing the envelope. )
Oh well, just my two cents.

[fireheadwhale]

I worked for USPS 37 years. I have PTSD from it. I enjoyed going to BRCPO and trolling them. FTPO.

I was in the Maintenance Liberation Army. We would paint MLA on a file cabinet there for laughs and managers would shit their pants.

Nevertheless I lament the demise of BRCPO.