We’ve taken another step forward in our ongoing march towards a world run by supercomputer overlords. It’s really only a matter of time.
Come September, the USPS will be downsizing its division of sloppy handwriting translation (not the actual name, but if they want to use it they have my blessing). What was once an army of 55 centers will dwindle down to 1 as most of the task is turned over to the machine.
We can’t say we weren’t warned. How many times did our teachers speak to us of the misfortune that would follow sloppy handwriting. Although, even they couldn’t see the impending mechanical mandate.
What I find most disappointing, is that I didn’t know this job even existed until it was being nearly deleted. There’s something incredibly fascinating about a room full of people trying to decipher incoherent letters, numbers, and simply incorrectly addressed pieces of mail. Apparently, “around the corner from the drugstore,” is not a legitimate address.
Sadly, or perhaps fortunately, computers will now have the task of figuring out which drugstore that is. But something tells me those computer programs won’t quite see the humor in our mistakes. My advice to the snail mail enthusiast around the other corner from the drugstore: review proper mail formatting.
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Last of a Breed: Postal Workers Who Decipher Bad Addresses
…bi-daily smile…
Not related at all, but a valid question all the same: