BEFORE taking a shy at today's Aunt Sally - the Post Office - let me thank all those Sun.Star readers who take the time and trouble to post comments on the 'paper's website.
I'm on dial-up here at Casa Covington and PLDT and Mozcom between them - disconnections every five minutes, desperately slow download speed - turn e-mailing and surfing into a misery and thus I only look at the website every six months or so and then up at the local cybercafe.
So thanks to the many anons and the non-anons who've posted up some wonderful one-liners. Way back in brownout season Tom and Sig suggested a new come-on for the tourist people - "Welcome to Davao; smoke-free, typhoon-free, electricity-free." Don't you love it?
More up to date S Hark (Fellow Brit?) commenting on my draconian measures of dealing with lawbreaking PUJ drivers thought I'd not gone far enough. Issue traffic enforcers with portable shredders he says. Break the law, shred the license on the spot. I like it.
Now the Post Office which has put its prices up. I first noticed this a couple of weeks ago when I mailed a letter to the UK - an increase from P26 to P40 in one go. Robbery I cried but what can you do?
Then, in my lock-box I found a 'Final Notice' (Capital letters and underline courtesy of the Post Office) demanding that I kindly settle immediately my unpaid box rental.
What! I'd paid in December last for a full year. Has the Post Office got its panties in a twist? I read on and - ah - there's been an increase in the box rental.
But Final Notice? I hadn't noticed any preliminary notices in my box nor any polite explanations. No. This is how Philippine governmental or semi-governmental agencies approach price increases. Whammo! It's there. Never any prior notice, never any information handouts, never any warning. The first you know is final. Final notice.
And why is the Post Office box rental going up anyway? There was an increase last December and the December before that. And renting a box saves the Post Office money - they don't deliver my mail. Box renters should be in line for a rebate.
The notice says that I have 90 days to pay up and then my privileges will be suspended; the privilege I presume being me hauling down to the post office to check if there's any mail. And hauling down once a year to pay. So I've decided to cancel my box at the end of the 90 days, give them back the key. Save myself gasoline money. Let the Post Office do the delivering and for free.