The Post Office

My sweet parents bought me a new computer! Yay! The package made it to India. I've opened the package, held the computer, etc. However, the computer is still not in my posession. It was stopped my customs and I received a letter saying to report to claim my package. The following is my day that followed. I arrived at 11:30 and left at 4:30...empty handed. I already had a strong aversion to post offices here, but my dislike has intensified. The people here are great about some things such as hospitality. However, customer service is definately not a strong point.

1. Went to the Foreign Post Office that is in a different part of the city.

2. Went inside this dingy warehouse type building that reeked of urine. It felt like those places that kidnappers keep their hostages.

3. The people on the ground floor sent us to the first floor.

4. I gave the guy my piece of paper and he tells us that they will not look at my package until Oct. 3. It is sort of like a court date or something for my package. Apparently they only examine 10-12 boxes a day.

5. Mona, my neighbor, very sweetly explains that my birthday is on Friday and my parents just wanted their baby girl to have her present before them. I tried to look as sweet as possible. The guy says okay, go to the 5th floor.

6. We go to the fifth floor on the elevator that gives you whiplash everytime it stops. The fifth floor has a lot of packages sort of strowed everywhere. People were opening some and others seemed to just sit around. I should also add, that the Indian postal system is not electronic. They use the paper and pencil method, which now explains why some mail just never makes it here.

7. We explain the story to them once again and the new guy agrees to open the package.

8. We wait around for a while as they look for the package. Looked to be quite the feat.

9. The bring the package over and we wait as they finish up with another box.

10. They call me over to watch them open the package. It was my computer. They acted as if they had never seen a computer before and couldn't figure out how to open it. They all stare at it for a while and proceed to discuss what to write about it. I think they decided on writing Dell.

11. A man comes over and says I will have to pay a custom fee - 22% of the purchase- $300

12. I say that is okay and pull out my wallet (I know it more important to just get the box), but they say I can't pay here. They say it must be cleared by a customs comissioner and then I can pay and take the box. They say this will take 2-3 hours.

13. We wait for awhile and someone comes and tells us to go to the 2nd floor to see Mr. Brumbee. He will be able to let me get the package fast.

14. We got to 2nd floor, but he is eating.

15. We wait some more and then talk to Mr. Brumbee. He tell us that he can't do anything and that people are not allowed to take their packages from that building. They must be delivered to your home. He said that the 5th floor people were just trying to rid of us and sent us to him for no reason.

16. We go back to the 5th floor and a man tells us to go to the first floor to get the commisioners signature.

17. We go to the 1st floor, but he was not there. However, we were assured that he would arrive any minute and once I got his signature I could pay and take my box. \

18. We wait for an hour and then got a coke.

19. We came back and wait for awhile longer. We ask again if we will be able to get the package today. We are assured that it will only take one minute once the commissioner arrived.

20. I convinve Mona to go home because she had other things to do that day. They assured her that they would help me and get me the package. They just needed a passport copy.

21. They direct me to a room to get a copy.

22. They lady who is supposed to copy, makes a different copy and it comes out a little dark. She then shuts off the machine, tells me it is broke and walks out.

23. I follow her and say, "Excuse me Mam, where is another copy machine?" She tells me to go to the 5th floor.

24. I go to the 5th floor and they direct me to another room. I don't think there was hardly electricity on that floor much less a copy machine!

25. They tell me I needed go to the 1st floor customs office. I told them that is who had sent me!

26. I go back to the lady on the first floor and ask again about another copy machine. She then directs me across the hall to the actually copy machine. (Why didn't she tell me this to start with).

27. I get the copy and wait a while longer.

28. Finally a guard comes and gets me and takes me to an office (1st floor customs office). A man there says, "Lindzey Sellers". I said yes. He said okay, it is cleared. Go to the postal department and pay the fee.

29. So I was directed outside around the building, to some windows.

30. I told them I was there to pay and they directed me back inside the building to a room on the ground floor.

31. I told them I was there to pay a custom fee and to get my package. They asked me for papers, which I was never given. They said they didn't take the fees there and I couldn't get my package there either. They said I needed to go to the first floor customs office. I said, that is who sent me here. Then they said, you need to go see Mr. Brumbee on the 2nd floor. I said, I've already seen him too. Along with some man an every other floor of this building.

32. At this point I am shaking and about to cry, because when I get really frustrated I cry. It had been 4 1/2 hours of this run around. I told them I had been here 4 1/2 hours and just wanted my packages. I told them I had talked to every person possible and every person has told me something different. One of the men had pity on me and said I'll help you.

33. Then I back to every floor and office I had already been in and he talked to all the people again. By this time, the commissioner who cleared it was gone, so there was no one there who originally told me I could have it today.

34. I finally realized that I wasn't getting my package that day. They all promise that it will be delivered to my house. The only problem is that I probably won't be home when it is delivered, which means that I will get another letter sending me to another post office to start this cycle all over again! Needless to say I was really frustrating, and tried really hard to hold back the tears.

35. I finally left there, teary eyed, and wanted nothing more than to go somewhere by myself and just cry. However, I live in a city of 14 million people so that was not an option.

36. At this point I only had one option left. I did what any other woman of integrity would do........

37. I went shopping.... :)

Hopefully, I will get my computer soon! However, my other birthday package arrived today! I was worried that it was going to be stopped also. It made it though!