The US Postal Service has been tight lipped about what new software they are using that renders ZIP codes meaningless. They claim there is no cost to tax payers except for maybe some privacy, a commodity with declining value.
Gulfport, MS—According to a nine-year employee of the United States Post Office, ZIP codes are completely useless now, and no current employee at the Post Office even remembers why they were created. Chuck Martinson, who was “let go” from the Post Office in March, said it’s just habit that people put the ZIP code on mail, and that it’s really a complete waste of time.
“They’re just going through the motions, really,” Martinson said. “I mean, the last person I know of who was around when the codes were created retired in 2003.”
Martinson said it’s a handy excuse for the Post Office or other delivery companies when mail gets lost to blame it on the ZIP Code being wrong or missing. “But it’s a scam. They have no clue. They just lost the article of mail, but expect people to believe it’s an important part of the address and use that as their excuse. Ya want more proof? Type in your address, or any address, into Google what do you call it-Maps? Google Maps. Type it in without a ZIP code and see what you get. Go ahead, I can wait.”
But the biggest problem with the “ZIP Code Myth,” as Martinson called it, is the cost for the government to keep the charade alive.
“Billions are spent annually to print up ZIP Code software and indexes,” said economist Shawn Reinhold. “That’s billions that could be spent on more important things like infrastructure or solving the problem of not being able to tell time. It’s infuriating that money is wasted just to keep up the appearance of some out-dated coda no one understands or needs anymore.”
No one currently working at the Post Office would comment directly, but after standing in line for 90 minutes, we received a statement that did question Martinson’s motives for spreading this “false information.”
Martinson said he wasn’t surprised. He said he wasn’t the most popular employee the Post Office ever had. He said he didn’t play by the Post Master’s rules, and was fired “due to politics. Politics and me wanting to send pot through the mail. But mostly politics.”
One thing’s for sure. If Martinson ever is allowed to send marijuana via mail, he won’t waste his time putting the ZIP code on the package.