In article <shjg70$jr0$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

>
> "Coronavirus May Stay for Weeks on Banknotes and Touchscreens"

detecting it on a surface doesn't mean it's a vector for transmission.

<https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00251-4>
But Goldman, a microbiologist at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
in Newark, decided to take a closer look at the evidence around
fomites. What he found was that there was little to support the idea
that SARS-CoV-2 passes from one person to another through
contaminated surfaces. He wrote a pointed commentary for The
Lancet Infectious Diseases in July, arguing that surfaces presented
relatively little risk of transmitting the virus2. His conviction has
only strengthened since then, and Goldman has long since abandoned
the gloves.

Many others reached similar conclusions. In fact, the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clarified its guidance about
surface transmission in May, stating that this route is ³not thought
to be the main way the virus spreads². It now states that
transmission through surfaces is ³not thought to be a common way
that COVID-19 spreads².

>
> <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020
> "Laboratory simulations have revealed that human influenza virus,
> rhinovirus, rotavirus, hepatitis A virus and norovirus can be
> transmitted through banknotes and coins. Similar simulation data with
> regard to SARS-CoV-2 are lacking. Hence, in the absence of hardcore
> evidence, making a definite statement is not possible. However,
> considering the widespread magnitude of the pandemic and the remarkable
> stability of the virus on smooth surfaces, it would be prudent to err on
> the side of caution and to consider it as a potential mode of
> human-to-human transmission and accordingly take all necessary precautions."

you call that proof???

that is not proof. that's 'well, it might, but we don't really know'.

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote
> Rod Speed <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote

>>>> I had a restaurant ask me not use the Costco Visa card once.
>>>> They know that rewards cards have higher fees and since so
>>>> many people have the Costco Visa the restaurants recognize
>>>> it easily. Other rewards cards are not so recognizable.

>>> they're not allowed to do that.
>> But do that anyway.
> some might try, knowing that they will likely get away with it because
> most people don't know that they're not allowed to do that.

Knowing that its pure bluff and they will
never lose their merchant account, actually.
> it's not difficult to file a complaint, which can potentially
> result in their merchant account being pulled.

The reality is that that doesn't happen for that reason.
>> Same with discounts for cash.
> not the same thing, and that's allowed.

It wasn't for a long time.
>> > if they accept visa cards, they must accept *every* visa
>> > card. they can't pick and choose only the cheap ones.
>> Bullshit.
> it's not bullshit.

Corse it is with your stupid claim that there is any possibility
of losing the merchant account for that reason.

That crap is pure bluff and the merchants know that.
> <https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/download/merchants/5-important-rules-ever
> y-merchant-should-know-052615.pdf>
> Accept All Visa Cards
> To offer the broadest possible range of payment options to
> cardholders, merchants must accept all categories of Visa debit,
> credit, and prepaid cards.
>
> <https://www.businessinsider.com/stores-credit-card-companies-battle-fee
> s-2018-9>
> Since the "honor all cards" rule in retailers' contracts with Visa
> and Mastercard stipulates they must accept all credit cards in either
> network, retailers cannot keep customers from using these premium
> cards, which can charge swipe fees of up to more than 2% on a whole
> transaction.

In article <iq50evFrh6jU1@mid.individual.net>, Rod Speed
<rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote:

> >>>> I had a restaurant ask me not use the Costco Visa card once.
> >>>> They know that rewards cards have higher fees and since so
> >>>> many people have the Costco Visa the restaurants recognize
> >>>> it easily. Other rewards cards are not so recognizable.
>
> >>> they're not allowed to do that.
>
> >> But do that anyway.
>
> > some might try, knowing that they will likely get away with it because
> > most people don't know that they're not allowed to do that.
>
> Knowing that its pure bluff and they will
> never lose their merchant account, actually.

wrong. some have.

>
> >> Same with discounts for cash.
>
> > not the same thing, and that's allowed.
>
> It wasn't for a long time.

wrong again.

cash discounts are allowed.

what's prohibited is a surcharge except in very specific circumstances,
such as a tax payment.

the net effect may be the same, but legally they are different.

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote
> Rod Speed <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote

>> >>>> I had a restaurant ask me not use the Costco Visa card once.
>> >>>> They know that rewards cards have higher fees and since so
>> >>>> many people have the Costco Visa the restaurants recognize
>> >>>> it easily. Other rewards cards are not so recognizable.

>> >>> they're not allowed to do that.

>> >> But do that anyway.

>> > some might try, knowing that they will likely get away with it because
>> > most people don't know that they're not allowed to do that.
>> Knowing that its pure bluff and they will
>> never lose their merchant account, actually.
> wrong. some have.

Bullshit they have, cite even one.
>>>> Same with discounts for cash.

>>> not the same thing, and that's allowed.
>> It wasn't for a long time.
> wrong again.

Nope.
> cash discounts are allowed.

It wasn't for a long time.
> what's prohibited is a surcharge except in very
> specific circumstances, such as a tax payment.

No one has lost their merchant account for that.
> the net effect may be the same, but legally they are different.

More of your mindless bullshit.

On 9/11/2021 4:21 PM, AJL wrote:
> On 9/11/2021 12:03 PM, Rob wrote:
>
>> We have no cashier services anymore.  Even at bank offices (which
>> hardly exist anymore) you need to get your cash from an ATM.  In a
>> larger bank office there is a sideroom with one or two ATMs where you
>> can possibly withdraw larger amounts in a bit more secure
>> environment than out on the street.
>
> My bank's outside ATMs (2) allow $1000 US per day cash withdrawal. Or
> you can go inside and get more. Within 5 miles of my house I would
> estimate that there are at least 15 full service brick and mortar bank
> branches. I live in a suburb of the 5th largest city in the US so
> perhaps that makes the difference?

I remember when there were lines at ATMs. Now, with the use of cash in
such a steep decline, there's not as much of a need for ATMs. In 2020
alone, ATM usage fell by 38% in the UK.

In message <shj1vm$ggr$1@dont-email.me> sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
> <https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average

Are you aware of the meaning of AVERAGE? That idiot link is proof of
nothing you claimed.

--
"Remember -- that which does not kill us can only make us stronger."
"And that which *does* kill us leaves us *dead*!"

On 9/10/2021 4:41 PM, AJL wrote:
> On 9/10/2021 4:10 PM, Carlos E. R. wrote:
>> On 11/09/2021 00.18, AJL wrote:
>
>>> I still find checks very handy. It's an easy way to transfer money
>>> to an individual without needing to know anything but his name. No
>>> app info required. For example I generally mail checks in birthday
>>> cards to grandkids around the country because it's safer than
>>> mailing cash and I know that they got them when the check clears.
>>
>> That would backfire here.
>>
>> Kids can have a bank account, and you normally need a bank account
>> to cash a cheque (and it goes into your account). However, the kid
>> can not withdraw a cent out of his own account till he is of age. No
>> exceptions.
>>
>> An cashing a cheque without an account, into cash, incurs a high
>> fee.
>
> Here the parents can countersign the check and use their phone to
> deposit it into their account (no bank trip required). They can then
> later go to the store with the kid to buy the gift, give him cash, or
> combine the money with other cash gifts to buy something really special...

In the U.S., banks really restrict "two-party" checks, though they do
usually still allow them for a parent to deposit a relatively low-value
check made out to a child.

On 9/10/2021 3:45 PM, JF Mezei wrote:

<snip>

> FaceID reduced usefulness of iPhone because of need to double click and
> authenticate prior to waving phone at POS. The advent of masks makes
> FACID a pain. So paying with card is more frequent during COVID than before.

With or without the hassle of FaceID and masks, contactless cards are
probably responsible for the low use of mobile phone payments.

I recall being in Palo Alto one weekend several years ago when Apple was
doing a big promotion of Apple Pay. If you paid with Apple Pay you got
all sorts of discounts at restaurants. One offered a free slice of
pizza, one offered a discount on the entire bill. But that was before
contactless credit cards were ubiquitous like they are now. The only
non-contactless credit card that I'm aware of is the Apple Mastercard. I
have two metal credit cards and one was contactless from when I got it
and the other just recently began sending out contactless cards.

The U.S. of lags many other countries in the adoption of contactless.
Even though nearly every credit card supports contactless, I still see
that most people slide their card into the chip reader, even though a
lot of stores have signs that tell people to use contactless.

Personally, I want to reduce the number of cards I carry in my wallet. U
use mobile wallet with credit cards that I don't carry, but carry one
card for use at businesses that don't take any NFC payment methods.

AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
> On 9/11/2021 12:03 PM, Rob wrote:
>
>> We have no cashier services anymore. Even at bank offices (which
>> hardly exist anymore) you need to get your cash from an ATM. In a
>> larger bank office there is a sideroom with one or two ATMs where you
>> can possibly withdraw larger amounts in a bit more secure
>> environment than out on the street.
>
> My bank's outside ATMs (2) allow $1000 US per day cash withdrawal. Or
> you can go inside and get more. Within 5 miles of my house I would
> estimate that there are at least 15 full service brick and mortar bank
> branches. I live in a suburb of the 5th largest city in the US so
> perhaps that makes the difference?

Banking in the US is completely different from the EU.
Within the EU there is probably a lot of variation, but here in
the Netherlands most bank branch offices have either closed or have
been transformed into "advisory" offices where no actual money is
handled. And those are now being replaced by "online" services as
well, where you can talk to an advisor through a video chat.

AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
> On 9/11/2021 12:07 PM, Rob wrote:
>> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
>
>>> A paper birthday card with a few comments hand written by me,
>>> mailed in a paper envelope with a birthday sticker, and a paper
>>> gift check enclosed, just seems a little more personal to me than
>>> a happy birthday text with a link.
>
>> It seems like mainly the elderly stick to that here, and send some
>> money or a gift card.
>
> I'm 3 months from my 80th birthday. Do I qualify?

Probably yes...

>> But the next generation talks to the grandchildren via WhatsApp and
>> sends them money using the bank app.
>
> What about the kids that don't have phones? Use the parents phones I
> suppose.

Kids that don't have phones??? These rarely exist...
When they are really small I suppose they use the parents phones.

But parents give their old phones to kids at a very young age, so
much even that the "call emergency services without SIM card" service
had to be disabled here because they were getting calls from kids
playing with a phone with no SIM ("only emergency calls") all day.

>> The postal system is in decay. Each year the tariff for sending
>> mail is newly determined, it looks like by the formula of "how much
>> revenue do we want or need" / "how many letters do we still expect
>> to handle this year" causing an exponential rise in the stamp price
>> that ends when the last person wanting to mail a card or letter has
>> to pay te entire postal service revenue :-)
>
> Judging from my mailbox the PO makes most of its money from junk mail.
> And unfortunately unlike my phone I can't filter most of it out...

We have a junk mail filter service here so I do not get much of that.
I get some letters from companies like bank or insurance companies
or the government, but by far not as many as before. Maybe 2 in a week.

The post offices have all been closed. Most roadside mail deposit
boxes have been removed. They used to be every 3 blocks in a city
but now there may be one or two in a quarter.

Package delivery thrives, but the letter delivery is all but dead.

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
> On 9/11/2021 2:52 PM, JF Mezei wrote:
>> On 2021-09-11 17:02, nospam wrote:
>>
>>> nope, plus it doesn't live long on a surface, so anything you might get
>>> is dead.
>>
>> It lives longer on a surface that is not porous than in air. (because it
>> remains surrounded by water for longer).
>
> nospam is wrong of course™.

Not this time.

> "Coronavirus May Stay for Weeks on Banknotes and Touchscreens"
> <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-11/coronavirus-can-persist-for-four-weeks-on-banknotes-study-finds>.
>
> But that study was on plastic currency, not paper money.
>
> "Laboratory simulations have revealed that human influenza virus,
> rhinovirus, rotavirus, hepatitis A virus and norovirus can be
> transmitted through banknotes and coins. Similar simulation data with
> regard to SARS-CoV-2 are lacking. Hence, in the absence of hardcore
> evidence, making a definite statement is not possible. However,
> considering the widespread magnitude of the pandemic and the remarkable
> stability of the virus on smooth surfaces, it would be prudent to err on
> the side of caution and to consider it as a potential mode of
> human-to-human transmission and accordingly take all necessary precautions."
>
> <https://pmj.bmj.com/content/96/1137/427>.

Firstly, it's a simulation. Secondly, detecting virus RNA is not the same
as a viable transmission vector. We have super sensitive methods these days
that can detect fragments of RNA and DNA even from prehistoric material. So
identification of, say, mammoth DNA doesn't mean you've found a living
mammoth.

On 9/12/2021 2:18 AM, Rob wrote:
> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

>> What about the kids that don't have phones? Use the parents phones
>> I suppose.

> Kids that don't have phones??? These rarely exist... When they are
> really small I suppose they use the parents phones.
>
> But parents give their old phones to kids at a very young age, so
> much even that the "call emergency services without SIM card" service
> had to be disabled here because they were getting calls from kids
> playing with a phone with no SIM ("only emergency calls") all day.

Most of my grandkids/greatgrandkids seem to get their smartphones at
around age 10. I sometimes think that's too young for the stuff they can
access. But then I think back to my youth, the magazines and photos I
had access to... 8-O

>>> The postal system is in decay. Each year the tariff for sending
>>> mail is newly determined, it looks like by the formula of "how
>>> much revenue do we want or need" / "how many letters do we still
>>> expect to handle this year" causing an exponential rise in the
>>> stamp price that ends when the last person wanting to mail a
>>> card or letter has to pay te entire postal service revenue :-)
>>
>> Judging from my mailbox the PO makes most of its money from junk
>> mail. And unfortunately unlike my phone I can't filter most of it
>> out...
>
> We have a junk mail filter service here so I do not get much of that.
> I get some letters from companies like bank or insurance companies or
> the government, but by far not as many as before. Maybe 2 in a
> week.

Mine is probably 20:1 (or more) junk mail. As I said our postal service
likely makes big bucks so no reason to change.

> The post offices have all been closed.

I have 2 post offices within a few miles of the house. I stand in line
there frequently while the wife mails her care packages to the grandkid
college students around the country.

> Most roadside mail deposit boxes have been removed. They used to be
> every 3 blocks in a city but now there may be one or two in a
> quarter.

Not many of those here either. Perhaps it's because there's a drive-thru
box at each of the post offices.

> Package delivery thrives,

Here too. Often 20 Amazon packages a week.

> but the letter delivery is all but dead.

Trouble is there is good stuff among the junk so I still have look
through it all. Might miss a new credit card...

On 9/12/2021 2:12 AM, Rob wrote:
> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

>> Within 5 miles of my house I would estimate that there are at least
>> 15 full service brick and mortar bank branches.

> Banking in the US is completely different from the EU. Within the EU
> there is probably a lot of variation, but here in the Netherlands
> most bank branch offices have either closed or have been transformed
> into "advisory" offices where no actual money is handled. And those
> are now being replaced by "online" services as well, where you can
> talk to an advisor through a video chat.

I wouldn't be surprised if it goes that way here eventually. I've not
been inside one of those branches in over a year. I can do almost
everything I need on my phone. But I do have to use a website to choose
my customer reward gifts...

On 9/12/2021 12:49 AM, sms wrote:
> On 9/10/2021 4:41 PM, AJL wrote:

>> Here the parents can countersign the check and use their phone to
>> deposit it into their account (no bank trip required). special...

> In the U.S., banks really restrict "two-party" checks, though they do
> usually still allow them for a parent to deposit a relatively
> low-value check made out to a child.

I can't speak for all banks (and neither can you) but mine (2) have
never given me a problem no matter the size. I suspect it has a lot to
do with the cashing party. A longtime customer with considerable
deposits likely yes, and a strange guy off the street maybe no. Anyway
when my kids cash their kids $20 birthday checks I doubt the bank will
do much of a gasp...

On 9/12/2021 9:32 AM, AJL wrote:

<snip>

> I wouldn't be surprised if it goes that way here eventually. I've not
> been inside one of those branches in over a year. I can do almost
> everything I need on my phone. But I do have to use a website to choose
> my customer reward gifts...

I am surprised that in the U.S. the large banks keep building and
operating more branches; not just leasing space in a shopping center,
but actually building a new building. Chase and BOA did this recently in
my area.

Often, when one bank takes over another, you'd think that branches that
are within close proximity would consolidate, but that's not usually the
case, they'll continue to operate both branches.

In article <shlc85$6aq$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

> I am surprised that in the U.S. the large banks keep building and
> operating more branches; not just leasing space in a shopping center,
> but actually building a new building. Chase and BOA did this recently in
> my area.

that's because they are focusing on personal banking services,
generally to upper tier customers.

> Often, when one bank takes over another, you'd think that branches that
> are within close proximity would consolidate, but that's not usually the
> case, they'll continue to operate both branches.

maybe if they're a block apart, but otherwise, there's no reason to do
that because it would inconvenience existing customers.

On 9/12/2021 4:35 AM, Chris wrote:
> sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
>> On 9/11/2021 2:52 PM, JF Mezei wrote:
>>> On 2021-09-11 17:02, nospam wrote:
>>>
>>>> nope, plus it doesn't live long on a surface, so anything you might get
>>>> is dead.
>>>
>>> It lives longer on a surface that is not porous than in air. (because it
>>> remains surrounded by water for longer).
>>
>> nospam is wrong of course™.
>
> Not this time.

That would be nice, but unfortunately he is still wrong, at least
according to the CDC.

It's true that most people get infected through breathing in droplets
containing the virus, but, while the probability is low, it is still
possible to get infected through contact with surfaces: "It is possible
for people to be infected through contact with contaminated surfaces or
objects (fomites), but the risk is generally considered to be low." See
<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/surface-transmission.html>.

It's a good idea to be cautious, and it's a lot less trouble than
wearing a mask.

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:
>> Often, when one bank takes over another, you'd think that branches that
>> are within close proximity would consolidate, but that's not usually the
>> case, they'll continue to operate both branches.
>
> maybe if they're a block apart, but otherwise, there's no reason to do
> that because it would inconvenience existing customers.

That is the difference between here and US. Here, banks (and lots of
other businesses) don't care at all about existing customers.
Only new customers are important.

On 9/12/2021 12:05 PM, Rob wrote:
> nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:
>>> Often, when one bank takes over another, you'd think that branches that
>>> are within close proximity would consolidate, but that's not usually the
>>> case, they'll continue to operate both branches.
>>
>> maybe if they're a block apart, but otherwise, there's no reason to do
>> that because it would inconvenience existing customers.
>
> That is the difference between here and US. Here, banks (and lots of
> other businesses) don't care at all about existing customers.
> Only new customers are important.

My area may be an outlier in opening new branches because of the unique
demographics.

The reality in the U.S. is that branch banks are closing in record
numbers. "Why Are Banks Closing Branches? A record number of bank
branches closed in 2020," see
<https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/money/savings/why-are-banks-closing-branches/>.

nospam is wrong of course™ when he says "there's no reason to do that
<close branches>."

"When banks further compare the cost of operating a brick-and-mortar
location to simply offering their services online, the choice to close
branches becomes even easier."

It costs a lot of money to operate a branch, between rent, staffing, and
overhead. It makes sense to consolidate branches when practical.

On 2021-09-12 13:09, sms wrote:

> I am surprised that in the U.S. the large banks keep building and
> operating more branches; not just leasing space in a shopping center,

This is likely real estate play by banks. Also, once you need to build a
"bank", the shipping centre ownwer will ding you for putting a safe in a
store because the mall owner needs to bulldoze/dynamite/jackhammer that
safe out.

Also, consider failed businesses that leave banks owning the property.
If the market is not good, the bank might as well put a branch in a
property to not only make use of it, but also try to keep neighybourhood
from losing overall value, which would put more of its customers
"underwater".

On 9/12/2021 12:05 PM, Rob wrote:

> Here, banks (and lots of other businesses) don't care at all about
> existing customers. Only new customers are important.

Existing customers often become someone's new customers if the wanted
services are lacking...

In article <shlj2o$2gn$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

>
> That would be nice, but unfortunately he is still wrong, at least
> according to the CDC.
>
> It's true that most people get infected through breathing in droplets
> containing the virus, but, while the probability is low, it is still
> possible to get infected through contact with surfaces: "It is possible
> for people to be infected through contact with contaminated surfaces or
> objects (fomites), but the risk is generally considered to be low. See
>
> <https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/surface-t
> ransmission.html>.

the risk is never zero, so they say low.

the fact is that fomites is not a major vector, which is what i said
initially.

In article <shljmv$8oc$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

>
> The reality in the U.S. is that branch banks are closing in record
> numbers. "Why Are Banks Closing Branches? A record number of bank
> branches closed in 2020," see

first you say banks 'keep building and operating more branches' then
you say they are closing them in record numbers.

In article <shlc85$6aq$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
> I am surprised that in the U.S. the large banks keep building and
> operating more branches; not just leasing space in a shopping center,
> but actually building a new building. Chase and BOA did this recently in
> my area.
>
> Often, when one bank takes over another, you'd think that branches that
> are within close proximity would consolidate, but that's not usually the
> case, they'll continue to operate both branches.

you really need to work on not contradicting yourself (and others).

you're also ignoring that 2020 was not a typical year.

> It costs a lot of money to operate a branch, between rent, staffing, and
> overhead. It makes sense to consolidate branches when practical.

it also makes sense to keep them open when they're profitable.

In article <Uht%I.82412$Kv2.47970@fx47.iad>, JF Mezei
<jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> wrote:

>
> This is likely real estate play by banks. Also, once you need to build a
> "bank", the shipping centre ownwer will ding you for putting a safe in a
> store because the mall owner needs to bulldoze/dynamite/jackhammer that
> safe out.

no.

Rob <nomail@example.com> wrote
> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote
>> Rob wrote
>>> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote

>>>> A paper birthday card with a few comments hand written by me,
>>>> mailed in a paper envelope with a birthday sticker, and a paper
>>>> gift check enclosed, just seems a little more personal to me than
>>>> a happy birthday text with a link.
>>
>>> It seems like mainly the elderly stick to that here, and send some
>>> money or a gift card.
>>
>> I'm 3 months from my 80th birthday. Do I qualify?
>
> Probably yes...
>
>>> But the next generation talks to the grandchildren via WhatsApp and
>>> sends them money using the bank app.
>>
>> What about the kids that don't have phones? Use the parents phones I
>> suppose.
>
> Kids that don't have phones??? These rarely exist...
> When they are really small I suppose they use the parents phones.
>
> But parents give their old phones to kids at a very young age, so
> much even that the "call emergency services without SIM card" service
> had to be disabled here because they were getting calls from kids
> playing with a phone with no SIM ("only emergency calls") all day.

Weird, wonder why no one else had to disable that.

>>> The postal system is in decay. Each year the tariff for sending
>>> mail is newly determined, it looks like by the formula of "how much
>>> revenue do we want or need" / "how many letters do we still expect
>>> to handle this year" causing an exponential rise in the stamp price
>>> that ends when the last person wanting to mail a card or letter has
>>> to pay te entire postal service revenue :-)
>>
>> Judging from my mailbox the PO makes most of its money from junk mail.
>> And unfortunately unlike my phone I can't filter most of it out...
>
> We have a junk mail filter service here so I do not get much of that.
> I get some letters from companies like bank or insurance companies
> or the government, but by far not as many as before. Maybe 2 in a week.

> The post offices have all been closed.

Even weirder. That hasn’t happened anywhere else either.

> Most roadside mail deposit boxes have been removed.

Even weirder. That hasn’t happened anywhere else either.

> They used to be every 3 blocks in a city but
> now there may be one or two in a quarter.

> Package delivery thrives, but the letter delivery is all but dead.

Ours isn't. Not surprised yours is dead given no post offices etc.