Always double-check your receipt…

A US Post Office

“Do you know where the post office is?” I asked two girls sitting right outside the public library.

“Post office?” They both looked at each other with a surprised look and giggled.

“Yes, the place where you send paper mail and buy stamps.”

“I have no idea.” replied one.

“Me neither.” said the other.

“OK, thanks.” I said to them both while feeling like the last dinosaur on Earth who actually buys stamps.  They both went eagerly back to their iPhones, giggling.

“To get to the Post Office, you walk to the end of the street and it is right on your left.” an eave’s dropper about the same age as me informed me.

So off I go to the Post Office.  When I get there, there was a long line and it was moving very slowly.

“Yes, I would like to buy these two cards, a pre-stamped envelope, a stamp for the US and 4 stamps for Spain.” I said to the Postman.

As he prepares my not-so-complicated order, I took out a $20 to pay him.

“That will be $13.69.”

“Hmmmm, how could all that be so expensive?” I thought to myself.

I hand him the $20 and he hands me the change and receipt.  As I am stuffing the change back into my wallet, I decided to review the receipt despite the evil glares from those on queue and meanwhile, the Postman disappears.

A new Postman appears and I tell him that I think that there has been a mistake with my order. 

“Who helped you?”

“The little Asian man.” I was hoping that describing the former Postman wasn’t politically incorrect.

“OK.  I have to go get him.”

As the queue continued to grow longer, the stares were throwing daggers in my back.

So the little Asian Postman reviews the receipt and explains that he made an error.  He had accidentally typed the "1" twice.  The only way to resolve it was to give me 10 US postage stamps that “are good forever.”

So, if you would like a post card from Boston from yours truly, please send me an email with your physical address and I would be more than happy to send you a post card that you receive in your mailbox like the time of the dinosaurs. 

Remember, always double-check your receipts no matter where you are.