Thirty Years of Change from a Postal Viewpoint

A couple of days ago, I heard a postal worker tell a customer that she was retiring after 30 years of service. Yikes. That means she started working for the U.S. Postal Service in 1979.

In 1979:

• Postal employees had no idea what a toll the Internet would have on their business -- or what the Internet was, for that matter.
• They didn't have to worry about people sending dangerous substances through the mail.
• Every mail carrier probably knew most of the customers on his or her route.
• The post office was probably the only place to buy stamps.
• The number of personal letters mailed was likely much higher than now.
• Netflix did not exist.
• Nobody paid bills online.
• The term "going postal" did not exist.
• The USPS didn't advertise on TV.
• It cost 15 cents to send a letter.
• Nobody used the term "snail mail" in reference to the USPS.
• Identity theft was not a concern.