Hopes for a joyous scenario were dim for a long time.Īs we both followed this book on its seven-week, ping=pong journey west, our communication E-mails reflected a certain dark humor vis-à-vis the situation and the disarray of media mail within the postal system. Some days later, Deborah was told by the postmaster that our book was crated in a large shipment which was being “driven across the country?” She was told that the book would most likely be delivered – eventually! It was about that time that the tracking updates became silent for an extended period.Īfter five or six weeks, hopes dimmed, and Deborah voluntarily refunded my purchase price I offered that, should the book ever arrive in decent condition, I would gladly let her know and send a check back east. It seems that the large hurricane that swept north from Louisiana into New England with tornados and torrential flooding hit New Jersey hard and affected the distribution center in Jersey City just as our book was passing through. Deborah was very proactive with her local postmaster in attempting to get answers as to what was happening… and why. I did really want the book, though, so I was “invested” in seeing this through just as she was. If it were to be lost, it would not be a significant financial hardship for either of us. Fortunately, the book’s sale price was less than thirty dollars. To summarize this whole wacky experience:ĭeborah, the bookseller, was as baffled by all of this as I was. I can’t believe it got here, and in one piece! post office it was delivered to me that afternoon. Finally, on 11/15, the book was reported to be at the Sunnyvale, Ca. Oops, on the next day, 11/11, the book had arrived at the Los Angeles network distribution center: What is it doing down there?
Medis mail update#
On 11/10, a most welcome update stated that my book had arrived at the San Francisco network distribution center – within sixty miles of my home! Almost here! On 10/26 the book was on its way to the “next facility.” Where could that be? The next day, 10/22, the book had departed Springfield on its way to ?
Medis mail full#
There were no further tracking updates for three full weeks until, finally, on 10/21, the book was reported back again at the Springfield, Mass. On 9/30, tracking reported the book back again at the Jersey City network distribution center! At that point, I knew we were in for big trouble….and we were. On 9/27, the book departed the Springfield center. On 9/26, the book arrived at the Springfield, Mass. The next report came on 9/25 indicating that the book had arrived at the Jersey City network distribution center. “Processing Exception, Other Delay” was reported – no further explanation. The next tracking report followed almost immediately at 12:04 pm on the same day.
On 9/20, I noted with satisfaction that the USPS had taken possession of the book at 11:49 am in North Reading, Mass. The bookseller dispatched the book quickly after processing my order. The following is a blow-by-blow accounting of that unseemly journey: I began tracking the book from the start, just after submitting the order. Instead, the book took seven weeks to crazily ping-pong its way west. I have ordered many books over the years via AbeBooks on the internet, so I fully expected a typically slow media mail journey from coast to coast to take about two to three weeks max. My interest in Harvard is not new, but my recent purchase on E-Bay of a fine 1871 Harvard law degree diploma tweaked my desire to learn more about the school and its history but back to the story at-hand, now.Ī USPS journey from hell traveling from east coast to west! No other American institution has that legacy of longevity…and Harvard remains, arguably today, the most famous and influential university in all the land (keep an eye on California’s Stanford University and its role in Silicon Valley’s vast contributions to the tech and business worlds, however!).
Harvard opened its doors in 1636 at Cambridge, Massachusetts, a mere sixteen years after pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower. The book in question is a desirable one, first published in 1936, detailing Harvard University’s three centuries of existence as the country’s first institution of higher learning. Media mail is notoriously slow, but seven weeks to go from North Reading, Massachusetts to Sunnyvale, California is way beyond the pale!
The other astounded person along with me was the bookseller who mailed the book via media mail on September 20 th. On November 15, one event made my day – against all apparent odds! Two people were literally astounded when a book I had ordered was finally delivered in the day’s mail.
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