By accepting incompetence we become a party to it. "You're doing a
heck of a job, Brownie."

Incompetence, or just plain laziness? The lazy are usually incompetent
due to ignorance. Can't learn much by only doing the minimum required
to get by.

I think it's not just the post office but the whole of our society
that has slid down the hill into the valley of mediocrity. There are
individuals that still manage to perform, and their performance really
stands out. In times past that was the norm for "service".

The burr under my saddle is parts availability. I live about 250
miles from the nearest city of 500,000 or more. ~35 years ago when I
helped my father during the summer at his motorcycle shop if he didn't
have the part the customer needed (rare) if it was ordered by 10AM you
would have it by 3 - that afternoon. (We had bus and train service
back then and distributors that actually stocked parts)

This last weekend I need a U-joint for my Dodge PU. Same U-joint
thousands of Dodges - and Fords as well - in this county use. I was
informed by the counter person at one of the major national parts
retailers that the earliest they could get it to me was Friday .........
paid for in advance. I managed to get one from their store across
town and another from their competitor. Sad, really sad. Same story
with the 5/30 synthetic oil I prefered for my old econobox. Each
store only would stock 2 qts. If I wanted a case I had to order it.
And yes, THEY ordered it one quart at a time from their warehouse.

On the flip side, I got a Christmas card in the mail a couple of years
ago from an old friend that had long since moved away. He couldn't
remember the address and drew a small map in it's place. 2 days
transit time. There are still a few out there that know how to get
things done...................and care enough to do so.

How does this relate to homebuilt airplanes?
I want 4130N sheet, not A. If you don't have the N at least tell me
that before you ship some completly unmarked stuff that might as well
have been forged (beat with smooth river rocks) over a campfire
somewhere in the hills of Mongolia.
Double Hazmat fees for resin because they don't have it all in stock -
and insist on shipping what they do have with no regard of my request
to not ship till it's all in stock.
Sticking a label on a sheet of .250" 2024T4 and shipping it with no
protection other than a wrap of Kraft paper ..... it might make a
unique coffee table if I put the really scratched/gouged side down and
putting an ersatz engine turned surface on the "good" side with the DA
and some 80 grit.
Getting a role of Graphlite marked Fragile .... with a boot mark right
next to the red 3x7 sticker.


Makes a "Home Depot" plane look better and better. All that pre-bent
wood might make good Pou spars.
==============
Leon McAtee
End of rant - and I do feel better :-)