Hi all,

I've been on the site for about 4 months now and just love it. However, I recently requested a book and the sender used PBS tracking codes so I could see where the book was at. It's being sent from Washington to Minnesota and yesterday it was near the South Dakota border and today it is back in Washington. Is this a glitch in the system or does the mail frequently backtrack?

Just in June, I had one coming to me from Florida (I'm in CA) and it came all the way to my local distribution center here in CA, and then the very next scan (3 days later), it was back in Florida. Then a week later, it was back in CA and finally made it to my house.

That one was the first one I ever noticed doing this. So, it does happen .... I don't think its really that common, but who knows?

I live in Northern CA and was once sent a book from someone in Souther CA and it went through Michigan before coming to me.  I don't kow why that happens.

Jess--

You might ask in the Postal Forums if you're really curious, but I think that's just part of the system, and depends on where larger postal centers are, the cycle of the moon, etc.

BTW, if you're watching that little truck on the map to determine where your book is, don't depend on him.  That little truck driver often takes martini lunches and drives around in the ocean, drives to Hawaii, etc.

Cheers,

Catt

Shoot I have a couple of books coming from Hawaii.  PBS has sent me an e-mail asking if they've been received.  Today I checked once again and they're stuck in Richmond, CA.  That's the last place they were scanned on July 1st.  They must have been on a ship to get from Hawaii to California because they were mailed June 17.  Plus today - no little truck just the map!  Sigh, sigh.

Geri. every book I've received from HI has gone lost officially but managed to show up about 2 weeks later.  Don't worry, the books do come by boat (paddle boat maybe?) but they usually make it.  The ones I've had actually get lost and never show up have been within my own state or close by.

Ruth

That's apparently a common problem for media mail to and from Hawaii, they seem to average about 5 weeks en route.  Hawaiians are subjected to alot of crap by TPTB in many areas of life.

I wonder if the PBS TPTB have ever considered modifying the system so that books going to/from Hawaii, Alaska, etc. get an extra two weeks of travel time?