how did they know

[EagleJCS]

I regularly expect these letters to take at least two weeks to be delivered, even within the same city (mind you, this is the postal service who has in the past delivered something to me that someone had mailed from Florida to Michigan the day before...).

Several years ago, I used to mail Christmas cards. (I've dropped out of the practice over the years for various reasons.) Back then, I found it odd that of the cards that I mailed the same day, the ones that went outside my hometown only took 2-3 days to arrive at their destinations, while the ones that had addresses within my own ZIP code took over a week!

Similarly, I have received cards from people outside my current city of residence 2-3 days before cards postmarked the same day sent by people living less than 5 miles from me (and presumably processed at the local post office branch).

[grizzbass]

Several years ago, I used to mail Christmas cards. (I've dropped out of the practice over the years for various reasons.) Back then, I found it odd that of the cards that I mailed the same day, the ones that went outside my hometown only took 2-3 days to arrive at their destinations, while the ones that had addresses within my own ZIP code took over a week!

Similarly, I have received cards from people outside my current city of residence 2-3 days before cards postmarked the same day sent by people living less than 5 miles from me (and presumably processed at the local post office branch).

if you mail a letter to someone in the city they send it to Salt Lake City first. Then they send it back. That has been the proceedure since

[Katia]

Several years ago, I used to mail Christmas cards. (I've dropped out of the practice over the years for various reasons.) Back then, I found it odd that of the cards that I mailed the same day, the ones that went outside my hometown only took 2-3 days to arrive at their destinations, while the ones that had addresses within my own ZIP code took over a week!

Similarly, I have received cards from people outside my current city of residence 2-3 days before cards postmarked the same day sent by people living less than 5 miles from me (and presumably processed at the local post office branch).

It used to be that I could count on something mailed within my state, at least much of it, to get there the next day... obviously not the case anymore... (I would expect something I mailed to someone local to still go to one of the hubs, though.)

[Ninehostages]

Don't mark them as "bonbons" lest they be mistaken for "ballots".