St Andrews Post Office Petition

[Power Metal Dom]

I'm sure everyone has received the email.

The University is aware that a number of our staff and students may have
signed a petition objecting to the proposed closure of the St Andrews
Post Office.

The petition was begun by concerned residents and to date has collected
approximately 15,000 signatures....It is the organisers’ contention that the Post Office will not count
every signature as an expression against the proposals but that every
full page of signatures will at best count only as one vote against the
plans.

I am beyond comprehension as to how 'they' can count a page full of people's objections as only one! To me that seems completely illogical not to mention very anti-democratic.

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Like flames on fuel...upon metal I drool

[Haunted]

Just increase the font size of the names!

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Now with 100% more corn

[lts2]

I phoned up Royal Mail and apparently the post office isn't closing and its just relocating to WH Smith next June. Is everyone aware of this?

[Lid]

I think they mean that people see a petition and automatically sign it - but if there were, say, 20 people on a page, saying 19 of them are merely lemmings is a bit offensive.

Seeing as we all had to give our address when we filled this out, if they really wanted to know, they could write to us, but of course, the cost, and the fact they might find something out they don't want to hear.

If they put their fingers in their ears and shout "la la la la la I can't hear you" loud enough, they can get away with anything, they "weren't aware"

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Mathematical Anti Telharsic Harfatum Septomin

[Lid]

Quoting lts2 from 13:25, 13th Jul 2007
I phoned up Royal Mail and apparently the post office isn't closing and its just relocating to WH Smith next June. Is everyone aware of this?

This is what the petition was against. WH Smith has a queue most of the time. The post office sometimes tends to have a couple of (hundred) people waiting too. By simply amalgamating the queues, they can sell off some prime real estate and make a packet.

Some call me a cynic.

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Mathematical Anti Telharsic Harfatum Septomin

[DrAlex]

Fair enough to factor out some signitures as JS/YAs, but this is a bit much. What are we supposed to do now?

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The Sinner: Where no one ever learned "if you haven't got any thing nice to say, don't say anything at all."

[orudge]

The Facebook group suggests writing and e-mailing the Post Office with a personal letter stating why you think the post office should stay open, and not be merged into WHSmith. They've conveniently placed the final date for consultation in August, when most students are away and many won't be aware of the whole thing, with the intention of closing the post office next April.

http://standrews.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2330942992




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http://www.owenrudge.net/
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37103734

[Paul Carey]

Quoting orudge from 13:59, 13th Jul 2007
They've conveniently placed the final date for consultation in August, when most students are away and many won't be aware of the whole thing, with the intention of closing the post office next April.

To be fair though Owen, why does it matter if the bulk of the students are away. Again, it only becomes an issue if your planning never to leave here. Then, as a local, you'll be stuck with any decision that Royal Mail make. If however, your jetting off once you graduate to pastures new why would this bother you. It is mearly another 1 or 2 year inconvenience. Once you leave this bubble it will never bother you again.

[hr]

Paul Carey
NPH Cinema, St Andrews

[Leon]

well I leave in a year but that doesn't stop me having an opinion, and knowing that the relocation of the PO inside WHSmith isn't going to be beneficial to its customers, whether or not I am forced to be one of them. Despite having signed, I'll admit I am not really in the know about why they are arguing for the relocation - surely noone could claim the PO doesn't do enough business in its present location??

[rob 'f*ck off' wine boy]

The fact that I am leaving doesn't mean that this problem will cease to exist once I am gone. I know that's not what Paul was suggesting, but I think it prudent to act in order to ameliorate a situation whenever given the chance. I was thinking more of the elderly who have to use the post office rather than myself when I signed the petition.

[Jono]

Absolute bollocks! Leaves the question as to how many voters there will be at this "Consultation", and who gets to vote! I imagine just enough to push it through.



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Exclusive to The Sinner, and all other fora.

[A66]

Well the organiser were encouraging people to re-sign. I doubt there are really 15,000 actual signatures of people objecting who understand the issues and aren't just touirst signing.

[Timata]

I don't see my objection as not counting simply because I'm only going to be in St. Andrews for another three years. I'm against the Post Office's entire policy of closing local branches. I've already seen my local office go without much of a fight, and that was only a rural branch. Closing a town Post Office is going too far. I mailed my letter to the Post Office today (figured it would defeat the principle of the thing to email them)

[Lid]

You should have not put a stamp on, and a note inside saying that the queues were too long to buy one

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Mathematical Anti Telharsic Harfatum Septomin

[David Bean]

Quoting Lid from 13:31, 13th Jul 2007
This is what the petition was against. WH Smith has a queue most of the time. The post office sometimes tends to have a couple of (hundred) people waiting too. By simply amalgamating the queues, they can sell off some prime real estate and make a packet.[hr]

Surely they'd put in a separate counter? I mean, you're quite right that the queues would be ridiculous, but why on earth would WH Smith agree to a situation where its own customers would be highly unlikely to shop there, because they could never get to the counter to pay anything?

Edit: anyway, how do the organisers know how the recipients of the petition intend to count the signatures? There's too much in this thread that doesn't make sense.

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Psalm 91:7

[Don]

Quoting Paul Carey from 14:09, 13th Jul 2007
To be fair though Owen, why does it matter if the bulk of the students are away. Again, it only becomes an issue if your planning never to leave here. Then, as a local, you'll be stuck with any decision that Royal Mail make. If however, your jetting off once you graduate to pastures new why would this bother you. It is mearly another 1 or 2 year inconvenience. Once you leave this bubble it will never bother you again.

So students are fine to be counted when it comes to elections both local and general for this area, including students who are graduating that year (bear in mind elections generally happen in May, during exams and before graduation). However when it comes to something like a petition to keep a local service available where it will do the most good (I've yet to remember a time when there wasn't a queue at the Post Office in the 4 years I have been here) our vote shouldn't be counted? I'm sorry that just sounds idiotic to me.

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Daz, makes your whites #gggggg

[killbill]

Quoting Don from 00:35, 16th Jul 2007

Quoting Paul Carey from 14:09, 13th Jul 2007
To be fair though Owen, why does it matter if the bulk of the students are away. Again, it only becomes an issue if your planning never to leave here. Then, as a local, you'll be stuck with any decision that Royal Mail make. If however, your jetting off once you graduate to pastures new why would this bother you. It is mearly another 1 or 2 year inconvenience. Once you leave this bubble it will never bother you again.

So students are fine to be counted when it comes to elections both local and general for this area, including students who are graduating that year (bear in mind elections generally happen in May, during exams and before graduation). However when it comes to something like a petition to keep a local service available where it will do the most good (I've yet to remember a time when there wasn't a queue at the Post Office in the 4 years I have been here) our vote shouldn't be counted? I'm sorry that just sounds idiotic to me.

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Daz, makes your whites #gggggg

unlucky paul. looks like Don totally done you in. ROFLMAO

[Paul Carey]

Quoting Don from 00:35, 16th Jul 2007

So students are fine to be counted when it comes to elections both local and general for this area, including students who are graduating that year (bear in mind elections generally happen in May, during exams and before graduation). However when it comes to something like a petition to keep a local service available where it will do the most good (I've yet to remember a time when there wasn't a queue at the Post Office in the 4 years I have been here) our vote shouldn't be counted? I'm sorry that just sounds idiotic to me.

It's a valid point, which to be honest, I didn't take in to consideration. I suppose what i'm trying to work out is why so many get involved with something that in a few years time may not have any affect on their day to day life. I've lived in St Andrews all my days and to be honest I don't care where the post office is, if it be in whsmiths, the gin house or the union. So long as we have one. Where ever it goes, i'll be stuck with it.

My previous post was in no way intended to come across as "student bashing", and i'm sorry if this was the case. I'm just generally curious to know why some feel so strong they want to get involved in something that really, a few years down the road won't bother them.

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Paul Carey
NPH Cinema, St Andrews

[novium]

Well, we can see why it's outrageous. Even if we're not going to be stuck with it, that doesn't mean we can't be community minded and help fight against it.

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quem neque periculi tempestas neque honoris aura potuit umquaum du suo cursu aut spe aut metu demovere.

[exnihilo]

Perhaps if more people were as inclined as students to have their voices heard rather than passively rolling over and letting themselves be trampled on, we'd see fewer stupid ideas like this one being foisted on us day after day?