MAIL DROP Courtesy

[rambunny]

Just a heads up people. Please do not send maildrops to places you are not staying.We have to lift them, store them ,then use up our gas trying to get them to people who had no intention of staying with us.I'm very suprised at the number of hikers that don't even say thank you.

[bigcranky]

I recall a conversation that I had with the proprietors of a hostel in NC about this issue. People would call from the road crossing several miles away and demand that they deliver the package immediately. And then get P.O.'d when it wouldn't happen.

IIRC they started charging a fee for that kind of mail drop. (Free if you stay there, of course.) That might work.

[Jack Tarlin]

I am not remotely surprised at the number of hikers who take services and favors for granted; expect the world to revolve around their needs; and who don't bother to say "Thank you". Sorry, but that's the world we live in.

[Pedaling Fool]

Just a heads up people. Please do not send maildrops to places you are not staying.We have to lift them, store them ,then use up our gas trying to get them to people who had no intention of staying with us.I'm very suprised at the number of hikers that don't even say thank you.

Are you speaking for a particular hostel?

I recall a conversation that I had with the proprietors of a hostel in NC about this issue. People would call from the road crossing several miles away and demand that they deliver the package immediately. And then get P.O.'d when it wouldn't happen.

IIRC they started charging a fee for that kind of mail drop. (Free if you stay there, of course.) That might work.

I thought the same thing when I first read this, just get the word out to all AT guides that maildrops from non-patrons will be charged.

[SGT Rock]

Excellent point.

I my BMT guide I recommend that people call ahead and plan before sending a drop to a service provider. Next year I will also mention that the hiker should also plan to use the other services that provider has besides holding a drop.

[nufsaid]

Some seem to feel entitled to "trail magic".

[Jack Tarlin]

Rambunny does indeed run a hostel, and a very good one.

As a simple courtesy, people should avoid sending parcels to places (hostels, motels, etc.) that they are not planning on staying at.

On occcasion, one arrrives at such a place (where one had originally had planned to stay) and one's plans change.....maybe the weather is great and you decide to keep hiking. Or maybe you discover that your trail friends have made other plans and are staying somewhere else. Or whatever. People's plans change, this happens all the time.

But on occasions like this, if I get to a hostel or a motel that's holding my mail and I decide (for whatever reason) that I won't be staying there, I always do this:

*I explain that my plans have changed.
*I thank them for holding and safeguarding my mail.
*I offer them a few dollars for this service (and they usually turn this down).

But what I NEVER do is simply send stuff off to places I have no intention of patronizing. This is really rude. When these places hold stuff for people, it's a service performed by the proprietors and their staff, and it's primarily a service for guests. In rural areas, this frequently means lengthy daily drives to the Post Office and back again. Mail has to be checked in, logged in, recorded, etc.

This is done as a service and a favor to hikers. Outfitters will pretty much do this for anyone, and they don't necessarily expect you to spend any money there.

But when it comes to hostels or motels, this service exists primarily for their guests, and hikers should realize this, and not take advantage of these places.

(P.S. Places who ONLY want to hold mail for their guests should try and have this info provided to the annual Trail guides; that way, people will be better informed before sending out maildrops and parcels. And the places that flat-out have policies where they charge a fee to non-guests for mail-holding services should also make this very clear as it'll cut down on possible problems or mis-understandings later).

[ARambler]

I like the trail even more than hanging out at great hostels. So, I appreciate 7 day a week mail drops. Being able to hike on, after an early arrival, is even better.

In 2007, the Relax Inn, near you, charged $5.00 to hold a package for non-guests.

I hope you can find a satisfactory charge to take care of us misfits.

Rambler

[nufsaid]

If you expect and demand it, that isn't magic it is freeloading.

[ARambler]

Also, I think Standing Bear Farm is willing to hold packages for non guests, A donation IS expected.

A few hostels request ups delivery directly to the hostel, to help the minimize trips to the PO.
Rambler

[Jack Tarlin]

Standing Bear will indeed hold mail for non-overnighters; this happens all the time.

And while I don't know about an "expected donation" for this service, it's certainly a nice thing to do.

Keep in mind, tho, that Kincora Hostel has an expected donation for overnight guests. It's 4 bucks, and has been since 1997. Half the people that stay there don't leave a cent. Likewise, the church hostel in Damascus has a "donation" box that is equally ignored.

Most thru-hikers think "donations accepted" means "free".

Eventually, a lot of places with policies like this get sick of being taken advantage of, and adopt more stringent policies.

Or more frequently, they simply close their doors.

[Lone Wolf]

I'm very suprised at the number of hikers that don't even say thank you.

i'm not. it's the new breed

[Captain Blue]

Your entry in the 2010 Thru Hikers Companion says "accepts mail drops". Maybe it should say "accepts mail drops for guests only" like other establishments say?

[BobTheBuilder]

I sometimes wonder if the lack of basic manners isn't the root of most of society's ills.

We can't stop self-cenetered people from being jerks (almost by definition), but if you can afford it, go ahead and pay a little extra to one of the trail service providers when you get the chance to try and even things out. If you're a section hiker, you really ought to be able to tip hostel owners, shuttle proividers, etc. ten or twenty bucks.

[SGT Rock]

I think it is because you don't have to say thank you in video games

[M1 Thumb]

In my 2010 AT Guide (Awol's), it states the Happy Hiker holds mail for its guests. For those that choose to take advantage of the proprietors I offer this argument: If their policy states that they hold mail for their guests and you mail them a package, you are making a reservation by this action, thus you should be obligated to pay for the hostel space regardless if you plan on using it. Shame on those that take advantage of the people who run the hostels on what has to be a very tight budget.

[Captain Blue]

thus you should be obligated to pay for the hostel space regardless if you plan on using it.

Good idea! That way a hiker mailing a package will have a guaranteed night of stay whenever they happen to stroll in. If the hostel is full when they get there they can bump someone out and claim priority since they mailed a package.

[jersey joe]

I think it is because you don't have to say thank you in video games

The baby boomer generation is to blame...they raised these kids!

[RETCW4]

I am planning my thru-hike for 2011. I will only have mail drops to establishments I plan on patronizing, except for the USPS. It's the right thing to do.

Tumbleweed

[Miner]

I always call a business to ask their policy on holding packages as some hotels require a reservation before they will do it. But even the places that don't require a previous reservation should still get your business if you are going to use them unless they clearly state otherwise.

Unfortuntately, I saw the same problem happen on the PCT in one place, when 4 different hikers did exactly that when I stayed there overnight. They picked up their packages and went somewhere else to stay.