this post was submitted on 02 Nov 2026
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:
- Both “200” and “160” are 2 minutes in microwave math
- When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.
- More dreams have been destroyed by alarm clocks than anything else
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Others have already mentioned this, but OP seems to completely miss the fact that USPS is obligated to perform its affordable, uniform-rate deliveries to rural areas.
https://www.ips-dc.org/the-public-postal-service-and-rural-america/
Given that most of the population lives in cities, it makes sense that competing operations would form to provide services that can be cheaper, faster, and capable of shipping packages that are extra heavy, large dimensions, or require refrigeration. Specifically because these private shippers rely on USPS for last mile delivery or do not service rural areas at all, they are able to operate with much better margins. These companies grow into megacorps because, as OP mentioned, economies of scale. If someone needs to specialty ship something they are going to prefer to use a well-known business with a proven track record that services the widest area. Once a company is servicing an area, it becomes more efficient and therefore profitable to increase deliveries within that area, creating extra incentives for a shipper to grow.
I'm not here to say that USPS is flawless, but it is inherently at a disadvantage for urban delivery due to the losses it incurs to fulfill its obligation to service the country as a whole.
This is getting long-winded for a showerthoughts response, so I'm just going to link information regarding the additional obstacles USPS faces:
https://govtschemes.org/usps-operational-restructuring-plan-update/
https://govfacts.org/government/federal/independent-executive/usps/understanding-the-biggest-problems-facing-usps/
(I realized after reading that govfacts.org are AI generated articles, but there is good information, so I am still including it)
The required obligations of the USPS do hamstring them competitively in some areas, that is true. That said, I don't believe their charter requires them to permit repackaging and reselling their service.
Since this is a tax-subsidized public amenity, it strikes me as an abuse of the commons to allow a shipping company to ship things on someone else's behalf using the USPS. It seems directly analogous to digging up the flowers in the park and selling them.