There has been an on going fiasco with the mail service.

Many months ago, Bernardo changed the lock on the mail box
and refused to give me a key. I went to the post office and they were not able to help although they did give me the number for the postal inspector. I guess I never called thinking that I had no way to prove he was not giving me my mail.

I just hoped that Bernardo would do the right thing and give me my mail. When I would ask him for a key, he would get belligerent. The last time I asked to make a copy of his key he said that he would think about it. That was over four months ago.

Now it is 2008 and Bernardo has been out of town for about a month.

I thought his friend Kate, who has coming to feed the cat, was getting the mail.

When I asked her about it she said, "No." She had no idea about the mail. She would ask Bernardo the next time she talked to him.

So...last Wednesday, I spent the better part of the day trying to sort the problem out with the post office. The first person gave me the line that there was nothing they could do. It was between me and the landlord. After protesting in the politest way possible, she sent me to another window where I received the same response. I really had to argue my case, saying that the LL also had no key and I needed the letter carrier to open the box so I could get my mail and change the lock. She checked to see that the mail wasn't being held and said I could talk to the letter carrier.

Someone gave me a number to call to find out when the letter carrier would be there. I called and they said he would be at the post office between 3:00 and 3:30...at 2:45 I was at the post office waiting, and waiting and waiting. At 3:35 I got in line and explained again the situation. again getting an unhelpful response.

At some point I called 311 and asked to speak to the postal inspector. They transferred me to the postal inspector's office (I think) where, after explaining the situation I was told to move. I explained that I did not feel I should have to move to another apartment in order to receive mail and was transfered to another person who WAS very helpful and took a report.

The next day I called the number again and arranged to meet the mailman at 11:00. While I was waiting I spoke to to E. Ponce, the super. I said I was having trouble getting mail. He knew. He confirmed what he had told me before, that he did not have a key. He said, "Bernardo changed the lock right?" He explained that it would be easy to change the lock when the mailman arrived we could remove the lock that was there. finally met up with the letter carrier at the boxes in the lobby of 545. He gave me the piles and piles of mail. He was helpful and understanding. We called E. Ponce, the super.

Then for some reason E. Ponce did not want to change the lock. He said he did not want Bernardo to get mad. I don't know why it was fine fifteen minutes before and now he was worried. I explained that he was obligated by law to provide me access to my mail. The mailman seemed to agree. I said that Bernardo has not been around for weeks. I pointed to the month's worth of mail piled up. He called Bernardo and got no answer. Finally he agreed to change the lock.

I got the lock from the local hardware store and gave it to him. He said he would change it and give me the key when he finished. I was happy...I finally got my bank card. I would be able to get my driver's license. I thought the problem was (finally) resolved. What a relief.

Since then I have not seen the super. I have called and called with not response.

Hopefully, he will get back to me with the key soon.