MCALESTER, Okla. — Most folks take their postal service for granted. Go to your box, and the mail is there at no extra cost.
But for some in rural parts of the state, it’s not that simple and can be expensive.
John Srader lived in the small town of Krebs off and on for most of his life. That’s just outside of McAlester.
All of those years, his family’s been trying to solve a mystery about the mail.
“Ever since I’ve lived here, even as a kid, we’ve had to rent a PO box to get mail because they don’t have any carrier service here.”
For the last few years, Srader lived in the same house where his parents lived. Hundreds and hundreds of dollars have been paid over the years to rent a PO box at the Krebs post office.
“I’m paying like a hidden tax almost.”
They have to rent that PO box, even though their home is just two-tenths of a mile from the post office.
“Krebs is like a little island in the middle of the McAlester service area. But if you live in this area, you have to pay to get your mail, basically.”
But it’s not all of Krebs, just that little deserted island, as Srader described it.
“But if you go just outside of Krebs, not even outside the city limits, a few blocks over, it’s serviced by McAlester.”
Srader said he’s asked for home delivery service many times, begged for it, in fact. He's made phone calls, emails, even Facebook posts.
“I’ve attempted this year after, I wouldn’t say every year, but multiple times over the past decade and I just run into stone walls.”
It seems so simple to Srader and a few other neighbors facing the same dilemma.
In neighborhoods less than a mile away, as the crow flies, Srader said, they have mail carrier service. But again, not in his neighborhood.
“It’s not right that you should be forced to pay to receive mail.”
Remember, they have to pay to rent their post office box.
“Now $83 every six months for me, that’s an annoyance. I don’t go out to eat a couple of times, but someone on a fixed income…”
Like some of those neighbors, Srader worries about.
“So someone has to spend $83 every six months, there’s goes a week’s worth of food for them.”
But even for John, it’s becoming more than just an annoyance. Especially since he’s a disabled vet, who depends on the mail for his medicine.
“I’m at the point, between a rock and a hard place, I have to have mail because I receive lifesaving medication.”
He reached out to the Problem Solvers for help. 2 News got in touch with a USPS representative, who said they would look into the situation right away.
It took several weeks, but the system finally provided carrier service to John’s home and several of his neighbors.”
John said it’s “awesome” to be able to walk out his door and check his mail. That simple experience most take for granted each and every day. Finally, Srader's postal service persistence when has paid off.
“It’s kind of one of those things. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
Srader did a lot of squeaking.
“Yeah,” he said. “But just me being squeaky wasn’t enough. I had to get you guys involved.”
What matters is that his mail service is now signed, sealed, and delivered.
Contact the Problem Solvers:
- 918-748-1502
- problemsolvers@kjrh.com
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