Plaza post office customers angered by lobby closing on weekends

For some people, there’s no mail on the weekend.

The lobby doors at the Plaza Post Office are now locked from noon on Saturday until Monday morning. The main downtown post office has been closed Saturday evening until Monday for years, but at the Plaza office it’s only been closed since July 27, Postmaster Al Brantley said.

It’s made some post office box customers angry.

“I’m mad about this,” said Clyde Mattocks, who has owned a post office box for 45 years. “… I’m used to getting my mail when I please.”

Mail access was always available 24 hours a day, and it still is at the Galaxy Post Office on U.S. 70. The main post office closes its doors at 9 p.m. on Saturdays and opens again at 7 a.m., Monday. Now, the Plaza office closes at noon on Saturday and reopens Monday at 8:30 a.m.

A sign on the door states, “Due to recent vandalism this post office will be closed at the close of business every Saturday and reopened on Monday at 8:30 A.M. We apologize for any inconvenience. Postmaster — Kinston Post Office”

“They’re penalizing the users rather than the vandals,” Mattocks said.

There’s a good reason for the closing, officials say.

“We’re still open during the week,” Brantley said, “but we’re closing on weekends because we’ve been having a lot of problems with vandalism.”

Since about April, unknown perpetrators have been urinating and defecating on the lobby floor. They have also broken into the display case and stole products for sale — such as scales, he said.

The problem has occurred more often on the weekend when the office is un-staffed for a longer period of time, Brantley said.

“We had some problems during the week,” he said, “but we felt like we could control that a little better.”

Mattocks said he was told there are no security cameras at the Plaza office, but Brantley said there are security cameras. He said the Postal Inspection Service is investigating, but he’s not sure if the cameras produced any video of the suspects.

“We notified the police department and the inspection service,” he said.

Kay Griffin or her son have been picking up her mail at the Plaza for at least 15 years, and often does so on Saturday evenings.

“I know they had some break-ins,” she said after pulling her mail out of her box one day last week, “but I don’t think they have to close the whole place — I sure don’t.”

Griffin said she went to pick up her mail on Aug. 3 and a few people were looking at the locked door and the sign, wondering what was going on. One man waved at an employee inside to buy one stamp because the stamp vending machine is inside the lobby, she said.

“I just think it’s very inconsiderate for people that have post office boxes,” she said.

Local businessman Steve Lovick said he’s rented a box since 1995 when the post office was located across from Emma Webb Park.

“It’s hard for me to get here by 12 o’clock on Saturday,” he said.

Lovick said he can’t understand why the postal service leaves the office open all week, 24 hours a day, but closes it through most of the weekend.

“My only wish is that they can get somebody to lock it up about 5 or 6 o’clock,” he said. “You pay for a box. You just wish you can get your mail on Saturday. You’ve got to wait until Monday.”

Brantley said he regrets the closing, but hopes it is temporary.

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.