The Monster Grows

Australia Post Attack Plans

It seems that there are plans for the government owned outlets (not the private licenced agencies) to add confectionery and convenience lines to business. If true, this is a direct attack on newsagencies and other small businesses.

We feel that Australia Post is well outside its regulated area and with the aid of huge resources built up under dubious methods is about to destroy hundreds of local jobs in family owned businesses. This attack has been sustained for a number of years as the monster has continued its business expansion into areas well served by private enterprise.

Larger businesses have the ability to combat these moves but family businesses are overwhelmed by such a giant. This all seems to have started using taxes and post office resources to create a government business that could only grow by destroying smaller competitors.

Its time that governments at state and national level paid attention to us who employ so many people and live on small margins and not the obscene amounts earned by the huge corporations. Maybe its time to start a new category of micro businesses to stop us being lost within the "small business" category.

Maxine and Peter

Surprise, Surprise!

A Heartwarming Story

We had a regular customer phone for Saturday Lotto results (as she does regularly) who found that she had chosen 4 numbers last week. She was excited to find that she had won over $50.00.

This would help pay her electricity bill that she was trying to pay off from her pension every fortnight and was quite an exciting win for her. Because she is on oxygen and unable to leave the house, she sent a neighbour down to collect the money on her behalf.

When we ran the ticket for the neighbour to collect, we found that our regular player had made a mistake and stopped checking the ticket when she had enough numbers to win a prize. Instead of 4 numbers, she had 5 numbers plus the supplementary and the winnings had escalated beyond our upper payment limit!

Now the $50.00 prize was over $16,800.00 and would have to be paid directly by cheque! The neighbour became worried about the effects of this good fortune so she took her husband with her to break the news. She thought that he could phone for help while she start CPR if it was too much of a shock for the winner!

Fortunately we received a very excited call soon after the news was broken. The winner had already made plans to pay all her electricty bill and to purchase an oxygen bottle that was portable and would allow her to leave the house for the first time in many months.

Over the years we have had many heartwarming stories after wins that were not large enough to make headline news but have been most significant to our winners.

Think! About your gambling choices Call Gambling Help 1800 858 858

www.gamblinghelp.nsw.gov.au

Maxine and Peter

Little Triangles

School Crossing Markings

As we are doing the deliveries, we see many different versions of the small triangular markings that have started to appear on the roads around schools in the area. Some are adjacent to the gutter, some are almost in the middle of the lane, some are longer lines than others, some are single lines (most are double), some seem to go around intersections (others stop), and other variations.

None of our customers who drive have been able to explain what they are for or what they mean. As drivers licenced for many years, we are at a loss to their meaning or the legal implications! The growing number of different markings and signs around school areas seems to put drivers in a state of doubt rather than make these areas safer for children.

This must be another obvious reason that all drivers should receive information about changes to driving regulations that have happened since their last licence renewal. At least we would all be driving to the same set of rules or a recent version of them!

Maxine and Peter