:( Amazon's Circuitous Route

[Commander Taggart]

Review your basic geography, and tell me why a package shipped from Maryland bound for Virginia must pass through New Jersey?

Information about shipment
Ship Carrier: USPS
Tracking Number: 9xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Status: In transit https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/icons/green-pixel._V42752381_.gif Order #: 103-xxxxx
Shipment Date: August 29, 2008
Destination: Arlington, VA, United States
Estimated Arrival: September 4, 2008

Track your package
Date Time Location Event Details
September 5, 2008 03:35:00 AM DULLES VA Arrival Scan
September 4, 2008 12:01:00 AM KEARNY NJ Arrival Scan
August 29, 2008 04:07:00 AM CAPITOL HEIGHTS MD Shipment has left seller facility and is in transit

And, uh, how can your estimated arrival date by September 4th when it's already September 5th?

Are the Terminators already running the world?

Geez...

[Darth Marley]

If it was FedEx, it might have seen Memphis.
Part of the hub and spoke distribution method.

[Vanamonde]

Usually I get my free shipping items early from Amazon. But you also have to remember USPS is the US Postal Service and not UPS.

[Commander Taggart]

But you also have to remember USPS is the US Postal Service and not UPS.

Right, and the USPS is headquartered here in Washington, D.C., which is a hell of a lot closer to Capitol Heights, MD than Kearny, NJ.

Even if it is a Hub and Spoke system (which seems particularly archaic in the digital age), I just can't figure Kearny, NJ, unless it's simply yet another peek inside yet another maddeningly inefficient federal government enterprise.

[Vanamonde]

Right, and the USPS is headquartered here in Washington, D.C., which is a hell of a lot closer to Capitol Heights, MD than Kearny, NJ.

Even if it is a Hub and Spoke system (which seems particularly archaic in the digital age), I just can't figure Kearny, NJ, unless it's simply yet another peek inside yet another maddeningly inefficient federal government enterprise.
Go figure. ;)

[Commander Taggart]

I just ran the Google map. Capitol Heights, MD is 12 miles away from my apartment. I could have Metro'ed out there and picked the package up myself days ago.

7 days (and counting), and a trip through New Jersey.

Unbelievable.