Hacker News Reader

Comment by 0des | Hacker News Reader

> I'm pretty sure you are mandated to have mail in the US, or rather the mails are mandated to deliver to you. IIRC it's constitutional.

You'd be incorrect. Ask your postmaster.

View on HN

They are correct. The USPS has a universal service obligation. If you send a letter or parcel to any address in the US, the post office must deliver it.

I respectfully disagree. The postal service is held to a standard of service by a USO - Universal Service Obligation. [0]

This means it is an org mandated to accept your request for service at a reasonable price regardless of your location of residence. There is an important distinction between that, and being mandated to receive mail service. That is not a stipulation of being alive in USA.

[0] - https://www.uspsoig.gov/blog/postal-service-and-its-obligati...

Just imagine, every drifter, nomad and homeless person were required to set up a mailbox. It's just silly.

>Just imagine, every drifter, nomad and homeless person were required to set up a mailbox. It's just silly.

They don't have to. Just have mail sent to:

  Joe/Jane Drifter
  General Delivery
  TownNearWhereYouSquat, <State> <ZipCode of post office>

Or at least that's how it's been done for decades.

Yeah but they never have to come in and pick it up and I doubt the post office retains that mail in perpetuity until it’s picked up.

https://www.usglobalmail.com/usps-general-delivery/

Reply on news.ycombinator.com