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Comment by criddell | Hacker News Reader

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.

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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/

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