I was in the post office in Oak Harbor and was a bit taken aback by what one of the mail carriers manning one of the windows did. There were probably eight people in line, including a young woman with an infant carrier. The mail carrier took it upon herself to announce “whoever has the baby, you’re next” and allowed the woman with the baby to skip ahead of two-thirds of the line.

The baby did fuss slightly while in line, but not so much that it was noticeable. I was discussing a mail-related issue regarding a lost package at the end of the counter and didn’t even realize there was a fussy baby as it wasn’t loud enough to be a distraction, until the mail carrier called her to the head of the line. Once the woman was at the counter, right next to me, the baby never made a peep.

I think it is presumptuous of the mail carrier to assume that the mother’s time was any more valuable than anyone else’s.

Dawn Benz

Oak Harbor