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Lost in the Post

 It has been busy this week because my son and 6 year old grandson came to stay.  They were only here for five days so we reluctantly spent Tuesday morning waiting for a package to arrive as apparently it needed a signature.  The post lady arrived first about 11am but she said she didn't carry packages because she was on a bike.  Half an hour later another lady arrived and asked my neighbour where Madame lived.  He showed her my door but she didn't knock, simply put a card in the post box stating that I wasn't there and to collect it from the post office.  'Did you get your package?' my neighbour asked cheerfully.  'No,' I replied.

On Wednesday we trooped off to the post office.  The woman took my card and went in search of my package.  Five minutes later she said she couldn't find it.   'Come back tomorrow after 2pm.'   So Thursday we all went back, in the pouring rain this time, but once again they couldn't find it.  I demanded to see someone else.  Another woman appeared and studied the card.  'Oh that has gone to the post office in Distre.  Just go and collect it from there.'  'No,' I replied emphatically, 'I would have to take a bus or a taxi.  (I wasn't going to tell them I had a car)  The card clearly states that my package is here and here is where I expect it to be.'  The  woman shrugged her shoulders,  that shrug that says I don't care what you expect, that is where your package is, go fetch it.  I accosted another worker and explained the problem.  'Three days I have been trying to collect this package  and now you expect me to go outside of town to a place I don't know even though the card says the package is here.'  My son and grandson had already retreated outside in the rain and, although I was trying to  speak quietly, it was clear to other customers that I was not happy.  Finally she spoke, 'you are quite right Madame.  We will get the package back here and you can collect it next week.  Monday is a public holiday,  so Tuesday, afternoon'  We will see tomorrow. 

Can someone please put Macron and Johnson back in their playpens while the rest of us carry on being adults?  My six year old grandson was pulled aside in security at the airport, searched and asked questions such as who is this man with you?  It is true that unscrupulous parents use their children to transport drugs etc, I saw plenty of women trying to conceal them in their babies' nappies when I worked for the prison service, but were they taken aside because my son was a man travelling alone with a child?

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