However bad the Royal Mail may be, they can't be as bad as Citylink who stopped a passerby in our road and asked them to put a card through our letterbox! I saw and heard the whole thing from an upstairs window. I'd waited in the whole day for this particular parcel then they don't even stop.

I have to say having watched a programme on the Royal Mail (not the one about pilfering) I have to sympathise with staff who have to make their rounds within a certain time. Parcels do tend to slow things down, and weigh a ton, making the whole delivery a lot longer. I do know also that some staff use their own cars at their own expense to assist deliveries for this reason.

Our local post girl is excellent, as is the guy who normally delivers parcels, albeit early in the morning. Until there are significant management culture reforms at the RM I would say just live with it, as complaints will only result in frontline staff being pressurised further. Lets all bear in mind also that we do still get a decent service much below the actual cost of providing it.