The Mail in T2K

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by stormlion1

A goverment, Milgov or Civgov would best be served by setting up post offices in a given area that require the locals to register to make use of the postal services. This registration would have the dual purpose of creating a database of people using the service and actually be used to find persons in a displaced population but also recording people living in a area for CivGov or MilGov own use. At that point its as simple as setting up delivery between these offices and getting people to show up there to get there mail. Essentially everyone gets a post office box and the post office becomes a central point in the area.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

That makes a lot of sense. After all, there's little point in carrying mail for several hundred miles over potentially hostile terrain unless you know the recipient is a) alive and b) still living in said City. So presumably there would need to be some sort of registration process.

Agreed. Perhaps this registration for mail service would be a roundabout way to conduct a semi-formal census as well.

Originally Posted by Tegyrius

Given that, the team might be better served with more engineering and maintenance support than a HMMWV pulling a tank trailer. Perhaps a HEMTT with 5-ton crane operating in the "water buffalo" role, with a bunch of 55-gallon fuel drums or a non-trailered fuel tank strapped down in the load bed?

That is an option. A HEMTT is a big, heavy, gas-guzzling beast, though.

Originally Posted by Tegyrius

Also, depending on the local political environment, this might make for a mixed team, with a couple of civilian representatives (CivGov or local enclave) riding along to reassure any anti-MilGov communities along the route. Part of MilGov's long-term strategy should be to re-establish civilian governance as per the Constitution, so visible steps toward that goal would, ironically, establish MilGov's short-term legitimacy as much as actual mail service would.

Absolutely.

[Tegyrius]

Originally Posted by Raellus

That is an option. A HEMTT is a big, heavy, gas-guzzling beast, though.

Yeah, I was thinking about that after I posted. Maybe something in between a HEMTT and a HMMWV, then - even a requisitioned civilian model with some useful equipment mounted?

ETA: Something like this.

- C.

[stormlion1]

Post Offices would also be seen as a stability for a population and increase confidence in it. The registry would probably be like Modern Day Phone Book White Pages with names in alphabetacial order and old address/new address's listed and would be kept behind the counter by the postal workers to be looked at by them on request. Keep the riff raff from using it for more nefarious purposes while still allowing for familys and friends to find each other. This would require a dedicated effort that could also be used for things like starting a draft or as like stated earlier a cheap census. Probably a lot more reasons as well.

[Jason Weiser]

I like this and it could also be a secondary function of the "news riders" from my media article. Say there's just not enough MDU's as Rae mentioned to handle all but the most important or high priority mail, so lower priority stuff gets handed out to "independent contractors".

[schnickelfritz]

Aren't there larger, three axle bank armored cars for intercity transfers? I would imagine those would be ideal...if they exist. Parts should be shared with conventional cargo trucks (International/Navistar seem to be the most common around Chicago), and the fuel economy wouldn't be as bad as a HEMTT. They probably would be more common than the HEMMT, too.

I like this whole scenario a lot...T2K meets Steve Jackson's "Car Wars". Sweet!

-Dave

[stormlion1]

Actually I don't see the mail being delivered by a dedicated vehichle, more as a dedicated space available on supply trucks moving between areas. While important, the mail isn't as make it or break it as supplies. If needed to be moved then simple dueces are enough and they go in convoy with supply trucks.

[Tegyrius]

Yup. I was not seeing the HEMTT as a dedicated mail transport, nor as another fighting platform. Rather, I think a convoy like this - particularly one going along a route that might need engineering work to be passable - needs a heavier transport with some specialized tools to support that engineering work, and to haul the extra fuel needed for the trip.

- C.