I dont know what it is about the people who work in the post offices here, but they all think that its part of their job not only to mail your package, but to advise you on how to mail it. Maybe not so much advise… as scoff at your idea.
I went this morning to mail a package with not a great deal of monetary value, but with a fair amount of heft to it. Yes, its a Christmas gift which Ive waited until the 9th of December to mail. No, it isnt vital that it get to its recipient on time, but it would be nice.
So I hand over my package and tell him I want to send it prioritaire. No one sends things priority mail here. They just wont spend the money. He looked at me like I had to be pulling his leg and he didnt care for the gesture. Prioritaire??? he asked the question as if he were certain by my accent that I was using the wrong word. Oui. Prioritaire. Cest pour noel. (Yes, priority. Its for Christmas.) He said something about how that is so expensive, if it isnt urgent theres no need…. the need is that Ive sent this economique in the past and if you mail it 2-3 months ahead of when you need it, its fine. So I asked him how much prioritaire would cost. He didnt even know, yet hed scoffed. So he looked it up. 36 Euros and change. Ok, that is a lot. Thats three and a half times more than the value of the package. How much is economique? Twenty-four and change. Still too much, but maneageable. So basically the employee of the company talked me out of spending 12 Euros Id have otherwise happily (ok, maybe not exactly happily) spent. I have no idea why the French government is facing a spending crisis.
Its the same logic that fishes matchbooks out of the sewer.