One of the least imaginative, but always popular, stories for an editor to assign in years past was the annual tax day frenzy at the local post office.
Younger Two-Way readers may not know this, but before e-filing was the thing to do, many procrastinators would wait until the last possible moment to finish their federal tax returns. And many post offices would keep staff on hand until midnight so that those returns could be postmarked before April 15 turned into April 16.
Now?
"Post offices no longer stay open late on tax day," is one of this morning's typical headlines. As Michigan's Macomb Daily writes:
"Local post offices used to take on a circus-like atmosphere on April 15 when many people would file their taxes up until a midnight deadline amid tax protestors and consultants on hand, often with some dressed up as Uncle Sam.
"But those days are gone.
"Since so many taxpayers now file electronically, most post offices no longer stay open late on tax day.
" 'We really stopped extending hours at our postal locations because there really isn't a need to any more,' said Elizabeth Najduch, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service's metropolitan Detroit region."