SEATON, IL (WQAD/CNN) - People in Seaton are frustrated with their post office, and not over the price of stamps or long lines, but because the post office is a small truck along with a portable toilet.
When you arrive at the Seaton post office you see a temporary problem. "This was considered a temporary deal, you know three or four months,” said Bob Springer, a village trustee.
But residents will tell you it's becoming a permanent problem. "More than a year it's probably been going on, this summer will be two years,” Springer said.
More than a year ago the previous post office had to close. "The ceiling is falling in, the floor is falling in, it's infested with mold,” Springer said.
So as a temporary solution, the U.S. Postal Service installed a few metal mailboxes and a post office truck. Basically the post office is run out of it. "This has turned into a permanent deal, I mean if you go over and look, the tires are sunken into the ground. It's just ridiculous,” Springer said.
Residents say while it's created an inconvenience for them, the big problem is the workers who have to work in the truck. "I don't like it. I like the person that's in it, is good and everything but she has to use an outhouse all the time in the middle of winter," said Dave Ford, who lives in Seaton.
A Porta Potty sits right next to the truck for the employees to use. "You know if my employer was like 'hey you need to go use this Porta Potty and it’s 30-below outside,' I'd probably be looking for a different job,” said Chief Andy Wheeler of the Seaton Fire Department.
People in Seaton say they have a solution to the problem in the form of an old bank location. The village has offered the space to the Postal Service to rent and use but say their offer was declined. "Here's a solution, it’s not like they don't have any means. You know what I'm saying, that's what's frustrating,” Springer said.
One way or another residents say something needs to be done. The truck isn't working, they insist. "It's a waste of money, it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars and it’s a waste of everybody's time,” Wheeler said.
A spokesperson for the post office says they are looking into the situation.
Copyright 2017 WQAD via CNN. All rights reserved.
