can canadians not read lower-case?

[Queasy]

i went to the post office to mail something to a canadian address and when i handed the clerk the package she told me that i needed to fill make the "to" address all caps or else the canadian post office would send it back. i'm sure it is for readability or whatever but the first thing i thought of was "canadians can't read lower-case?"

(just in case)
I WENT TO THE POST OFFICE TO MAIL SOMETHING TO A CANADIAN ADDRESS AND WHEN I HANDED THE CLERK THE PACKAGE SHE TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO MAKE THE "TO" ADDRESS ALL CAPS OR ELSE THE CANADIAN POST OFFICE WOULD SEND IT BACK. I'M SURE IT IS FOR READABILITY OR WHATEVER BUT THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT OF WAS "CANADIANS CAN'T READ LOWER-CASE?"

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

they told me the same thing, but luckily I had not filled out the label yet.

 

[shenaniganz]

(just in case)

Pun intended?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: shenaniganz

(just in case)

Pun intended?

absolutely or ABSOLUTELY for our Canadian friends.

 

[tami]

Originally posted by: shenaniganz

(just in case)

Pun intended?

haha

 

[maddogchen]

maybe the machine that reads the addresses can only recognize upper case?

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

it's a result of the poor socialized health care system...they have poor vision and can't read lowercase.

 

[yllus]

Sounds like your local postal clerk is a tard.

 

[Sheepathon]

Hyperblaze?

 

[shuan24]

you should've been like, "you want me to put it down in uppercase, EH?"

 

[Patt]

Yeah ... it was an American postal employee that told you that ... think about it for a sec ...

 

[Colt45]

Originally posted by: yllus
Sounds like your local postal clerk is a tard.

winnar

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: Colt45

Originally posted by: yllus
Sounds like your local postal clerk is a tard.

winnar

no, it IS postal regualation. I have been told the same thing. There are very specific rules governing how mail to Canada is addressed.

 

[meltdown75]

take 'er easy, eh?

 

[Shawn]

maybe that's why it takes so long for packages to arrive in canada. once it gets into canada they're like "what's this address label say, eh?"

 

[yllus]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
no, it IS postal regualation. I have been told the same thing. There are very specific rules governing how mail to Canada is addressed.

Canadapost.ca - Character Requirements:

Size
Print all characters in the lines containing address information in a font of the same height.

Legibility
Characters should:
? be clear, with no smudges and fill ins
? have strokes with consistent thickness.

USPS Postal Addressing Standards:

Format
Format all lines of the address with a uniform left margin. Uppercase letters
are preferred on all lines of the address block.

Lowercase letters in various type styles are acceptable provided they meet
postal guidelines for OCR readability. Chapter 4 of Publication 25 provides
complete guidelines for OCR readability that should be met when preparing a
standardized mailpiece. Section C800 of the DMM contains OCR readability
requirements that must be met for automation rates (other rates may also
apply).

 

[Sunbird]

WHAT IS LOWERCASE, EH?

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: yllus
Format all lines of the address with a uniform left margin. Uppercase letters
are preferred on all lines of the address block.

Exactly what I was going to post. It is the USPS setup that strongly encourages us to use capital letters. Their machines often cannot read lowercase very well, and thus it needs to be done by hand. They probably just don't want to hand sort mail to foreign countries.

 

[Kenazo]

CANADIAN IS WRITTEN USING UPERCASE, NON-CURSIVE LETTERING. SOME OF US ARE FLUENT IN LOWERCASE WRITTING, HOWEVER THAT IS NOT OUR "HEART LANGUAGE". WE THINK IN UPERCASE.