Some Albany residents are outraged over the proposal to close some neighborhood post offices.
More than 100 city residents took part in a Wednesday night public forum to discuss the proposal.
At times, some people shouted down officials from the United States Postal Service.
"We can only have one at a time please!" says USPS spokeswoman Maureen Marion, trying to quiet the crowd.
Nearly 1,000 other people signed a petition to save their local post office branches.
Some people at Wednesday night's forum felt that the postal officials hadn't done their homework.
"They were not prepared nor did they want to hear what was being said but wanted to throw down our throats the need for change and why we needed to be prepared for this change," says Eileen McFerran, a Pine Hills resident.
Ric Chesser tells us, "They have already made this decision. This entire experience was a hoax."
Two of the branches in jeopardy are Pine Station on South Allen Street in Albany's Pine Hills neighborhood and Delaware Station on Delaware Avenue in Albany.
USPS officials say customers can use online services or walk to other branches.
Delaware Avenue Neighborhood Association member Louise McNeilly tells us, "Nobody walks to the Colonie, Stuyvesant, or Wolf Road post offices so I don't understand why those are being kept open."
Marion responds, "When you come to a post office, I don't see how you get there so that's an issue that's appropriate to bring here and that's why we had this."
The spokeswoman says that more than just money determined the branches that could close.
She says consolidation is necessary because of the recession.
"What we saw was what was going slow down the hill, well, then it went off a cliff," Marion says.
City residents say this is more than business; it's seeing their friends, visiting their beloved postmasters, and doing it all without leaving their neighborhoods.
McFerran explains, "What your taking away are people's lives - the quality of life."
Postal officials say any decisions will come out of Washington in December.
Post offices scheduled to close will do so within 60 days of those decisions.
USPS staffers are welcoming public comments.
They're asking people to send letters to the post office at 30 Karner Road in Albany; the ZIP Code is 12288.
Mark the letters "Attention: Consolidation Study."
A meeting to discuss the proposed closure of Albany's Patroon Station is scheduled for Thursday, November 5th at 3:00 p.m.
That meeting will be held at the American Legion Post at 35 North First Street in Albany.
