EDGEWOOD, N.M. – Residents in Edgewood had to wait hours to pick up their packages from the United States Postal Service. 

One person told KOB 4 she waited for four hours and 45 minutes in line. So, we found out how long this has been going on, and what the post office is doing to help.

“We have seen a huge increase in the lines,” said Theadora Schneider, an Edgewood resident.  

On a Saturday morning, you might think most people would prefer to sleep in, but for a lot of Edgewood residents, they’re waiting one to four hours for their packages at USPS.

“Our former postmaster was really good at making sure the carriers carrying the packages out to the local areas and delivered, but now they’re getting way backlogged,” said Schneider. 

Schneider is one of several viewers to reach out to KOB 4 about this issue. She says community members have had to plan ahead and wait hours for their packages for over a month.

“Sometimes when they get up there, there’s no they can’t find all the packages, because there’s no room probably in the back to sort them in an organized way,” Schneider said. 

It’s an issue that’s being talked about across town.

“I heard that there was a long line, so that’s why I came early. But you can see it’s already, you know, I’m in the back of the line,” said Jose, another Edgewood resident. 

“I waited 30 minutes and I didn’t move. I was actually back in here. So that’s where I was like, yeah, it’s not worth it, figured I’d to come today,” said Bob Sears, an Edgewood resident. 

One resident, Vanessa Cervantes, told KOB 4 it’s an issue that typically happens around this time.

“The last three years I would say would be like, this is very typical this time of year, especially around Christmas. You have to go early, like, you have to go before the post office opens, you’re gonna have to stay in line, whether they’re open or they’re closed,” said Vanessa Cervantes, an Edgewood resident. 

KOB 4 reached out to Ron Spurgeon, USPS’ New Mexico spokesperson. He tells us they’re aware of the situation and explained they recently had a driver leave their position.

They have a new driver on the route and expect packages to be delivered on time.

Many residents we spoke to emphasized it’s not the workers they’re frustrated with, it’s the situation.

“People work real hard, so we want to see a win-win situation. You know, this isn’t about an us vs. them or anything, we just want to see things get better,” said Schneider.