We're LAKELAND, part II

We’re LAKELAND! (Part II)

I picked up the Sunday Commercial Appeal (I always walk for the newspaper. I love reading the morning newspaper and this is a way I make myself make time for exercise!) and found there was an advertising insert with BARTLETT (and, oh yes, Lakeland, Arlington etc.)

I don’t understand why the Commercial Appeal thinks we are part of Bartlett! Nothing against Bartlett-it’s a great City-but we are LAKELAND, not Bartlett! Why not “East Shelby County Edition” or whatever!

When I see the Commercial Appeal causally lumping everything into a section called “Bartlett”, it is just one more insult, like the phone company representative saying “you can send all the letters you want about BellSouth not mentioning Lakeland in the phone book” to the U.S. Postal Service calling Lakeland residents “Arlington”. (I asked the U.S. Postal Service if I could get a P.O. Box at the 38002 ZIP Code Post Office and address it to “Lakeland” rather than “Arlington”. I asked then, why they encourage people to put “Arlington” on Lakeland mail! Of course, I didn’t get a response.

I threw the advertising brochure away, sorry advertisers. I hope all Lakeland residents who are tired of this ignorance on part of the Commercial Appeal, BellSouth and U.S. Postal Service will continue to fight for our own identification.

On the other hand-maybe it really doesn’t matter! I think the phone book is especially bad since I have had people try to contact me to be advised there is "no Lakeland". No one would even know there is a Bartlett, Tennessee (or Cordova-which actually ISN'T a City, but a part of Memphis) to ask for that city, so they can't get a Lakeland residents's number! The U.S. Postal Service continued ignorance is galling. Probably the Commercial Appeal matter is the least of the problem areas, but it creates a lot of problems for the City of Lakeland when businesses are identified as being in Bartlett or Cordova etc. instead of Lakeland!

What really worries me is when an ambulance, fire engine or Police Officer responds to an emergency in Lakeland and assumes the caller lives in Arlington, Bartlett or Lakeland due to the phone number or the caller doesn't even know they live in Lakeland! (I have had residents just insist they live in Arlington!)

With all the technology today, I think this continual problem-especially by BellSouth and the U.S. Postal Service-is simply appalling.

Let me know your thoughts.