Definition of "Continental" USA

[starslayer]

Hello.

I need someone to explain to some of our members the definition of CONTINENTAL. I offered to pay shipping to the CONTINENTAL United States.
They were from Puerto Rico. Of course, no location on their profile, so I asked them to update it. I said Id have to charge an extra $5 for shipping. The person wanted free shipping saying that PR is part of the CONTINENTAL USA.

Ummmm...isnt PR an island? So you cant walk or drive there. Shipping costs more, because it has to be brought by boat or plane. PR is part of the USA, but not part of the continent of North America. Or did I flunk Geography? Is Hawaii part of the CONTINENTAL USA? Alaska???

I was told Im rude. I told him he's unrealistic wanting me to eat the extar charges.


For the love of MAGICAL MEMORIES- please fill in your location in your profile!!!!!


Rant over.

[kturock]

Continental US not only Excludes PR, It doesn't include Alaska & Hawaii, Guam or even most military bases.

UPS charges more for all of these, since it's not continental.
USPS, charges by distance. PR is cheaper from FL, where I live, vs Penn, where you are.

[MagickalMemories]

I'd just like to point out that...

MagickalMemories is one word. Just saying'.

LOL

Seriously, though -

As kt said, Continental US is exactly that. Personally, I'm not fond of the term, since Alaska isn't included in that, but is technically on the same continent. I prefer the term "lower 48," myself. Although unofficial, it's universally understood to only refer to the 48 contiguous states.

Also, PR isn't a STATE. So, by your definition, it's out, too.

Eric

[Ironhide]

"Contiguous USA" would be the better term. "Lower 48" could be seen as not including the District of Columbia. Continental USA could be seen as including Alaska. Regardless, Puerto Rico is not a state and therefore does not count any any of the above definitions.

[MagickalMemories]

Who in their right mind is going to assume DC isn't included in "lower 48." It's right in the middle of them.'

Eric

[oaflord]

Who in their right mind is going to assume DC isn't included in "lower 48." It's right in the middle of them.'

Eric

Someone with math skills. Someone who is from Canada or another country (irony!). Someone who realizes DC isn't a state. Someone who thinks I should shut up about now...

That being said, I have seen this before and being from Canada have asked politely if shipping to Canada would be okay and if so how much more. I think it comes down to realizing what is and what isn't continental and coming to an agreement amicably if it is otherwise.

PR continental??? Muy loco.

oAF

[MagickalMemories]

The problem with those, Oaf (while correct) is referring to shipping within the "lower 48" won't matter to any of those people.

Reasons:
Math skills: "lower 48" refers to the general area and not literally those states. It is the area that comprises those states (which encompasses DC). Within the US, this is common knowledge to anyone of high school age or above.

Canada/Other country: They know they're not in the lower 48. Whether or not DC is won't make a whit of difference. LOL

DC isn't a state: See "lower 48," above.

Thinks you should shut up: I don't know anyone like that, and God help them if they tell you to! ; )

Eric

[jason1977]

For the love of MAGICALMEMORIES- please fill in your location in your profile!!!!!

slight re-direct:

can the location part of a new BT member profile be 'required' info like a screen name??

PS: MM is one word

[porkuslime]

We are working on getting that hardcoded into the membership form, yep...

-P

[DenverZeppo]

Hello.

I need someone to explain to some of our members the definition of CONTINENTAL. I offered to pay shipping to the CONTINENTAL United States.
They were from Puerto Rico. Of course, no location on their profile, so I asked them to update it. I said Id have to charge an extra $5 for shipping. The person wanted free shipping saying that PR is part of the CONTINENTAL USA.

Ummmm...isnt PR an island? So you cant walk or drive there. Shipping costs more, because it has to be brought by boat or plane. PR is part of the USA, but not part of the continent of North America. Or did I flunk Geography? Is Hawaii part of the CONTINENTAL USA? Alaska???

I was told Im rude. I told him he's unrealistic wanting me to eat the extar charges.


For the love of MAGICAL MEMORIES- please fill in your location in your profile!!!!!


Rant over.

Puerto Rico is certainly not part of the lower 48, the continental United States, the contiguous United States, or any other way you want to refer to the 48 states plus the district that make up the space between the 49th parallel that makes up the US/Canada border and the US/Mexico border, which is a far less neat line.

More importantly, even if you snuggled up PR to the Florida border and made it part of the contiguous 48, it wouldn't be a state. Puerto Rico is a protectorate that receives limited Congressional representation in the form of a Resident Commissioner, who does not get a vote on anything important. Puerto Rico does hold Presidential Primaries, but gets no electoral votes in the general election.

Despite not getting a vote for the Commander in Chief, the people of Puerto Rico have served in the United States military during every major conflict in the country's history, including the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The people of Puerto Rico are United States citizens, and have been since 1917, but because they are not a state, they do not enjoy the full enfranchised rights that other citizens enjoy from the United States Constitution.

There is, once again in 2012, a vote occurring in Puerto Rico that could lead to them becoming a state. This will be the third time that the people of Puerto Rico have chosen between as few as three and as many as five options; Independence, Commonwealth, and Statehood appeared as the choices in '67 and '93. In '98 and again in 2012, the options Free Association and None of the Above were added to the ballot.

That last option is what first interested me in PR statehood elections. If you vote "None of the Above", which 50.3% of Puerto Ricans voted in 1998, what are you actually voting for? The options of Statehood, Commonwealth, Independence, and Free Association have readily available and understandable legal connotations tied to them. What is None of the Above? Is that a vote to sink the island and give up?

For the record, and if you've read this history lesson this far, the people of PR voted to remain a Commonwealth in '67, where Statehood drew only 39% of the vote. Statehood took 46.3% of the vote in '93 and 46.49% of the vote in '98.

I have no idea why I felt like regurgitating this information, except that I'm a nerd, and until the people of PR vote to become a state I think we should charge them extra for postage. (Tongue in cheek that was.)

[Ironhide]

Not every major conflict. They didn't become a protectorate until after the Spanish-American War. So that means Puerto Ricans did not participate in the American Revolution, The US Civil War, or The War of 1812.

[DenverZeppo]

I guess I shouldn't have said they served in the military, but they were active during all three of the wars you mentioned.

The Spanish Colonial Army captured Pensacola, Florida, during the American Revolution in an effort to distract the British from combat in other parts of the colonies. That army was made up of people from Puerto Rico and other Spanish colonies.

During the Civil War, Augusto Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican living in New Haven, CT, rose to the rank of Lieutenant. He served in the defense of Washington, DC, and commanded troops in Fredericksburg and Wyse Fork.