(12/18/06) EDISON ? On the busiest mailing day of the year, some New Jersey residents are bucking the trend of long lines and aggravation.

The U.S. Postal Service has introduced automated postal centers, or APCs, at various post office locations. Essentially, they work like an ATM. Customers use their debit or credit cards to ship packages or buy stamps. Many residents at the Kilmer Post Office in Edison took advantage of the APCs rather than standing on the long lines Monday. Those who used the automated service had nothing but good things to say about it.

The U.S. Postal Service says about 280 million cards and letters are typically sent around this date every year, depending on when Christmas falls. That amount is an increase of 230 million from an average day. Although Monday is the busiest mailing day of the year, the U.S. Postal Service says Wednesday will be the biggest delivery day of 2006.