Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

MailmanDave

17 Years Experience

Long Island, NY

Male, 43

I am a City Letter Carrier for the US Postal Service in NY. I've been a city letter carrier for over 17 years and it is the best job I've ever had. I mostly work 5 days per week (sometimes includes a Saturday) and often have the opportunity for overtime, which is usually voluntary. The route I deliver has about 350 homes and I walk to each of their doors to deliver the mail. Please keep in mind that I don't have authority to speak for the USPS, so all opinions are solely mine, not my employer.

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1237 Questions

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Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Best Rated

What if someone send u mail but right the wrong address

Asked by jennifer over 11 years ago

If someone writes the wrong address but a letter carrier recognizes the name as to where the letter should go, it may be delivered correctly. If we can't figure out where the letter should go and there is a valid return address on the letter, we may send the letter back endorsed "Attempted, not Known" referring to the incorrect address that was written on the envelope.

701 Votes

What island do you know of that the mail only gets picked up once a week

Asked by Megan over 10 years ago

If this is a trivia question, I don't know the answer. I don't actually know the answer either way. If this does occur it must be a pretty remote island as the USPS provides 6-day (Mon-Sat) delivery to most places in the USA.

700 Votes

Lets say its a chilly day probably in the 30's-40's range and raining. I have rain gear for the rest of my body but nothing for my hands. How do you keep your hands dry? Warmth is not a major concern atm, just keeping them dry. What do you do?

Asked by Kruesser over 11 years ago

Those days aren't fun whatsoever and I don't know that I have a good answer for you as I'm more concerned with the cold. I have heard of seal skin gloves which may work well to keep your hands dry but still be able to finger the mail. I'm sorry I don't have a more concrete answer for you. It's good that you have rain gear for the rest of your body. Don't wear any cloth gloves because they will get wet quickly and soak through to your skin. To find help on this and other questions, I would recommend the Facebook user group titled: USPS postal Maniacs. There are over 9000 USPS employees who are members and are pretty good about voicing their opinions on postal questions (often very negative, but they have a helpful side as well).

700 Votes

I live in a building with mailboxes we tennents access by key. However I found out that the management at our building puts the mail into the boxes and not the mailman. My boyfriend says this is illegal. What can I do to amend this? I live in Canada

Asked by Flower over 11 years ago

Flower, whether you live in Canada or the U.S., my answer to your question is the same: I don't know what can be done to amend this. I don't know that it is illegal either. Most apartment buildings that I've seen have a cluster of mailboxes near the lobby and are serviced by a USPS worker (in the US). I, too, live in an apartment building (a cooperative) and a USPS Letter Carrier distributes the mail. Management has no access to the cluster boxes as far as I know. On the flip side, there may be some arrangement for the management to deliver the mail in your building though I don't know the mechanism that would allow for such an agreement. The only thing I can compare your situation to is that many college campuses have mail that is distributed by non-USPS employees into boxes usually at a residence hall or student center/union. I did that for one year when I attended a university in NY.

699 Votes

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Hi I think that I put in my mail in the mailbox without closing the envelope. What will happen to the papers inside the envelope?

Asked by mm over 11 years ago

It is possible that the contents of the envelope stayed in the envelope and the item will reach its destination. If the papers fall out and there is no address on them to either return the papers to you or continue on to the intended recipient, those papers would probably wind up at a "nixie" or "dead letter" area and disposed of eventually.

699 Votes

Hi again i got everything figured out with my postcard and am going to be sending out 10,000 at once. Would i be able to get a bulk discount for this? or would it be wiser to pay for first class postage? and will they be delivered the same either way

Asked by Andrew over 10 years ago

I didn't realize you'd be doing such a large mailing. I believe that amt of postcards would qualify for a discount but sometimes it depends on the quantity of pieces for a certain area, how the mailing is prepared, and where you enter it into the system (some large mailings are cheaper to drop off at a mail plant vs. a local PO). The name for a bulk mailing discount is usually called presort standard and presort first class Mail. The standard doesn't get handled as quickly as first class mail which is why it's cheaper. I am sure the answer is quite a bit more complex than what I've told you. Some resources that I'd look for are the Direct Marketing Association or search for "USPS bulk mailing discounts" or "basics of bulk mailing USPS". If stamps or meters are not affixed to your postcards you can't just drop them in a mailbox. The mailing would need to be processed through the BMEU (business mail entry unit). You may also need to get a bulk mailing permit to use an indicia and get a discount. I don't know these details at all. You ask good questions but my area of knowledge has more to do with the job of a city letter carrier. That is why I'm not being any more specific. Anything I've typed here is what I've learned over the years by asking my associates similar questions that you have asked. None of this knowledge is necessary to be a letter carrier.

699 Votes

Is there a second seat in the mail truck???

Asked by Emily about 11 years ago

In the LLV, which is the most common vehicle for delivery that is used, there is no second seat. The exception to that is that at our post office we up have 1 Long Life Vehicle with a seat in the cargo area which is behind the mail tray that is in the front left of the vehicle. We use that vehicle as a spare in case one breaks down or is needed by auxiliary help. The other reason it is used is when a supervisor comes with you for the day to inspect your route delivery. Sometimes they will follow you in their own car, but they often will just sit in the second seat. The cargo area opens up to the drivers area with a sliding door which I leave open all of the times.

699 Votes

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