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.
I am not sure if you are joking in this question. I am a city letter carrier and don't spy on anybody. It is true that we may know a lot about the people we deliver mail to, but that is confidential in nature and wouldn't share that with anybody. You would never want your personal information shared with others about what you receive in the mail, would you? We must remain professional so we have the trust of the people we serve.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=How%20to%20spy%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/14108)
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.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi%20again%20i%20got%20everything%20figured%20out%20with%20my%20postcard%20and%20am%20going%20to%20be%20sending%20out%2010%2C000%20at%20once.%20Would%20i%20be%20able%20to%20get%20a%20bulk%20discount%20for%20this%3F%20or%20would%20it%20be%20wiser%20to%20pay%20for%20first%20class%20postage%3F%20and%20will%20they%20be%20delivered%20the%20same%20either%20way&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16243)
That is interesting to hear yet not surprising to me. There are certain parcels that are supposed to have a scan on it whether or not it's actually delivered on a particular day. Amazon.com parcels are one of these types of parcels but it may occur on other parcels as well. I don't think it's right for the USPS to be doing this because it is misrepresenting the status of a parcel. In your case the fact that you live in a residence that is never closed makes it even more wrong to be scanned as "business closed". Sometimes a letter carrier may forget to deliver a parcel or it is missorted to another route and there is no time to get it correctly delivered on the same day. In this case, it might be scanned "attempted" or "business closed". In my opinion both of these scans are wrong and misleading to the recipient and/or shipper. I hope you have at least received the parcel the next delivery day. I've never been asked to scan a parcel wrongly and would refuse to do so. You may see this more lately as the volume of our parcel business for the month leading up to Christmas is probably double or more our normal parcel load.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20live%20in%20a%20residence%2C%20never%20closed%2C%20but%20have%20had%20three%20occasions%20recently%20when%20an%20item%20wasn%27t%20delivered%20with%20a%20reason%20listed%20in%20tracking%20as%20business%20closed.%20Why%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16078)
The most anything should take across the USA is 3-4 days I think. If you mail the postcards on Thursday I think there is a good chance they will arrive by Monday. Most first-class mail, which would include your postcards, usually takes 2 days locally and up to 4 days nationally as far as I know. As long as the postage is sufficient (.35 or .49) and the mail is addressed properly, the USPS does a very good job of meeting those service standards.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20sent%20out%20100%20postcards%20on%20Monday%20across%20the%20usa%20and%20my%20own%20state%20how%20long%20should%20it%20take%20for%20them%20to%20arrive%3F%20%0A%0AAlso.%20I%27m%20sending%20out%20a%20100%20more%20tomorrow%20across%20the%20usa%20should%20they%20arrive%20by%20Monday%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16129)
Private Detective
Has anyone ever caught you surveilling them, and what happened?
Dating Website Employee
What are the most common mistakes guys make on out their profiles?
Bar Mitzvah DJ
Why are DJ's so unwilling to accommodate song requests?
Hello GrannyBlu72! It was fine to drop the letter to your granddaughter in the Priority Express Blue Box on the street. That probably happens all of the time and the letter carrier who collects it would just put that envelope into the regular mail processing stream. As long as you used proper postage for what you mailed and put the correct address on the envelope, the letter will get to your granddaughter. When she receives it, however, is a different story. The letter would likely be collected from that blue collection box on Monday and if sent to the regional mail processing facility (which most mail is sent to even if addressed to the same town that it is mailed in), the turnaround time is usually 2 days. It is likely your granddaughter will receive the letter Wednesday. Until recently, mail within a certain processing area would take just 1-day to reach it's destination.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Dear%20Mailman%20Dave%2C%0A%20I%20went%20to%20mail%20a%20letter%20in%20a%20first%20class%20standard%20envelope%20to%20my%20granddaughter.%20I%20accidently%20placed%20my%20envelope%20in%20a%20USPS%20Priority%20Express%20blue%20box%20on%20the%20street.%20This%20was%20done%20on%20a%20Sunday%20around%2012%3A00%20PM.%20Will%20my%20mistake%20delay%20my%20granddaughter%20from%20getting%20the%20letter%20on%20Monday%3F%20We%20both%20live%20in%20the%20same%20state%20being%20ten%20minutes%20away%20from%20each%20other%2C%20and%20we%20share%20the%20same%20main%20post%20office.%20I%20also%20forgot%20to%20add%20a%20return%20address%2C%20but%20I%20know%20for%20certain%20I%20wrote%20the%20forward%20address%20correctly%20and%20used%20a%20first%20class%20stamp.%20Any%20help%20given%20would%20be%20greatly%20appreciated.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15208)
Saturday is Nov. 29 and Priority Mail in the continental 48 states is usually 3 days maximum for delivery. The packages are usually in transit 7 days a week so I would say there is an excellent chance your package will arrive by Saturday. USPS Priority Mail is a superb service in my opinion. I often look at the mailing dates when I deliver a Priority Mail item and it has rarely taken more than 3 calendar days from origin to destination.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=My%20package%20is%20being%20shipped%20to%20GA.%20Currently%20it%20says%20November%2025%2C%202014%20%2C%208%3A24%20pm%20-%0AArrived%20at%20USPS%20Facility%0ACITY%20OF%20INDUSTRY%2C%20CA%2091715.%20It%20was%20shipped%20via%20Priority%20mail.%20Do%20packages%20still%22travel%22during%20thanksgiving%3F%20Will%20I%20get%20it%20by%20Saturday%3F%20Thanks%21&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/13961)
The only suggestion I'd have is to have your daughter or you contact the PO which delivers the mail to her and see if the key may still be in the mailbox for another resident and/or the package is still in the lockbox. It is disconcerting that if another resident errantly got the key and/or package that they wouldn't deliver it to the intended recipient. As a letter carrier I can tell you we make delivery mistakes on a somewhat regular basis. I am pretty accurate (though not 100%..nobody is) in my delivery, but some carriers don't care as much or are unfamiliar with an area and sometimes rush which can result in mistakes. I understand that the tracking is only somewhat helpful because it shows as delivered to the lock box but that doesn't help if your daughter didn't get the key.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20recently%20sent%20a%20pkg.%20to%20my%20grandson.%20The%20tracking%20%23%20says%20it%20was%20delivered%20and%20put%20in%20the%20lock%20box%20but%20my%20daughter%20says%20there%20is%20no%20key%20in%20her%20box.%20I%20am%20so%20afraid%20someone%20else%20got%20the%20key%20by%20mistake.%20What%20do%20we%20do%3F%20This%20is%20a%20priceless%20gift.%20Thanks&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16027)
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
