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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Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Best Rated

I want to have a package sent through the mail but my mail carrier walks would he still deliver it or do I have to pick it up at the post office

Asked by Nick over 10 years ago

It should be delivered by a letter carrier. It may not be your letter carrier. If he doesn't drive a postal vehicle to his route and then walk it's not likely he will be the one delivering it. Some offices have parcel post drivers that deliver larger parcels via a delivery vehicle. If nobody is home to accept the package, there is a possibility you'd have to pick it up at the PO or request a redelivery.

I've been having a very hard time with my mailman. One day last winter, he threw my mail on my concrete step in the snow because he said it was to snowy, it wasn't at all! I've had numerous bills and mail that never was delivered. who do i call?

Asked by Linda over 9 years ago

As much as I hate hearing stories like this I know it all too much to be true. We have many employees who don't care about delivering mail properly or accurately or have an attitude. Unfortunately I don't know how effective complaining about a letter carrier is. Our management often is indifferent or powerless to effect major changes in someone's work ethic. I know this sounds damning of many co-workers but I just get that feeling at times. I don't mean to sidestep your question but wanted to explain that none of this surprises me. I'd start by contacting your local post office and ask to speak with a delivery supervisor or manager. Tell them your story but don't exaggerate it. If your service continues to be poor or you don't think you're getting mail that you're supposed to or that items you mailed aren't getting to their destination, I suppose the next step would be to contact the USPS Consumer Affairs division. I honestly don't know how effective any of this is, but worth a try. Hopefully I'm wrong in the not-so-rosy picture I painted. If you visit www.usps.com maybe there will be information on how to contact your local PO with a complaint because it's not always so easy to find the phone number of your local PO. Linda, thank you for your question.

Can someone put a note on a commercial mail box instructing the mail carrier to put their mail in a different box

Asked by michele over 10 years ago

I don't know what at you mean by a commercial mailbox, but generally the mail should be delivered as it's addressed unless their is a valid change of address order filed with the USPS. I have never come across that request or situation but I probably wouldn't follow those instructions, though another letter carrier may. We generally don't like special requests like that because we aren't supposed to honor them and who knows if a replacement carrier would do that when the regular carrier is not working. I like to keep thing a simple and straightforward and that seems to work well.

I live in fountain valley California Orange County, can you tell me when exactly will the mailman come and reliever my mail?

Asked by Meli over 10 years ago

I am not able to tell you when your mailman (letter carrier) will deliver your mail since I don't know about the setup and staffing of your particular office. In fact the only office I know much about specifically is the one where I'm employed in NY on Long Island. Speaking only by personal experience I'd guess that your mail is delivered 0930-1800 Mon-Sat (excluding federal holidays.)

I would like to write a letter to a mailman in anothet city. I know which office he works in...If I address it to him with the office address will he receive it? Or is there a certain way I can address it so they know it's for an employee?

Asked by EG almost 10 years ago

I think there's an excellent chance that he will receive a letter if you adress it to the post office in the city where that letter carrier works, saying "Attention: (Letter Carrier ______)" on the top line of the address. Either the clerk or the supervisor/postmaster that handles internal mail should give the letter to the letter carrier. It's possible that an office my frown on having personal mail sent to a letter carrier in an office but I don't think it should be an issue as long as it's not a frequent occurrence. I've never come across this situation so I can't say for sure it will work, but I think it should. Thank you for your question.

Thank you for everything! Honestly you've been helping me out a great deal. I'll be back

Asked by Dee almost 10 years ago

My pleasure Dee! Again, good luck to you in training. Always keep in mind that whatever I tell you is anecdotal and what I've experienced. There are many inconsistencies within the USPS depending on where you work and the personalities you come across. It shouldn't be this way but I'm sure that happens in other organizations just as much. I enjoy so much of this job because I'm out on my own for about 6 hrs a day not dealing with too much internal politics, etc.

Can mail be forwarded to an address out of state if the person is not physically living in a residence in that state, due to health issues. Secondly, would that affect the persons medical benefits or tax issues in any capacity when filing taxes, etc

Asked by JVITTO48 almost 10 years ago

I can answer your question in two parts. The first question you have is about whether or not mail can be forwarded to an address out of state even if the person isn't living in a residence in that state. Mail can be forwarded anywhere that the USPS delivers to as long as there is a proper change of addresss authorization/request submitted to the USPS. The easiest way to do this is at USPS.com .

As far as affecting and medical benefits and tax issues, I'm not qualified to give you an official answer. It probably depends on the source of the medical benefits. Some state public health assistance programs like Medicaid may require the recipient to live in that state. It doesn't necessarily mean their mail can't go somewhere else. I don't know about tax issues either. It shouldn't matter when filing a federal tax return, but I'm not sure about different state tax laws. There are probably 50 different answers to that.