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.
FH, thanks for your question. I’ll start by saying your mileage may vary. I don’t know if there is a correct procedure as to how to handle mail delivery to a business which is sometimes open and sometimes closed. I would usually go inside to deliver the mail and ask if there is any outgoing mail if a receptionist or other personnel are available. I mostly deliver to residences so I don’t have a lot of experience in this situation. It’s possible that the business owner has an exterior mailbox and prefers or doesn’t mind if the mail is left in the mailbox whether or not the business is open. I suppose a carrier who delivers to the same business daily knows what is preferred but there are often substitutes delivering the mail so if there are no instructions left for that substitute and no sign on the mailbox saying “please come inside if the office is open” then I’m not sure what that letter carrier would do. We are often told so little how to do certain procedures which is why i almost always put in the disclaimer of “your mileage may vary”.
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Let’s just hope I don’t! That wasn’t the answer you’re looking for. I’ve never been in a wreck yet, but have had plenty of close calls and it’s possible one day my luck will run out. If we get into a wreck, we are directed to call a supervisor and also call the police dept if a report needs to be filed or if there are any injuries. A supervisor will then report to the scene and take some photos and information. A tow truck will be called if the vehicle is not driveable. After that is taken care of, the letter carrier is usually not allowed to drive a postal vehicle until they go for a multi-hour driver training course. I’ve noticed they try to have that course scheduled pretty quickly to get the carrier back to their normal duties. While their driving privileges are suspended, the carrier will often be given office duties or be driven around and then walk a route if that’s the method of delivery. The bottom line is drive defensively and hope to not get into an accident.
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Some letter carriers may handle it differently than others. This is my comment in most situations as to “what would we be done if....”We can rubber band the mail and leave it on the ground or on a bench by a door. Technically, the mail should be endorsed “NMR” which means No Mail Receptacle and returned to the sender, if applicable. Certain classes of mail would just get discarded at the PO and maybe sent out for recycling.
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Fortunately this has not happened to me and hope it doesn’t but of course it could. If we get into an accident we would call 911 if necessary and definitely call our supervisor. The supervisor would come out to the scene take some photos take a report and then we would either go to an emergency room if necessary or just go back to the office. If there is more of the route to still be completed, other letter carriers will probably have to finish up the delivery, likely with OT pay. More often than not, the letter carrier Who was involved in the accident may not be able to drive a postal service vehicle until they have gone through some driver refresher training. If the accident was clearly not their fault they may be able to skip this step. I have had some close calls, but fortunately the only collisions i have had were minor involving side-view mirrors striking some tree branches and breaking the mirror.
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I've heard that a lot of startups are hiring really well-educated college grads and paying them a lot, reasoning that customer service is often a client's most lasting impression of a brand. What do you think, and is it something you see spreading?
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These are 2 good questions which, as always, don’t have definitive answers.
1) On the subject of backing into parking spaces it has been so many years since I was trained on driving a postal vehicle but I do think that is what I was taught. I do this almost always when driving a postal vehicle or personal vehicle. While it is definitely refrained on by management to back up the vehicle, it is recommended to park this way so when we leave the parking space, it’s much easier to see the situation. When we back in we often will know the current situation so can back in more safely to a space. Most of our vehicles don’t have backup cameras so there are some more difficult areas to see when the vehicle is in reverse. I think it’s a great idea to back in as often as possible as long as you aren’t delaying traffic behind you. I often use my hazard flashers when I want a car to pass me so I can put the vehicle in reverse.
2) in general, if you strike an object or get into an accident, you won’t lose your job. I’ve never seen a letter carrier fired for this reason unless they were in their first 90 days (the probationary period). Most of the time, you are prohibited from driving a USPS vehicle until you get some remedial training or watch some safety videos. I suppose if you had multiple motor vehicle accidents or were find to be willfully negligent with the operation of the vehicle, you could be terminated. We are represented by a union so most terminations would be challenged via grievance procedure. If one were found to be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while driving a postal vehicle, that may also lead to termination.
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I guess that happens sometimes on these kind of sites.
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It is very unlikely someone would mail a bomb, but Im sure it has happened. Recently, a man sent quite a few inactive devices that looked like explosives ito famous people or politicians. I’m sure that there have been some explosives detonated at their destination or possibly before, but I don’t know the details. We are sometimes told to be on the lookout for suspicious packages, but, to be honest, it’s never really on my mind. Keep in mind I tend to look through rose-colored glasses and think that kind of thing doesn’t happen here.
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