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 recommend you do not do that. The postage is the main source of revenue that allows the USPS to exist to deliver that letter. I know that doesn’t answer your question. If you mail a letter without postage it may get through and be delivered. It’s also possible that there is another outcome. The letter may be returned to you marked “returned for postage” on the envelope. The other possibility is that the letter will reach its destination but the recipient would have to pay the postage that you didn’t put on the envelope. This is known as “postage due”. Please affix proper postage before mailing any item. The current rate (as of Feb 2020) for a first-class one oz. letter is .55
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Could%20I%20mail%20a%20letter%20without%20a%20postage%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/21696)
I have never heard of that happening, though one resident on my postal route was concerned about the possibility of stolen identity. She was receiving misdelivered mail and was worried that maybe her mail was also being misdelivered and that the errant recipient could steal her identity. Mail is constantly delivered to the wrong house. While I like to think I make few errors, I’m not infallible. Furthermore, some coworkers care so little about delivery accuracy that they deliver wrong mail often. They are just careless and don’t verify the address on each piece of mail. It is rare in my office that we even get told about delivering the mail accurately. A customer would probably have to escalate an issue so frequently for the letter carrier to even get spoken to about it. I’ve never heard of anyone being disciplined for errant mail delivery. I’m not saying that they can’t be, but I haven’t seen it in the PO where I work Thank you for your question.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Would%20a%20mailman%20get%20fired%20if%20he%20or%20she%20delivered%20mail%20to%20the%20wrong%20house%20and%20someones%20identy%20was%20stolen%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/21184)
I have never noticed that. I know that a rural carrier who sometimes uses their own vehicle sometimes just has a placard or magnetic sticker on the car that says US Mail. The USPS didn’t exist before 1971 but our whole fleet in use now would be substantially newer than that. My vehicle says “United States Postal Service” and also “www.usps.com” on the side. Our logos used to be an eagle which said “US Mail” below it. My uniform now has a more modern eagle and says “United States Postal Service”. To me they are synonymous terms.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Why%20are%20some%20mail%20vehicles%20marked%20USPS%20and%20others%20just%20marked%20US%20mail%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/21652)
Not really. If you are referring to FedEx or UPS, they have a very good reputation for quality work and they are profit driven so their management is under pressure to get things correct. I also think that they have better technology. The flipside to that is that they are sometimes more expensive and do not go to every address in the USA. I think USPS does a very good job in delivery but we employ too much “dead weight” and people not caring about quality work. Of course, those other companies may have the same issues, but I think their employees are on a shorter leash if they make too many errors. I am proud to work for USPS and what I do, but don’t think we are better than the major alternatives.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Is%20USPS%20better%20then%20private%20shipping%20companies%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/21322)
Basketball Referee
Ever get into a physical altercation with a crazed parent?
CBP Officer
How cooperative are Mexican authorities re: US immigration and border control?
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
Do you ever operate on guys who get their jaws busted in a fight?
It doesn’t sound like a good first impression, but it doesn’t sound like you did anything malicious on purpose. I don’t know that I would ever harshly scold anyone about most things but I have a high amount of patience which maybe your carrier, doesn’t have. I suppose the next time you see her you could explain (or apologize) that you didn’t mean anything by it. I also guess you could wait until the letter carrier is completely done sorting the mall before checking on your mail, but I don’t think that is always necessary either. I’m sorry to be so vague, but it almost seems like a short temper on behalf of the letter carrier. This is based on what you’ve described not truly knowing either of your personalities. I just hope your next interaction with your letter carrier is calm and cordial. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%27m%20a%20new%20resident%20in%20a%20high%20rise%20apt%20bldg.%20My%20mail%20carrier%20scolded%20me%20harshly%20today%20saying%20%22I%20snuck%20up%20behind%20her%22%20while%20I%20was%20checking%20my%20mail.%20Not%20a%20good%20first%20impression%20to%20make%20with%20your%20mail%20carrier.%20How%20do%20I%20smooth%20it%20over%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/21145)
There aren’t too many that I can think of where we wouldn’t go out on our routes. I believe if there was extreme cold and wind chill conditions or a snowfall that made the roads impasssable, the mgmt may decide to suspend delivery of mail for the day. I don’t keep track, but, in my career, mail delivery has only been canceled on a few occasions. The LLV that many of us use for delivery don’t handle well when snow has accumulated more than a few inches on a road. It is even worse on an incline or decline.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Is%20there%20any%20condition%20besides%20a%20hurricane%20or%20wild%20fire%20or%20floods%20that%20they%20would%20say%20%E2%80%9Cokay%20don%E2%80%99t%20go%20out%20today%E2%80%9D%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/21167)
Fortunately, no. I believe if I were involved in a motor vehicle accident, I’d first call my supervisor, and then call 911 (unless there were apparent injuries or fire where we would call 911 first).
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Have%20you%20eved%20had%20to%20call%20911%20while%20on%20the%20job&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/20726)
-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
