Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Is there any condition besides a hurricane or wild fire or floods that they would say “okay don’t go out today”?

Asked by Micah almost 6 years ago

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.

256 Votes

Do you have CB radios

Asked by Gentlemen over 5 years ago

The tractor trailers may have some type of radio communications, but as a letter carrier, I do not. We just have our personal cell phones and our intelligent mail device (handheld scanner) which can be used to communicate with the office. We rarely use that option. Mostly it’s phone calls or regular text messaging to communicate with each other (either carrier to carrier or carrier to mgmt).

256 Votes

Have you eved had to call 911 while on the job

Asked by Mat over 6 years ago

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).

256 Votes

Do you have radios in your truck? I am talking about both two ways and AM/FM

Asked by Funky Kong almost 6 years ago

In the vehicle I drive, which is called an LLV (Long life vehicle), there is no radio or any kind installed. No AM/FM and no 2-way radio with the base post office or any dispatch. We use cell phones to either call or text our supervisors if necessary. Our hand held scanning devices also have the ability to text message the supervisors but I don’t think those messages are checked too frequently by the management. The phone is our best means of communication IMO.

254 Votes

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Do you liesten to the radio in your mail truck? If so what do you listen to?

Asked by Toooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmiiiiiiieeee over 5 years ago

The particular vehicle that I have is not equipped with a radio. Most of the day I am out delivering on foot. I have an iPhone where I listen to podcasts via a Bluetooth earpiece but only make sure one ear is covered up. We are probably not even supposed to be able to do that. I think I would find the day really boring if I couldn’t listen to anything. The route I deliver is entirely residential so I don’t see that many people during the day. I don’t really listen to any music during the day but I do listen to podcasts sometimes. The subject matter is usually history or aviation. Thanks for writing.

254 Votes

Has a dog ever bit you!

Asked by Eeeeeeeeeek over 5 years ago

Fortunately, no. I’ve had some close calls where they’ve nipped at my heels or pants but I can’t say I’ve ever had a real bite where I made a report or needed any medical attention. I am no dog lover so I try and steer clear of them as much as possible. We are mandated to carry dog spray/repellent with us in case we think we are about to be bitten or if we are attacked. I’d say most dog owners in the areas where I deliver are quite responsible in containing and controlling their pets.

253 Votes

What’s the worst weather you have ever worked in

Asked by Sid over 5 years ago

I can’t say what the worst weather was, but extreme cold for NY Metro area (around 0F) is pretty difficult to work in. If we get a significant snowfall, our LLV (long life vehicles) perform poorly on unplowed streets and even worse on inclines. As long as you dress properly and cover your extremities well, most inclement weather is manageable. A deluge of rain is difficult to work in because you are trying to stay dry as well as to keep the mail dry. I realize this doesn’t fully answer your question, but I can’t pinpoint any “worst weather” day I’ve experienced.

252 Votes