Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Do you think the post offices will close?

Asked by asdf almost 6 years ago

This question is being asked during the 2020 Covid19 pandemic. I think you are asking if we will close due to this and not just close in general. Also, this question was asked 2x so I deleted one of them. As I write this, the USPS is operating as best as we can under the circumstances we are faced with. We are considered and essential service so no state order can close us. Another reason that a state order can’t close us is that we are tied to the federal government and I believe only the Postmaster General (and possibly the President) could close the USPS.

In a practical sense, our mail workload will likely decrease during a time when many businesses across the country are temporarily shuttered. We have seen an increase in online package deliveries but hasn’t been a huge amt for my office to handle. Amazon is mostly delivered by a private contract courier in the area I work.

I know I haven’t answered your question yet, but here is my thought. We would probably be closed if a large number of our workforce were infected by Covid19. It’s possible a local facility could suffer staffing shortages and be unable to operate as normal. I don’t foresee a nationwide USPS shutdown, but with the situation changing daily, I feel that anything is possible. Stay safe and help Flatten the curve by doing your part.

304 Votes

Are you still a Mailman? By the way thanks for asking my previous question. :)

Asked by angiezhang7248 Gmail Girl almost 6 years ago

Yes, I am. it’s my pleasure to be able to answer questions that relate to my profession. am very fortunate to still be employed during the Covid19 Pandemic. Our workload has slowed down significantly since earlier in March, 2020. On most days there isn’t enough work to fill up a full 8-hour shift so we sometimes have to pivot. That means we complete our own assigned route plus :30 on another delivery route all within an 8-hour workday. The important part is staying safe and not being infected with Covid19. It is a scary disease with so many people dying.

303 Votes

What do you think of mail in votes?

Asked by Mario Kart Wii underated over 5 years ago

I am copying and pasting my reply to another post of the same subject. Thanks for your inquiry.

I believe there has been a lot of doubt purposely introduced into the voting-by-mail process by President Trump. My opinion is that voting by mail is very safe and reliable. There are a few important points I’d like to make:

If you vote by mail, please follow the instructions given on the absentee/mail-in ballot regarding deadlines and signing your ballot. Also, voter fraud via mail or in person is quite rare. Several states have been doing almost full vote-by-mail for a number of years with minimal issues.

I plan to either vote by mail or vote early this year in NY State. If you are concerned about a mail-in ballot being received by your local election authority, I recommend dropping it off at a ballot collection box. I don’t believe there should be any issue as to how the USPS processes election mail. I think of it as just like having another couple of pieces of mail per address to deliver. We absolutely have the capacity to handle this in my opinion.

My bottom line—have confidence in the USPS in handling election mail for this coming 2020 General Election.

Thanks for your interest. This is a very important issue in the year of COVID-19 where mail voting will be utilized more than ever.

301 Votes

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

Asked by Toooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmiiiiiiieeee about 6 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.

300 Votes

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Have you ever found a suspicious package that you had to turn into the police?

Asked by Jane over 5 years ago

Fortunately, no. The only thing I’ve ever seen in my office was a package that may have smelled like marijuana. I don’t know what ever became of it. We are trained to be on the lookout for suspicious packages.

300 Votes