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

Ok. Thanks for the info. The fence gate is placarded BEWARE OF DOG. The young carrier enters anyway with my dog barking aggressively & wife tells him to not enter. He enters anyway and gets nipped in leg. What now?

Asked by Hearding Hollywood about 11 years ago

The letter carrier should not be putting himself in that risky situation. Is it possible for you to relocate your mailbox outside the contained area where your dog is? I don't believer a letter carrier wants to bring out your mail each day not knowing whether or not he will have safe access to your mailbox. Again, I am not sure why he would enter the fenced in area when told not to. With regards to getting nipped in the leg, I am not sure what happens next. I wouldn't worry about it if you aren't contacted by the post office regarding your dog.

847 Votes

Yes the NALC represents us but Ithought that after 90day probation that your supervisor had to issue a warning before termination &/or try to put an employee in a different craft. I am currently trying to file a grievance.

Asked by HeWhoDeliverith about 12 years ago

Thank you for the NALC information. Definitely see if you can file a grievance for the mgmt not giving out Progressive Discipline. Again, if it is a big mistake like leaving the engine running or having a motor vehicle accident, maybe that couLD go straight to a letter of removal. 

846 Votes

I was just wondering. If the mail carrier delivers a package to your door, is there a reason why he chooses to leave the rest of the mail in the mailbox? I have a long driveway atop a hill, so why not bring it all up?

Asked by CJB almost 12 years ago

I am not sure why they would leave the mail in the mailbox at the bottom of the hill. One reason is that if there is nowhere to securely put the mail at the top of the hill outside of the elements the carrier wouldn't want to leave the mail outside.

846 Votes

she lives in charleston south carolina btw

Asked by kyle almost 11 years ago

Kyle, I think the normal amount of time for a First-class letter to get from Lancaster, PA to Charleston, SC, would be 2 days. From what you wrote it has already been 4 delivery days and the letter hasn't arrived. I don't know that it's rare, but it exceeds our service goal as far as I know. Are you sure you addressed the letter correctly and completely? Letters still get lost in the mail, missorted, misdelivered, destroyed by our automated sorting machines, etc. but that is all a very low percentage of the amt of mail processed.

846 Votes

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If I accidentally use a priority box for first class shipping, will it be sent bam to me?!?

Asked by Kristie about 12 years ago

The item may be sent back to you for more postage for the Priority Rate. Did the item you mailed weigh 13 oz. or less.(domestic) That is the only way you can qualify for first class shipping. But, if the item is in a Priority Box it needs the Priority Rate. You might get lucky and the package will be delivered with no extra fee added.

845 Votes

How often do you encounter 'suspicious' letters? or letters that you think may contain illegal substances?

Asked by Boe about 11 years ago

I can't remember a time that I came across any suspicious letters or packages, or at least not as of late.  Not long after 9/11 I think there was anthrax sent through mail or something like that to Washington DC. It made me nervous and I think I had some type of reaction that I may have contracted it and had trouble breathing. It turned out to be all in my head and nothing ever came of it. There probably is drugs sent through the mail or maybe other illegal substances but I have no experience with it fortunately. 

845 Votes

I was reading articles about mailmen and one person said he lifted 75 pound trays to take mail from (for sorting into bins or trays) before he goes out on his route. Do you do that? or is your mail already sorted for you?

Asked by MarthaJ almost 12 years ago

Most of the mail that we take out is sorted ahead of time into trays, but there is always some "residual mail" that has to be hand sorted and sometimes collated in with the mail that has already been sorted. It is rare that these trays would be more than 20 lbs. in my estimation. Some offices have more automation than others meaning some offices still have to do a lot of manual sorting. While there are sometimes heavy packages to lift, I think the max. Is 70 lbs. and i don't see a parcel that heavy too often. The mail that I mentioned earlier comes sorted into trays is done by automated sorting machines located at a larger processing facility. 

845 Votes

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