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.
Amanda, I can't say for sure what will happen with your rent check that was misaddressed. If the letter carrier delivers both of those addresses on Box St. and is familiar with the names on their route, they may deliver the letter to where it is intended (meaning it will get to your landlord). It's also possible that different letter carriers deliver to those 2 addresses and the letter carrier at 362 Box St. will just deliver it to 362 Box St. or return the check to the sender (you) as "Attempted, Not Known". I would recommend not canceling the check and waiting several days to see if the landlord received the check. Is there a way to contact the landlord and tell them what you did and it's possible they will ask you to resend the check or wait a few days to see if they receive it? I say this also to maybe save you money because putting a stop payment on a check often has a fee associated with it.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=After%20I%20put%20my%20rent%20check%20in%20the%20mail%2C%20I%20noticed%20that%20I%20accidentally%20wrote%20362%20Box%20Street%20rather%20than%20462%20Box%20Street.%20All%20of%20the%20other%20information%20was%20correct.%20Will%20it%20still%20be%20delivered%20to%20him%20or%20should%20I%20cancel%20the%20check%20and%20resend%3F%20Thanks%21&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/13298)
Probably not. If it was a blank envelope or had very little written on it, the letter carrier possibly took it without looking and it was mixed in with all of the other outgoing mail. From what you described there was likely no name or address on it either. Ultimately it may wind up in the "nixie" office which is for undeliverable items. I don't know where that is or what happens to it afterwards. If you were to contact this office (which I don't even know how you would), I don't think they would have the resources or time to look for the envelope in question.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=A%20friend%20of%20mine%20put%20an%20envelope%20with%20money%20in%20it%20intended%20for%20me.%20%20It%20was%20money%20for%20a%20charity...it%20may%20have%20just%20said%20%27popcorn%20money%27%20on%20it.%20%20I%20don%27t%20think%20my%20name%20was%20on%20it.%20%20I%20think%20the%20mailman%20took%20it.%20%20Any%20way%20I%20can%20find%20out%20where%20it%20went%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/13619)
I would close any mailbox after putting mail in it as long as the mailbox could be shut. I don't believe it is appropriate to leave a mailbox open with mail in it. Any letter carrier that leaves a box open which has mail in it and doesn't have a valid excuse for not closing the box isn't performing their job properly. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=When%20delivering%20the%20mail%2C%20if%20theres%20a%20mailbox%20thats%20empty.%20when%20you%20put%20the%20new%20mail%20in%2C%20do%20you%20leave%20the%20box%20open%20or%20close%20it%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12794)
Do you mean that the marking was "insufficient postage", not "insufficient packaging". If it was "insufficient postage", I'm pretty sure you would just have to pay the difference between the Parcel Select rate and the Priority Mail rate. What I'm not sure about is how you get credit for an already purchased postage label, if that's even possible. If you took this to the PO for some type of resolution, I question whether all of the clerks would know how to adjust the rate properly as the ability, care, and training of the SSAs (sales and service associates) seems to vary widely. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20sent%20an%20item%20in%20a%20Priority%20Mailing%20envelope%2C%20but%20the%20label%20I%20purchased%20online%20via%20PayPal%20was%20for%20Parcel%20Select.%20%20It%20was%20returned%20to%20me%20as%20%22insufficient%20packaging%22.%20%20Does%20this%20mean%20I%20have%20to%20pay%20all%20that%20postage%20again%3F%20%20Thanks%21&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/13103)
Movie Theater Employee
Why is movie theater food so overpriced?
Private Detective
What's the best Sherlock-Holmes-worthy detective work you've ever done?
Pharmacist
Have you ever given someone the wrong prescription?
Hello Joy. The area where you took the photo is probably serviced by a rural carrier or HCR (highway contract routr). These positions are different than the one I am employed as even though we all serve the same function. It makes sense to me that the barrel would be used for packages because I don't think carriers are required to deliver mail to a house that is more than a certain amt of feet from the road. The barrel is a convenient way for the customer to receive packages without having to drive to a post office which is many mlies away and has limited hours. It would also protect the package from damage in inclement weather. I can't confirm this is what the barrel is for.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20have%20a%20photograph%20of%20mailboxes%20in%20a%20remote%20part%20of%20South%20Dakota.%20%20There%20is%20a%20large%20barrel%20next%20to%20the%20mailboxes.%20%20Is%20it%20used%20for%20packages%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/13110)
Larry, congratulations on becoming a CCA for the USPS. It's not an easy position of being given different assignments daily that you possibly aren't familiar with and expected to perform like you are. I don't know of a trick to organizing the mail, but I'll explain what I do. Regarding the mail, when you pull it down from the carrier case, you may want to number the trays in delivery order and then load them in reverse order to the back of the truck. Put the highest numbered trays towards the back of the cargo area (closest to the driver) and the lowered numbered trays towards the liftgate in the cargo area. This is assuming you are driving an LLV and are on a walking route (park and loop). With regards to parcels, if they are small enough to be put in plastic trays, you may line them up in delivery order or at least keep ones of the same street together. For larger parcels I try to load them in by street (or section of street). I make it sound easy, but a large part of that is because I deliver the same route each day. If it was a new route, I would probably just keep the parcels together by street name. I understand that a lot of what I'm telling you is easier said than done, and with time you should become more efficient and familiar with the routes in your office. Be patient and work safely. Thanks for your question and it will be worth the wait to become a regular carrier.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20am%20a%20CCA%2C%20and%20was%20wondering%20what%20the%20trick%20is%20to%20organization%20of%20boxes%20and%20mail%20when%20you%20case%20in%20the%20morning.%20%20I%20get%20confused%20and%20end%20up%20throwing%20all%20the%20boxes%20in%20the%20truck%20and%20end%20up%20coming%20back%20to%20deliver.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/14717)
I am not sure that they will do this. It probably depends on how helpful the person who answers the phone wants to be. Unfortunately, that is my answer with many questions that requires interaction from personnel at the PO. To give a more practical answer, it is sometimes hard to give a time of expected delivery if there are staffing shortages at an office and a route is broken up into several "pieces" and not delivered as a whole route by 1 person. If one person is delivering an entire route then they usually follow a prescribed delivery order so it would be approximately the same time each day (usually within a 1 hour time frame.) For example, if I were to deliver my entire route, the deliveries are usually made between 1000 and 1545. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi%2C%20if%20I%20call%20the%20post%20office%20can%20they%20tell%20me%20what%20time%20the%20mail%20is%20delivers%20in%20my%20area&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12760)
-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
