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.
Lisa, I'm not sure who is delivering what to the apartment cluster mailbox, or NDCBU as it is sometimes called. Usually if the small package (regardless of whether or not it has tracking) can fit into the mailbox the regular letter carrier will be delivering it as well. When I deliver to an apt complex I bring all of the mail even if it is a larger parcel. In larger city environments, a parcel post route carrier may be delivering the larger parcels. I hope this helps answer your question and thanks for the inquiry.
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Vbjmin, you ask a question that I'd love to know the perfect answer to as I've been struggling with this issue from the beginning of my postal career. Cold hands are really hard to tolerate especially when you will be out delivering hours and they must be nimble enough to finger the mail. I wear a glove (thick or thin) on the hand where I hold the mail and cradle the flats since I don't need that hand to finger the mail. The hand that I use to finger the mail and deliver the mail I try to wear a thinner and sometimes fingerless glove or one with small gripping dots on them This has worked okay over the years. Another item which can be useful is "hot hands" which are small single-use packets that form a chemical reaction and heat up for several hours. You can put those in your pocket or even inside your glove. I have rarely used these but my girlfriend, not a letter carrier, loves them. I have purchased many pairs of gloves over the years. It's just a matter of finding the ones that keep you warm enough but allows you to still feel the mail. Thanks for writing and winter is my least favorite season to deliver mail.
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Penny, I don't think that a holiday delays the transport of mail through our network by much at all, but I don't really have much insight into this subject. I know our local post offices don't process any mail on holidays, however the processing and distribution centers might still be operating. I would always suggest allowing more than one day for mail to arrive at the intended location even if there was no holiday. This is just to make time for mis-delivered, mis-sorted, or delayed mail. The day after a holiday, we are often hammered with mail to deliver. It is the trade off for having a paid day off (which I'm not complaining about).
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Matt, I am not familar with any real details about where a mailbox has to be with regards to steps. I just know that the box needs to be accessible to the letter carrier. I have never heard anything about steps being an issue. You may call the post office to ask if there is any regulation about the placement of a mailbox or mail slot. If they give you an answer that seems like it is made up, you may ask to see where this regulation is in writing or ask for the number to the regional or area office that oversees your local post office. Without having any more information than what you provided me, I'd say that the request by the mailman is invalid, but I just want to reiterate that I'm no authority on all of the rules on this subject. Thank you for writing.
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Generally I would say no. I know that I don't carry them in my vehicle. We are told to empty out our vehicles each night. Maybe some carriers do bring them with, but I would doubt it and we aren't told to by management. If a customer asked me to bring them some I would the next day. The best way to get supplies is to visit a Post Office or order the Priority Mail supplies for free at www.usps.com. Thank you for your inquiry and I think Priority Mail is one of the most reliable services that the USPS provides.
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Those are known as collection boxes and on the label which is usually inside the pull-down lid or outside the lid is a schedule of the pick-ups from the box. It is usually 1-2 times per day in the office where I work in suburban Long Island, NY. I've rarely seen it be more than that but in busier urban environments it could be more. Our app for iPhone has a "location" option where you can search for Blue Collection Boxes and the last collection time is posted.
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I am not sure what you mean by demanding to unlock your mailbox. How does he deliver mail to a locked mailbox? Is there a small slot in the box where they can put the mail through? I have that situation with a few boxes on the route I deliver but am always able to put the mail in the slot. I wouldn't ever write on the mail demanding that it be unlocked. If a box was too full or if it was too difficult to deliver to a locked box I would just not deliver it and bring it back to the PO explaining to a supervisor why the mail wasn't delivered.
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