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.
Cynthia, that is a good question and I don't know the legal requirements (if any) to return any mail that is errantly delivered to your address, whether it is for a former resident or just delivered by mistake to the wrong address. Anyone who tells you otherwise I would question where they get that information. Most people I know aren't versed in the law when it comes to the US Mail. I do read that tampering with the US Mail is a federal offense but I don't interpret that discarding mail that was errantly given to you to be tampering with it. On the flip side, as much as that person has been a sore spot to you, would it be so hard to just write on the outside of the mail "person doesn't live here" and leave it in the mailbox for the letter carrier to have sent back to the sender? In theory, the letter may find its way back to the sender who may update their records and you won't get any mail from them anymore addressed to the former tenant. Just a thought. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=What%20are%20my%20legal%20%28legal%20not%20ethical%29%20obligations%20when%20the%20mailman%20delivers%20mail%20to%20my%20address%20that%20the%20person%20no%20longer%20%28and%20has%20not%20for%20years%29%20lives%20here%3F%20The%20person%20is%20a%20real%20sore%20spot%20and%20was%20evicted%20so%20the%20less%20I%20have%20to%20do...the%20better.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12107)
I am not familiar with any rules that say you must empty your mailbox daily. I would let mail pile up in a mailbox until it may become full so no future mail can fit in a mailbox. It is not a common occurrrence where I deliver mail, but I am sure it does happen some places. If a mailbox came completely full, I may return any additional mail to the sender with a note saying "mailbox full."
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Do%20I%20have%20to%20empty%20my%20mailbox%20everyday%3F%20%20Sometimes%20I%20am%20not%20in%20town%20overnight.%20%20Every%20time%20I%20do%20not%20get%20my%20mail%20for%20a%20day%2C%20the%20mailman%20takes%20the%20mail%20back%20to%20the%20main%20post%20office%20and%20leaves%20me%20a%20note%20saying%20%22You%20must%20remove%20mail%20every%20day%22....&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/10124)
I don't know the answer for sure about this. It may depend on the actual carrier who comes to empty out the blue collection box as I am not sure of the rules that cover this. I know if I were the carrier who was emptying out the box and you could prove who you were and it matched a return address, I would likely return it to you. If there was no return address but you could still somehow prove it belonged to you, I also would likely give it back. But just to reiterate, I don't know the rules that cover this and it may also be up to the direction of the letter carrier.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=If%20I%20dropped%20some%20mail%20that%20I%20was%20going%20to%20hand%20deliver%20in%20the%20post%20office%20box%20by%20mistake%2C%20can%20I%20get%20it%20from%20them%20if%20I%20wait%20for%20them%20by%20the%20box%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/11862)
I don't know the answer to this question. I do know that there are times we are required to finish delivery and return to the PO by a certain time and to call if we aren't going to make it back by a certain time. That is usually due to inclmement weather or high volume of mail delivery. I am not sure if 7PM is the actualy curfew for this.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Is%20it%20legal%20for%20management%20to%20require%20the%20letter%20carrier%20to%20return%20your%20mail%20to%20the%20PO%20because%20s%2Fhe%20did%20not%20finish%20the%20route%20in%20time%20to%20return%20to%20the%20PO%20by%207pm%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/10585)
Casting Director
Are the melt-down auditions on American Idol staged?
Firefighter
What kind of shape do firefighters need to be in?
Sommelier
What's your favorite bottle of wine for under $20?
I am not sure of the the regulations as to whether or not the mail should be delivered without proper lighting. It is difficult to deliver mail if one can't read the addresses clearly enough or if it isn't safe to do so. Is it possible the complex mgmt can install a light over the boxes that can be switched on or off as needed. In general if mailboxes are set up so that delivery can be effected from inside a postal vehicle, the carrier shouldn't have to get out to deliver the mail. That said, I'm sure there are many occasions that it's easier to just deliver the mail than having to bring it back to the PO for delivery at a later date. I'm sorry I can't give you any more specific info.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Can%20a%20mail%20carrier%20decide%20to%20not%20deliver%20mail%20to%20an%20apartment%20complex%20because%20he%20says%20he%20should%20not%20have%20to%20get%20out%20of%20his%20vehicle%20to%20put%20the%20mail%20in%20the%20boxes%20and%20there%20should%20be%20a%20light%20over%20the%20boxes.%20My%20carrier%20did%20not%20deliver%20my%20mail%20for%203%20days&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/9885)
I am sorry that the letter never made it to you. the letter must have been mailed with some type of tracking on it for your friend to know it reached your area. I don't know how you would go about getting it. Does the tracking # say it was delivered anywhere? Possibly it was mis-delivered. Did the item need a signature for delivery?
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=he%20also%20tracked%20down%20the%20letter%20and%20it%20showed%20it%20arrived%20in%20my%20area%20but%20never%20stated%20that%20it%20reached%20my%20house.%20This%20letter%20contained%20something%20very%20important%2C%20what%20can%20I%20do%20to%20get%20it%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/9441)
It should be delivered without the words "APT" on the delivery address. As long as there is a space after the actual street address or the apt. # is on the line above or below the street address, the abbreviation "APT" is superfluous and your mail should get to you properly. I live in an apt. building and when I write my address, I put my apt. # directly after my street address followed by a space and have never had a mail delivery issue. I will say that having the apt. # on the delivery address is very important, especially in a building with many units. Without an apt. # on the mail, it is possible that the mail is returned to the sender marked "insufficient address" Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=will%20my%20mail%20be%20delievered%20even%20if%20it%20doesn%27t%20say%20APT%20but%20it%20says%20N%20%28which%20is%20my%20apt%29%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/11492)
-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
