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

If annual leave is 440 hours carry over per year. My question is if a carrier has 10 weeks 400 hours for 2015, he can carry over 4 weeks or 160 hours for 2016 calendar year? bc he didn't carry over 440 only 160. please clarify

Asked by jvitto48 over 11 years ago

I don't fully understand your question, but I will tell you what I know. For the leave year (which is slightly different than a calendar year since it goes by pay periods), the maximum annual leave that a FERS City letter carrier can carry over is 440 hours, the equivalent of 11 weeks. Any leave accumulated in the 2015 leave year that would bring the AL balance to greater than 440 hours would need to be used by the end of the 2015 leave year or be forfeited. In your example a carrier that has 400 hours in 2015 can only save an additional 40 hours of AL to be carried into 2016. The remaining 120 hours (assuming they received 160 hours during 2015) would have to be used by the end of the 2015 leave year or be forfeited. Another way I read your question is that you are asking if a carrier begins the year with 400 hours and wants to carry over 160 hours into 2016, would that be okay. The answer is yes because 160 hours of AL is under the 440 hours maximum leave carryover.

what days do mailman come to turn in or take mail from apartments?
can I ask my mail lady to sell me stamps if i'm in a tight situation?

Asked by jessie about 11 years ago

In most apartments, just like houses, mail is delivered 6 days week (every day except Sundays and Holidays). If there is outgoing mail, it should be taken at that same time. Many apartment cluster boxes have a slot for outgoing mail. If not, the mail should be deposited in a blue collection box which are at the Post Office or in the street in various locations. With regards to asking a mail lady to sell you stamps, you can ask but we aren't required to carry stamps as city letter carriers. I carry a few with that I purchase with my own money and will put them on envelopes if someone has short-paid the postage or if they need a stamp. Sometimes I'll ask them for the money, sometimes I won't. The whole scenario doesn't happen too often. I am a stickler for the proper postage being affixed to mail so I sometimes I won't accept a letter with insufficient postage and leave a note or write on the envelope that add'l postage is required.

If I put a note and money for a book of stamps for mailman Is he allowed to bring me

Asked by katy about 11 years ago

They might. If you are on a rural delivery route, I believe it is part of the carrier's job to mail items for the customers (at the customer's expense, of course) and deliver them stamps if they request them and pay for it. If you live on a city delivery route, it's probably up to the individual carrier if they will fulfill your request or not. I believe you can purchase stamps online and they'll be sent to you or there is an option for stamps by mail. In the latter option, you fill out a form and enclose a check and the USPS will deliver your stamps in a couple of days. I don't see any of those options used too often where I deliver mail but I can't speak for other post offices. Try this URL:

https://store.usps.com/store/

Do u guys deliver the day after thanksgiving

Asked by Kashmere over 10 years ago

Yes, it's a regular work day for the USPS on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I'm not sure how busy of a day it is, but the online shopping business has been a boom for us so the days following Thanksgiving through Christmas are usually an endless flow of packages to deliver.

Can a mailman refuse to deliver mail to a rural box if the box is open?

Asked by Collette about 11 years ago

I'm not sure why a mailman would want to refuse delivery to a rural mailbox if the lid is open. Most of the ones I see just have flip down lids which aren't secure or they have no lids at all and may have broken off over the years. I don't know the exact rules of what condition a rural mailbox must be in to receive mail. I suppose if the carrier felt the mail wasn't secure they could refuse delivery until the condition of the rural mailbox is rectified. I've never refused to deliver mail due to an open mailbox, but then again, I'd rather deliver the mail then have to bring it back to the PO and re-attempt delivery on a subsequent day. Thanks for your question.

i had "not nice words" with a substitute driver the other day and she threatened to stop my mail. Can she really stop it because we had words.

Asked by tn mom almost 11 years ago

I don't know the answer to that. I can't imagine that there are too many situations to get into conflict with a customer. I would usually walk away from most situations that could get out of hand. Anyhow, they shouldn't threaten to stop the mail because of the "words" unless there was a physical threat made by you, which it doesn't sound like. If, by chance, you notice mail not being delivered, you could contact a delivery supervisor or Postmaster or manager to tell them what happened and ask why you didn't receive mail when you were supposed to. I hope that cooler heads prevail. I have a few jerky customers that I deliver mail too, but I don't let it bother me. They continue to get the exact same quality service as everybody else I deliver mail to. I hope that cooler heads prevail in your situation and that the mail service isn't interrupted. Thanks for writing with your q.

to continue on the signature confirmations, its a hassle to have to deliver the package after the customer signs the 3849, sign in person or not sign in person is the question, now we have key in the 3849 on certifieds

Asked by jrv over 11 years ago

You should be able to scan the 3849 if you choose the attempted function. At least this is how it works on the older scanners. If the "delivered" function is chosen then the 3849 (reverse) is scanned. The only change I noticed recently was having to put the 3849 bar coded # in the scanner on the "attempted" function. This allows the recipient to just type in the 3849 # when requesting re delivery. It is an extra step but if you are a city carrier, time=money.