Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Can i put lipstick marks/perfume on my outgoing mail?? I've done it for months now my mail carrier refuses to pick them up.. is that illegal or is it the carrier's chioce??

Asked by Jessie over 10 years ago

I don't know the answer to this and have never heard of it being an issue. I would likely pick the mail up but maybe each carrier has the discretion because it's possible they are allergic to such smells from perfume or lipstick. Lipstick could possibly get on other mail which isn't right in my opinion. Did the letter carrier ever mention to you why they wouldn't pick up the outgoing mail. I haven't done any online research regarding "mailing requirements" so I can't say if lipstick marks or perfume is permitted. I don't recall ever seeing it myself except in Valentine's Day advertising that may say "SWAK" (sealed with a kiss).

668 Votes

I sent out 100 postcards on Monday across the usa and my own state how long should it take for them to arrive?

Also. I'm sending out a 100 more tomorrow across the usa should they arrive by Monday?

Asked by Patrick over 10 years ago

The most anything should take across the USA is 3-4 days I think. If you mail the postcards on Thursday I think there is a good chance they will arrive by Monday. Most first-class mail, which would include your postcards, usually takes 2 days locally and up to 4 days nationally as far as I know. As long as the postage is sufficient (.35 or .49) and the mail is addressed properly, the USPS does a very good job of meeting those service standards.

667 Votes

What percentage of mail carriers would you say, are female?

Asked by Rose almost 11 years ago

Based on the office where I work, there are about 25% female carriers. I can't say at all what it is at other locations. Lately, the CCAs who have been hired are more like 50% female. Some of them are quite petite so I don't know how they do the job lifting heavy parcels and walking with loaded mail satchels. I give them a lot of credit. I believe you should be able to lift up to 70 lbs, but I don't think that is tested and I see some carriers give their heavier parcels to a parcel post driver to deliver. I don't think that is necessarily fair that they don't have to carry the same load as I do, but I don't care enough to speak up or cause an unnecessary conflict.

667 Votes

I am from Paraguay and have sent four items to the US, all with tracking numbers. They went through the Miami ISC but it's been more than a month and there has been no further updates. What may have happened and what could I do?

Asked by renef09 over 11 years ago

I am thinking it may be held up in Customs, but am not sure if that happens before or after it gets to the ISC, or is maybe based in the Miami ISC. Do you know if the recipient is still looking for their items? Sometimes it doesn't get any more bar code scans before it is delivered but actually has been delivered. You could go to www.usps.com and maybe do an inquiry as to where the items could be but I don't have a lot of confidence that you will get any more info than is what you already have.

667 Votes

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Daughter of a deceased employee submitted an employee generated mlna with letter attached indicating father had past. I did mlna on the mail, then 2 days a fwd was put thru. Do l now fwd or mlna and will that mlna come back in dps or to office.

Asked by jvitto48 almost 11 years ago

I would forward any mail you receive from this point forward since you now have a valid COA for that former employee who is now deceased. Any mail that was previously put through with the MLNA may not come back at all and was returned to the sender. If the mail happens to come back to your office I would then forward it. This is all just my opinion. I'd ask the clerk who handles forwards in your office or a supervisor, but they may also just give an opinion without knowing if there is a correct procedure.

667 Votes

I went through the process to get the stamp thing worked out so I could have a priority package picked up tomorrow. hubby was going to get priority box for me, they closed before bus got him there. Will mailman have one when he picks up?

Asked by deborah almost 11 years ago

When the letter carrier comes to pick up your package, they will unlikely have a priority box with them. Most of us carrier no supplies in our postal vehicle. I think you can also edit the pickup request because it sounds like you won't have the Priority Mail package ready for them. You can probably edit or cancel the pickup request if you won't be mailing the item today. If you have any other box you can use that as well unless you have selected the Flat Rate Option for your packaging. If you did select a Flat Rate option you need to use a Priority Mail Flat Rate Box or envelope.

667 Votes

The mailman at my office came in to deliver mail and I told him that we had moved our postage machine from one location to another and he told me that they get paid by the foot and his supervisor measures it once a year. Is that true? I doubt it!

Asked by Shan over 11 years ago

I have not had an office to deliver on a regular basis so I can't comment as to how far a letter carrier is supposed to go I to an office to deliver or retrieve outgoing mail. Usually I'd expect to mostly deliver to a mail room or reception desk. As far as getting paid by the foot, I can assure you if it is a city letter carrier they are being paid "on the clock" meaning it has nothing to do with distance traveled on foot, but only by time working. A rural letter carrier may have a different way to calculate their pay where I don't know the details. If your letter carrier is wearing the traditional blue uniform, it is likely they are a city carrier and if the location of your postage machine took them longer to access, they'd actually be paid more money because it took them longer. I am being picayune but I hope you understand the point. Some mail carriers are just lazy, will feed you a line, or genuinely know some of the rules about office delivery.

666 Votes

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Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Can i put lipstick marks/perfume on my outgoing mail?? I've done it for months now my mail carrier refuses to pick them up.. is that illegal or is it the carrier's chioce??

I sent out 100 postcards on Monday across the usa and my own state how long should it take for them to arrive?

Also. I'm sending out a 100 more tomorrow across the usa should they arrive by Monday?

What percentage of mail carriers would you say, are female?

I am from Paraguay and have sent four items to the US, all with tracking numbers. They went through the Miami ISC but it's been more than a month and there has been no further updates. What may have happened and what could I do?

Also on Jobstr...

Daughter of a deceased employee submitted an employee generated mlna with letter attached indicating father had past. I did mlna on the mail, then 2 days a fwd was put thru. Do l now fwd or mlna and will that mlna come back in dps or to office.

I went through the process to get the stamp thing worked out so I could have a priority package picked up tomorrow. hubby was going to get priority box for me, they closed before bus got him there. Will mailman have one when he picks up?

The mailman at my office came in to deliver mail and I told him that we had moved our postage machine from one location to another and he told me that they get paid by the foot and his supervisor measures it once a year. Is that true? I doubt it!

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Can i put lipstick marks/perfume on my outgoing mail?? I've done it for months now my mail carrier refuses to pick them up.. is that illegal or is it the carrier's chioce??

I sent out 100 postcards on Monday across the usa and my own state how long should it take for them to arrive? Also. I'm sending out a 100 more tomorrow across the usa should they arrive by Monday?

What percentage of mail carriers would you say, are female?

I am from Paraguay and have sent four items to the US, all with tracking numbers. They went through the Miami ISC but it's been more than a month and there has been no further updates. What may have happened and what could I do?

Also on Jobstr...

Daughter of a deceased employee submitted an employee generated mlna with letter attached indicating father had past. I did mlna on the mail, then 2 days a fwd was put thru. Do l now fwd or mlna and will that mlna come back in dps or to office.

I went through the process to get the stamp thing worked out so I could have a priority package picked up tomorrow. hubby was going to get priority box for me, they closed before bus got him there. Will mailman have one when he picks up?

The mailman at my office came in to deliver mail and I told him that we had moved our postage machine from one location to another and he told me that they get paid by the foot and his supervisor measures it once a year. Is that true? I doubt it!

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I sent out 100 postcards on Monday across the usa and my own state how long should it take for them to arrive?

Also. I'm sending out a 100 more tomorrow across the usa should they arrive by Monday?