Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

My sister was recently in jail. Our mail carrier saw letters from us going to her at the jail and has been telling a lot of people about her being in jail. Is this legal for him to do?

Asked by Gregory about 10 years ago

I can't quote the statute that says it is illegal for the letter carrier to discuss with others the fact that your sister was in jail, however it is entirely inappropriate and probably against postal regulations re: sanctity and confidentiality of the mail. I see mail going to/from prison while delivering the mail but never say a word to anybody about it. I'm not sure if you want to discuss it with your letter carrier to tell him how wrong it was to say anything to anybody. I also don't know it it would go anywhere if you complained to the USPS about his behavior. Legally, you may also need proof or witnesses if in fact it is illegal what the letter carrier divulged to others. I know I'd be very upset if I found out my letter carrier was talking about things they should be confidential about, but not sure what avenue I would take to resolve it.

560 Votes

My daughter accidentally put a letter in the mailbox yesterday that she would very much like to get back before it is processed. Is there a procedure in place for her to do so? It is scheduled for pick up tomorrow.

Asked by MomofTMK about 10 years ago

I don't know the answer to this question as to what the procedure is. I can only speculate but could be completely wrong. Someone could wait by the mailbox for a letter carrier to come by and empty the mailbox and ask to retrieve the letter, but it may need to be easily found, identifiable, and the collector would have to be willing to give it back. They may not be allowed to or unwilling to help. The letter carrier doesn't necessarily come at the time posted. The time means they won't come before the posted time. Theoretically it could be hours later. Another option is to go to the PO that services the collection box to ask for assistance. Again, I have no idea about their willingness to help. If it were me, I'd probably assist you if the letter was easily found and the return address and name matched that of the person asking for the letter back through identification or personally known to me. I've never been asked to do this so I can't base it on past experience.

560 Votes

What do you do if the mail does not fit in the mailbox
Example: there is a box to go into the mailbox but it doesn't fit for whatever reason, what do you do?

Asked by Roy potter over 10 years ago

I'll tell you what I do in this situation (which is common) but I can't say what each carrier will do and I'm sure it also varies by location. We deliver many parcels that won't fit into a mailbox. I bring the item to the front door of the house and leave it on the side of the door. I rarely ring a door bell since I don't need to see anybody to give the mail to. I also work in a neighborhood where mail/package theft is close to non-existent. If you live an apartment building or an area where mail can't just be left near a front door then the letter carrier might leave a PS 3849 Delivery Notice/Reminder/Receipt to notify the recipient that we have mail for you to retrieve from the PO or allow you to authorize delivery and leave mail at a specified location.

560 Votes

A certified letter was sent out to me on Jan 13 and it's the 21st. Still have not received it and when I try to track it all it says it's in transit. Desnt say where it is. I called local post office and all they say is its on the truck. What do I d

Asked by Ann about 10 years ago

It's odd for someone to say "it's on the truck" when the tracking seems very non-specific and sounds like it hasn't been updated. 8 days is too long for a certified letter to reach you unless the item was missorted en route and was either misdelivered or is sitting at a PO and nothing is being done with it. I don't know what to tell you to do except to wait a few more days. After that, you could contact the sender and say you never received the letter though they would have the same information as the online tracking.

560 Votes

Also on Jobstr...

Swim Instructor

Is it easier to learn to swim as a child or adult?

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Is there a big difference in the amount of mail you deliver today from 5-10 years ago?

Special Education Teacher

Does it bother you when people use the R-word?

address 100&102 have always shared one mailbox. How do I inform the Mail Deliverer to put 102 mail in 102 box?

Asked by esmeralda about 10 years ago

I am not sure what you mean by this question because you first say that 100 & 102 are together in one mailbox yet you then reference a box that says 102. If you truly have two separate mailboxes for two separate addresses and is clearly labeled I'm not sure why the letter carrier doesn't separate the mail between the two addresses. You could leave a note on the shared mailbox that there is a separate mailbox for 102 and ask them to put the mail there. If this isn't resolved with a note, you could always contact the PO and speak with a delivery supervisor or a manager to register your request.

560 Votes

Have you ever had to sign someone's name for them on a package because they weren't home? and also is there any way that doing this can screw over the customer?

Asked by Fern over 10 years ago

I sign customer's names on accountable mail or packages that need a signature if I know them and they'd likely want that done. I frequently do this but technically it's not allowed unless the recipient has given previous written authorization to do this. So far, it's never been a problem in my career that I've signed for an item, but I don't expect others to do the same. As far as if this can screw over a customer, I don't know. I suppose if you signed for a package for a customer and then never delivered it to them it could be a problem. I think in that case the letter carrier would be questioned because the intended recipient never received the item and will say it's not their signature on the PS 3849 or electronic signature record.

559 Votes

if someone moves and don't put a fwd what should i do with there mail

Asked by china about 10 years ago

I'd recommend that if you received the mail for someone who previously lived at your residence but didn't put in a forward for you to put the mail back in your mailbox and you can write on it "moved" or "doesn't live here anymore". The letter carrier should take it and not redeliver it to you. You also have the option to discard since nobody would really know but I feel that is the wrong thing to do. By putting the mail back in the mailbox you alert the letter carrier that the person has moved from that address.

559 Votes

Showing 848 - 854

Show All

373 More Answers by Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Last 7

119 120 121 122 123 124

...

Next 7 Answers

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

My sister was recently in jail. Our mail carrier saw letters from us going to her at the jail and has been telling a lot of people about her being in jail. Is this legal for him to do?

My daughter accidentally put a letter in the mailbox yesterday that she would very much like to get back before it is processed. Is there a procedure in place for her to do so? It is scheduled for pick up tomorrow.

What do you do if the mail does not fit in the mailbox
Example: there is a box to go into the mailbox but it doesn't fit for whatever reason, what do you do?

A certified letter was sent out to me on Jan 13 and it's the 21st. Still have not received it and when I try to track it all it says it's in transit. Desnt say where it is. I called local post office and all they say is its on the truck. What do I d

Also on Jobstr...

address 100&102 have always shared one mailbox. How do I inform the Mail Deliverer to put 102 mail in 102 box?

Have you ever had to sign someone's name for them on a package because they weren't home? and also is there any way that doing this can screw over the customer?

if someone moves and don't put a fwd what should i do with there mail

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

My sister was recently in jail. Our mail carrier saw letters from us going to her at the jail and has been telling a lot of people about her being in jail. Is this legal for him to do?

My daughter accidentally put a letter in the mailbox yesterday that she would very much like to get back before it is processed. Is there a procedure in place for her to do so? It is scheduled for pick up tomorrow.

What do you do if the mail does not fit in the mailbox Example: there is a box to go into the mailbox but it doesn't fit for whatever reason, what do you do?

A certified letter was sent out to me on Jan 13 and it's the 21st. Still have not received it and when I try to track it all it says it's in transit. Desnt say where it is. I called local post office and all they say is its on the truck. What do I d

Also on Jobstr...

address 100&102 have always shared one mailbox. How do I inform the Mail Deliverer to put 102 mail in 102 box?

Have you ever had to sign someone's name for them on a package because they weren't home? and also is there any way that doing this can screw over the customer?

if someone moves and don't put a fwd what should i do with there mail

Login

Forgot Your Password?

Register

What do you do if the mail does not fit in the mailbox
Example: there is a box to go into the mailbox but it doesn't fit for whatever reason, what do you do?