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

We have not been receiving any mail in our p o box for over 2 weeks following a couple of overflows. I called the post office
last week and they said our box is open. What could be the reason for 2 and a half weeks with no mail in our box?

Asked by L H over 8 years ago

I admit it's odd that you haven't received mail in your PO Box for a couple of weeks. One reaction is that maybe there has been no mail for you, but if you've had overflows in the past I guess that scenario is unlikely. Furthermore, I don't even know what happens in a PO Box mail overflow situation. I thought you just may have to pick up the overflow mail from a retail sales and service associate during the retail counter hours but I'm not sure. Has any person or organization you normally receive mail from contacted you to say an item addressed to you has been returned to them? Is there any specific mail you haven't received that you were expecting to receive? In short, since the PO has confirmed that your PO Box is open I don't know why you haven't received any mail in 2.5 weeks. One idea I had was to mail a letter to your own PO Box. It should arrive there in about 2 days if mailed somehwat locally.

431 Votes

Makes sense to start on a Saturday, but bid states 02/19. Thanks for the insight

Asked by jvitto48 over 9 years ago

You're welcome. I just always like to state here that I have never read the National Agreement between the USPS and the National Association of Letter Carriers so a lot of what I say is based on what I've seen at my particular PO as well and by attending some local union meetings. I do a little research online but I'm not lawyer and am not dedicated enough to research deeply to see if there are rules on certain issue mentioned in the National Agreement. Congratulations on getting a route assignment.

430 Votes

When a mail carrier oppts for a specific route does he get that routes day off? Or will hes day off keep rotating as usually scheduled?

Asked by joe about 9 years ago

I don't know how this works in all offices, but I can tell you what happens in the office where I deliver mail in Long Island, NY. This may not be a nationwide policy. When a letter carrier (usually an unassigned regular or CCA) opts, or holds down, an assignment they get that assignments day off. Our office has mostly rotating days off so that won't change. What may change is the "days off" group that carrier falls into. This is usually a low impact issue when a carrier opts for a group since almost all of us have rotating days off. Only 2 assignments at the PO where I work has 2 assignments with fixed days off (Saturday). The remaining 40 (approximately) assignments have rotating days off. Thank you for the question.

430 Votes

I have had an issue with my mail carrier and filed a complaint against her, but she is still delivering mail. So I had my mail fwd to a PO Box. The carrier left a Vacant card in my home mailbox and now stops and checks it all the time. Why?

Asked by Jr over 9 years ago

I can't say why your letter carrier does what you are mentioning. It's unfortunate that you have an issue with her. By saying that she is still delivering mail, I assume you mean that she still is working for the USPS as a letter carrier but not physically delivering mail to your residence because your mail is being forwarded to a PO Box. A vacant card is appropriate to be put in your mailbox so that anybody who is delivering mail on a route that includes your address would know not to leave any mail in it. It's also unfortunate that you have to now go to a PO Box to retrieve your mail plus pay a rental fee. Is it possible that the letter carrier is checking the mailbox to make sure no mail has been accidentally left there by someone else? I doubt that is the case because it seems like you and her were in a conflict and that she probably isn't going out of her way to help you. While I'm only hearing one side of this conflict (yours), I can certainly say there are some bad workers for the USPS and nothing would surprise me about the actions of some letter carriers.

430 Votes

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My friend had a roommate that moved out, her mail is still being sent to her house so my friend puts on the envelope, (return to sender) the mailman knows the girl that moved out and has been giving her the mail personally, can he do that?

Asked by Samantha about 9 years ago

I don't think that the letter carrier should be giving the mail to the woman who moved out just because he knows her personally. If the woman didn't put in a proper change of address request with the USPS, then it is appropriate for the mail to be returned to sender with an endorsement by the USPS saying "unable to forward" or "moved, left no address". I wouldn't get involved with anyone's mail based on my relationship of knowing them. Fortunately, it's rare that I'm ever asked to do anything that is questionable regarding the mail. As far as your question goes, I don't know that the mailman is allowed to do what he is doing, but it doesn't seem right.

430 Votes

Hi I wanted to know, if I placed a letter with just a name and no stamp into someone's mailbox would the mailman take it, or leave it?

Asked by Gina kennard over 9 years ago

I think many letter carriers would just leave it because they may notice right away that there is no address on it or stamp. I can't speak for all letter carriers because there are many of us who don't pay attention and just take what's in the mailbox as outgoing mail. I don't think this good for them to do but some of my co-workers are clueless or are possibly paying attention to their smart phone vs. paying attention to the task at hand. To be honest, the mailbox should only be used for US Mail. My advice would be to not leave this letter in someone's mailbox to guard against the above scenario happening. To sum up my answer in one word: maybe.

429 Votes

Do you ever suspect that a customer receiving frequent deliveries of light weight priority boxes from legal medical marijuana states is using the dark net markets to order drugs? Are the majority of letter carriers aware about dark net markets now?

Asked by DNM over 9 years ago

You are the first person to ever say the term "dark net markets" to me. I don't most of my fellow letter carriers know anything about this unless they are involved in that dealing which I would hope they aren't. We are trained very little at work about drugs in the mail. I've never come across anything suspicious re: drugs or I am just oblivious.

429 Votes

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