Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Why is there sometimes someone else in the car when they are delivering mail?

Asked by Jane almost 6 years ago

It’s either a supervisor doing a periodic check of the route and the carrier delivering it or there may be a trainee being shown how to do the job.

306 Votes

What do you do in the case of protesters throwing things at you, ripping things off, climbing on your vehicle, insulting you, spray painting, or even trying to hurt you

Asked by asdf over 5 years ago

Fortunately I’ve never had this happen to me and I do work in a generally peaceful and safe area. If it were to happen I would probably call the police, secure my vehicle, and maybe walk away if i could. I would never engage a violent or vandal-driven protestors. We have not been given any guidance on what to do. (May, 2020). I tend to be a de-escalator of situations whenever possible. Stay safe.

305 Votes

Do you liesten to the radio in your mail truck? If so what do you listen to?

Asked by Toooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmiiiiiiieeee about 6 years ago

The particular vehicle that I have is not equipped with a radio. Most of the day I am out delivering on foot. I have an iPhone where I listen to podcasts via a Bluetooth earpiece but only make sure one ear is covered up. We are probably not even supposed to be able to do that. I think I would find the day really boring if I couldn’t listen to anything. The route I deliver is entirely residential so I don’t see that many people during the day. I don’t really listen to any music during the day but I do listen to podcasts sometimes. The subject matter is usually history or aviation. Thanks for writing.

305 Votes

StephenHello sir what do you think about mail in voting

Asked by Stephen over 5 years ago

That is a very timely question. I have a lot of faith in the Postal Service able to handle the volume of absentee ballot applications as well as completed ballots. Due to the coronavirus pandemic I believe it is much safer for people who prefer to vote by mail be given an equal opportunity as those who want to physically go to a polling site. In June, 2020, the area where I work had 2 elections. One was a Democratic Party primary. The other was a school budget vote. Both seemed to go smoothly with respect to sending out and retrieving and processing election mail. Several states have been conducting VBM elections for years and I don’t believe there are any major issues that have arisen with respect to voter fraud or ballots being counted.

304 Votes

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What do the strobe lights on the top of some of the trucks mean

Asked by Fjfjfjjdkd about 6 years ago

I think it’s just a general caution strobe that means this truck may make many starts and stops and it may be slow moving. I think it’s similar to hazard flashers.

304 Votes

What do you do if your doing your mail route and a Tornado warning is issued?

Asked by Yancey almost 6 years ago

I don’t live or work in an area with tornado warnings or sirens. I imagine if there was one or a severe thunderstorm, I’d seek shelter somewhere. The vehicle I use for work would be fine if there were a thunderstorm. If there were a tornado I do not believe the vehicle would be a safe place to be. Maybe I would go see if I could find a house and get down low but I’m not really sure of the right procedure because I’ve never been involved in an area subject to tornadoes. They are rare in the northeastern US where I work.

304 Votes

So I know this video has been out there for a while but what do you think? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOCyzG4BktQ

Asked by Ryan over 5 years ago

I have never seen that video before. Not knowing the background of the situation, I can’t make a judgment. I know that there are mentally ill and depraved people who work at USPS and in the public. Either this woman perceives she is being stalked by this letter carrier or she actually was being stalked and he is denying it.

300 Votes