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.
Boo, I have never heard of this happening where somebody can reverse delivery on an item that has tracking. My inkling would be that this is not allowed even if it were possible. The only way you would get the letter back is if it was refused at the destination or the address was invalid. You could call 800-ASK-USPS or go to your local Post Office but I don't think that you will get a different answer. Upon further review I went to ehow.com where there is a column written with the title "How to Retrieve a Letter Already Mailed Through the Post Office". The column mentions a form called an application for recall of mail and the steps to fill it out. Also if you go to USPS.com and lookup Package Intercept that may help you as well. You have asked a good question as it got me to do a little research to learn that this service does exist for a fee. The fee looks to be 11.50 per piece. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi%2C%20i%20sent%20a%20letter%20today%20with%20tracking%20on%20it.%20Can%20i%20get%20it%20reversed%20delivered%20back%20to%20me%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12980)
David, you are correct about parcel delivery becoming ubiquitous. When I started at the USPS in 1998, there was so much actual mail to be sorted and delivered with only a few parcels. The pendulum is definitely swinging the other way and I truly can envision a time where mail becomes very insignificant compared to parcel delivery. Right now, we seem to have a fair amount of both. In developments that have cluster delivery boxes (usually apartment buildings or condominium complexes) or in a PO lobby we do use parcel lockers. I don't know how it would work with having boxes on the street similar to the USPS collection boxes used today. Currently the parcel lockers work this way---If a customer has a package to large to fit in their regular delivery receptacle, the carrier will put the package in the parcel locker, lock it with a key they have and put a separate specific parcel locker key in the regular receptacle of the parcel recipient. When the postal customer goes to retrieve their mail, they will see the parcel locker key and use that key in a specified parcel locker. Once they insert the key and turn it, that key stays in the lock, the locker opens and the customer retrieves their parcel. It is a very efficient system as opposed to going to the door of a customer (in a centralized delivery environment) to just use the parcel lockers.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=With%20parcel%20deliveries%20becoming%20so%20ubiquitous%20thanks%20to%20internet%20shopping%2C%20I%20have%20often%20thought%20that%20a%20mailbox%20similar%20to%20the%20USPS%20blue%20mailboxes%20might%20be%20a%20good%20and%20secure%20way%20to%20delivering%20parcels.%20Do%20you%20know%20how%20these%20actually%20work%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12580)
Tiffany, I am not sure if that can be done. By telephone or Internet, you can put your mail on hold so the mail isn't delivered and piles up in your mailbox while you are in the hospital. As far as taking the mail out of your box and taking it back to the PO, I'm not sure. In your request to hold the mail, you'd have to ask for them to take out any accumulated mail. If I received a request like that, I would probably honor it given the circumstance. I've just never had that request. Thank you for writing and hope you are better.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=If%20your%20unable%20to%20check%20your%20mail%20can%20the%20postman%20take%20your%20mail%20out%20of%20your%20box%20and%20take%20it%20back%20to%20the%20post%20office%3F%20I%20was%20unable%20to%20check%20my%20mail%20for%20a%20little%20over%202%20weeks%20due%20to%20being%20in%20the%20hospital&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/13243)
JD, good job for sticking with it for 7 years so far. There are many people who couldn't handle even one NE winter. I have trouble myself with the very cold weather, plus snow, and ice. The LLVs are horrible with snow in handling especially on any inclines. I have felt the way you have several times, and I have also felt the opposite as well (meaning I love the career). I admit it is difficult at times when you aren't feeling satisfied to stick with this career. Here is my advice, but keep in mind I don't know your personal living/financial situation. Being a city carrier and making apprx $50K+ a year seems to be a decent salary with benefits and union protections. I know it's a physically hard job, but you could apply to transfer to a less harsh area climate wise. My parents have been a big influence on me when I was on the verge of resigning on a few occasions. They said that it won't be easy to find a similar paying job without any special skills. I've also had to seek professional help in the past couple of years which has been worthwhile. This is probably more information then you want to know but as of now I am glad that I didn't go through with the rash decision of quitting the USPS. Have you thought about switching to the clerk craft? Would you rather maybe work inside as a Sales and Service Associate? There are pros and cons to that as well. I do feel bad for anybody who is unhappy with their position, but am hopeful they can stick with it and maybe their feelings will change for the better. I would have a very hard time working too long if I weren't satisfied at the position. Please try to keep your head up and dress appropriately for the weather. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%27m%2032%20and%20have%20been%20a%20city%20letter%20carrier%20for%20seven%20years%20now.%20I%27ve%20become%20very%20unsatisfied%20by%20the%20job.%20I%20just%20don%27t%20want%20to%20deal%20with%20the%20bad%20new%20england%20winters%20and%20the%20physical%20nature%20of%20the%20job%20anymore.%20Have%20you%20ever%20felt%20this%20way%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/13014)
Flight Attendant
What's the scariest flight you've ever been on?
Social Network Security Manager
How has Facebook remained mostly immune to hacks?
Investment Banker
Did you experience the notorious 100-hour work weeks?
I am appalled by this story and others I've heard on this message board about strange things happening to the mail which are set in motion by people who have no right to do so. I hope that you will start to receive your mail soon. I don't know what happened to the undelivered mail. It's possible that the letter carrier submitted a "Moved Left No Address" form which would have your mail returned to the sender. Once this MLNA is canceled no mail will be returned to the sender and service should resume normally. Why would your neighbor do this to you and have you approached them about this? I'm not sure if a neighbor told me someone moved I would take their word for it.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=My%20mailman%20was%20told%20I%20moved%20by%20a%20neighbor.%20However%2C%20I%20have%20not%20moved%20and%20have%20not%20received%20mail%20for%20two%20weeks.%20In%20a%20case%20like%20this%20what%20happens%20to%20my%20mail%20and%20how%20can%20I%20get%20my%20missed%20deliveries%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/13841)
Marhsall, thanks for writing to this Q and A message board. In an apt. building, it is possible the mailman doesn't see the mail left in the mailbox to return because they may assume it is just tenant mail from a previous day not yet picked up by the resident. If you are putting back in the mailbox to be returned to sender, it should be marked accordingly (like "refused" or "person doesn't live here"). Is it possible for you to leave it outside the cluster of mailboxes to be returned? This way they will see it as a piece of mail that was incorrectly delivered or being refused. It is common for residents not to collect their mail each day which is why a mailman my not look at any mail that is remaining in a mailbox when they come to deliver a subsuquent days mail.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20live%20%20in%20a%20complex%20building%20made%20up%20of%20many%20apartments%20is%20the%20mailman%20supposed%20to%20return%20%20mail%20that%20I%20put%20back%20in%20the%20mailbox&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12674)
Sorry to say that we can't guarantee arrival of a birthday card on a specific date when mailed via regular class mail. We do, however, have a decent record of getting most letters delivered the next day when mailed from the same city, and 2-3 days when mailed from further away. To play it safe I'd mail the card 2 days in advance and, if you prefer, you can write "Do Not Open Until Your Birthday" on the outside of it. You are a thoughtful friend. Good Luck!
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hey%20is%20it%20the%20same%20as%20australian%20post%20office.%20i%20want%20to%20send%20my%20friend%20a%20bday%20card..%20She%20lives%20in%20the%20same%20state%20same%20city%20haha%20and%20i%20want%20to%20know%20how%20long%20it%20would%20take%20to%20deliver%20so%20that%20i%20can%20post%20it%20like%202%20days%20before%20and%20then%20arrives%20on%20her%20bday&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/10408)
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
