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

I am waiting for my package outside my apartment's mail box am I allowed to ask for my package before he or she puts it in my mailbox

Asked by Jaime almost 11 years ago

It depends on who your letter carrier is. Some will give it to you ahead of time and others will want to place it in the mailbox so they know you have legitimate access to your mailbox. As long as I knew the individual resided at the address associated with the package or they could prove it with identification, I would hand them the package. In my career I've never had a problem. Please remember that not every letter carrier behaves the same way. Thank you for the question.

Mailman, My son mailed a letter to a bank and forgot to put a stamp and sender's address. Please, how do I get back the letter so I can mail it properly.

Asked by Emem over 11 years ago

The letter will not get to the bank because there is no way for the USPS to know where the intended address is. The fact that there was no postage on it also doesn't help matters. I don't know how you will get the letter back unless you put your return address on the envelope. If that is the case the letter should eventually be retuned to you for an address and proper postage. I can't guarantee how long it will take to get the letter back, but you should get it returned eventually. There is no way to track where that letter is. Thanks for writing.

If you notice a broken mailbox what do you do with the mail and how do I get it as soon as possible

Asked by Heem over 10 years ago

I usually will continue to deliver the mail as long as the mail can be sheltered from the rain and other elements and hope that the customer will fix the mailbox in a reasonable amount of time. Some letter carriers will not deliver the mail to a mailbox that has fallen to the ground or is broken in some way. I suppose that is their option. If the mail isn't being delivered, it is likely being held at the PO for a certain amt of time (I don't know how long). You can probably go and pick it up there as long as you present identification that matches your address and if the clerk can find the mail that is being held.

I was wondering about the scan app on the new standard postage stamp you buy at the machines inside the post office,which are different from normal stamps. And what info comes up when you scan them with your Iphone? So far it hasn't yet worked for me

Asked by DavidB over 11 years ago

If you are referring to the forever stamps which are bought in a SSK (sales and service kiosk) which come in sheets of 10 for 4.90 and then are printed out on what looks like stickers there is no information on that scan that I'm aware of. I realize it has a code that looks like it is scannable. If you purchase postage to mail a package the label that is printed out to put on the package does have a scannable USPS tracking # which can be used with the Track function on the iphone USPS app. Thanks for the question and I do buy stamps from the SSK myself. It is so easy to use.

If a package is marked delivered on your account. And said it was in a parcel locker and I didn't get it who do I talk to?

Asked by JF over 10 years ago

Was there a key to the parcel locker in your mailbox? That would indicate as to where you should go to retrieve your parcel. If there is no key in your mailbox to access the parcel locker, then I'm not sure where your parcel would be. I'd speak with the letter carrier who serves your route or a delivery supervisor at the PO where the mail is delivered from. I don't have a lot of faith in tracking down parcels that are misdelivered or said that they are somewhere and they aren't. Sometimes it may show up in a day or two, but I don't know why it would show as delivered to a parcel locker and now you can't find it. I hope your package shows up.

Is it okay to finish a route and take the half hour lunch at the end then drive back to office

Asked by JVitto over 10 years ago

I used to do this but was then told that I really should take the 30 minute lunch within 6 hours of my BT (begin tour) time. I now take lunch from approximately 1300-1330. The new scanners that we have tells the mgmt where we are so they can see if we are sitting for 30 minutes at the end of the day instead of our approved lunch period. If the management doesn't give you a hard time about it, I don't see why not but the union and managers technically should be enforcing the 6-hour rule for taking a lunch break. I've become used to it so it's no big deal to take lunch when I'm supposed to and not at the end of the delivery route.

Thanks for the answer, but doesn't each carrier have a route number, like C001-19046, the last part being the zip code that they deliver to? So if I addressed it to Letter Carrier Route C001-19046 he /she would get the letter?

Asked by Jane over 10 years ago

You are the right track with your question. C001, for example, would be City Route 1. I don't think there is a special ZIP code for the route #. What you could I address the item to "Letter Carrer C0001" and then the PO name and address and 5-digit ZIP code. I think the addl 4 digits for the ZIP code would be -9998 for mail going to the PO and not to a customer. Don't quote me on that last part. I've reread your question now. If you put C001-19046 on the top line of the address they might get the letter. I've never seen this done before but it does make sense. I would recommend addressing the envelope to "Letter Carrier C001", but it's your choice.