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.
Do you possibly know me? I've recently had a similar situation on the route that I deliver and it is the first time that I encountered this. The previous owner only put in an individual forward, but the PARS (which is an automated forwarding system that intercepts forwardable mail before it reaches the letter carrier) was forwarding the new resident's mail as well because they had the same last name. I asked my forwarding clerk how to resolve this. She said that the family that left should just put in individual forwards for each family member. The mail also should be excluded from PARS so your letter carrier can look at each piece of mail before forwarding it (if appropriate). This seems to have worked okay as the new resident has been quite patient and I've heard nothing beyond the original, and valid I might add, complaint. I'd recommend speaking to someone at your PO explaining the situation, give them a list of all the valid names at your address and ask that the mail be excluded from PARS so the carrier can look at the mail and decide whether it should be forwarded or not. PARS stands for Postal Automated Redirection System. I hope this works out for you as you shouldn't be inconvenienced just because you moved into a residence where the previous people had the same last name.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=We%20have%20an%20issue%20with%20our%20mail%20being%20incorrectly%20forwarded.%20We%20know%20why%20%28previous%20people%20had%20the%20same%20last%20name%20%26%20it%20is%20a%20family%20forward%29%20%26%20that%20it%20is%20happening%20before%20the%20mail%20gets%20to%20our%20carrier.%20Can%20you%20tell%20me%20the%20system%20in%20place%20for%20forwards%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15541)
It's possible that either things happened. It may depend on where you live, but actually having things from mailboxes where I work is quite rare. As far as a letter carrier taking it out of the mailbox, I can't really say. Some letter carriers are strict and say nothing can be in the mailbox except US Mail. If they take it out I'm not sure what they'd be doing with it. I am not really sure how you'd find out. I doubt the PO would be of much help. As much as I don't like things left in mailboxes that aren't US mail, if I can clearly see it's not outgoing mail, I'll usually just leave it and put the mail in the box. I have to stress that I can predict the actions of other letter carriers. I've seen too many who don't care and can be vindictive toward customer which I don't understand.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=So%20a%20friend%20put%20something%20in%20my%20mailbox%20thinking%20I%20would%20get%20it%2C%20%28she%20puts%20like%20books%20and%20things%29%2C%20is%20it%20possible%20that%20if%20she%20put%20a%20bag%20in%20there%20that%20the%20mailman%20would%20have%20taken%20it%20out%3F%20Just%20curious%20and%20hoping%20it%20wasn%27t%20a%20thief...%20Thanks%21&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16057)
As long as you addressed the letter properly and affixed the correct postage the letter should make it to its destination correctly. When letter carriers pick up outgoing mail we generally just put it in a basket with all of the other outgoing mail and a processing facility sorts the mail based on where it is going to. It's recommended that you put a return address in the upper left hand corner of the letter just in case it doesn't reach the intended recipient. This way the letter would be returned to you, the sender. A return address isn't mandatory.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=If%20i%20put%20a%20mail%20such%20as%20a%20letter%20in%20the%20mailbox%20will%20the%20mail%20carrier%20get%20it%20make%20sure%20it%20sent%20to%20the%20person%20.%20We%20they%20even%20get%20the%20letter%20out%20the%20mailbox%20.%20Do%20i%20have%20to%20write%20return%20to%20sender%20even%20though%20its%20a%20letter%20that%20i%20wrote%20for%20someone%20.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15566)
This is a very immature question to ask on this site, but the answer is no. I'm not interested in men to begin with, but even it were a woman I don't think I'd get involved because it's not worth losing a job for a few minutes of fun. I keep it professional while on the clock. In my years of experience nothing even close to the scenario you described (with a male or female) has happened to me.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=if%20u%20went%20to%20a%20door%20and%20a%20guy%20opened%20it%20droped%20straight%202%20his%20knees%20and%20asked%20u%20to%20drop%20urpants%20would%20u&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16079)
CBP Officer
Do you catch less marijuana at the border now that it's being decriminalized in some States?
CBP Officer
Why are so many customs officers huge jerks?
Border Patrol Agent
What's the most creative way you saw cartels getting drugs across the border?
To be honest Henry, I don't know what happens when you drop a UPS package off in a USPS collection box by mistake. The logical thing would be for us to hand it off to UPS somehow. UPS drop boxes and drivers are pretty easy to find in NYC. You say there is no UPS tracking information that's been updated. Like you said, I doubt it will be turning up anywhere but I don't know what would happen to it unless it's sitting on some pile of errantly mailed items at a mail sorting facility. Nothing surprises me at the USPS when it comes to missing items. I hate to be a pessimist but I hear enough stories of us errantly delivering mail or packages and then who knows what the recipient does with it, if anything. I try to be very accurate and diligent with my deliveries as do most of my co-workers but it just takes a few screw-ups to ruin the journey of a package or letter which was properly mailed. I know I got off on a tangent here. Maybe you could wait another week before considering it lost or call the USPS customer service phone number. I'm not sure how much help they can be in this situation.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi%20Dave%2C%20%0A%0AI%20have%20accidentally%20dropped%20off%20a%20UPS%20package%20in%20a%20USPS%20mailbox%20within%20NYC.%20I%20have%20waited%202%20weeks%20for%20it%20to%20be%20handed%20over%20to%20UPS%2C%20but%20it%20has%20not%20turned%20up%20in%20my%20tracking.%20Should%20I%20assume%20that%20I%20will%20not%20get%20this%20back%3F%20It%20has%20my%20passport&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15583)
It probably depends on the office where you work as to what time you start delivering your route. Where I work most deliveries probably start between 9:15 and 10:30 AM. It depends how long the letter carriers take to prepare their routes in the AM for delivery. Some routes get more mail than others or take longer to prepare in order for delivery. Also, some letter carriers are faster than others at starting their routes. I usually start delivery by 10AM and am finished around 4PM if the weather and volume of mail and parcels isn't out of line with what I normally get. Most of the letter carriers where I work start their tour at 7:30 AM.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=When%20do%20most%20mailman%20and%20women%20start%20their%20routes%3F%20Are%20there%20different%20times%20for%20different%20people%3F%20or%20is%20it%20the%20same%20for%20everyone%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16422)
Yes, we deliver on 12/24/15 Thursday. At the office where I work, we will try to be done by 1600. After that, we will next deliver mail on Saturday 12/26/15. Christmas Eve is a regular work day except that our retail window may close earlier than usual.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Do%20you%20guys%20deliver%20mail%20on%20christmas%20eve%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16167)
-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
