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.
I have no idea why that happened. I assume you mailed the envelope to their old address because you wanted their new address. You probably also assumed that the USPS would return the envelope to you with the new address of the person who just moved instead of forarding the letter because you endorsed the letter "return service requested". I'm sorry I have no further information and I don't know that your local PO would know a lot about this either. As a letter carrier we are taught close to nothing about what that endorsment means, except that it can be processed through the CFS (Comuterized Forwarding System) which handles forwardable/returnable mail. Normally, Standard Class mail without an endorsment can be discarded if the addressee has moved. If the class of mail has the enodrsment, then the CFS processes the said item, though I don't really know what happens to it exactly.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Someone%20I%20know%20moved.%20I%20wanted%20their%20new%20address%20without%20them%20knowing.%20I%20addressed%20an%20envelope%20with%20their%20old%20address%20and%20put%20%27return%20service%20requested%27%20above%20it.%20The%20person%20told%20me%20today%20that%20they%27re%20received%20the%20envelope.%20Why%20did%20this%20happen%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/10266)
Most post offices are open until Noon or 1PM for retail service on Saturdays if they have Saturday hours at all. I don't know if you can put a reverse on a letter that has tracking via the telephone customer service or via www.usps.com. It may have to be done in person at a Post Office. If you call 800-ASK-USPS they may know a bit more about this subject. Their Saturday hours are 8AM-6PM ET.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Ok%20well%20what%20time%20are%20they%20open%20till%20on%20saturdays%3F%20Are%20they%20open%207%20days%20on%20the%20phone%20to%20put%20reverse%20on%20a%20letter%20with%20tracking%20on%20it%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12987)
I Have heard this question come up several times. While we don't use name cards where i work, I don't know the reason why the letter carrier would change the names on your mailbox. If you ever see him or her, I would try to set the information correct with them. If that doesn't work, try to contact your PO for assistance. You certainly deserve to get mail addressed to you.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20moved%20at%20the%20beginning%20of%20the%20year%20changed%20my%20address%20%26%20all%20of%20a%20sudden%20my%20mail%20person%20crossed%20out%20mine%20%26%20my%20kids%20names%20on%20the%20name%20card%20I%20fixed%20it%20but%20still%20don%27t%20get%20my%20mail%20how%20do%20I%20fix%20this%20and%20get%20my%20mail%20so%20I%20get%20my%20sons%20letters%20from%20the%20army&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/8445)
Cynthia, that is a good question and I don't know the legal requirements (if any) to return any mail that is errantly delivered to your address, whether it is for a former resident or just delivered by mistake to the wrong address. Anyone who tells you otherwise I would question where they get that information. Most people I know aren't versed in the law when it comes to the US Mail. I do read that tampering with the US Mail is a federal offense but I don't interpret that discarding mail that was errantly given to you to be tampering with it. On the flip side, as much as that person has been a sore spot to you, would it be so hard to just write on the outside of the mail "person doesn't live here" and leave it in the mailbox for the letter carrier to have sent back to the sender? In theory, the letter may find its way back to the sender who may update their records and you won't get any mail from them anymore addressed to the former tenant. Just a thought. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=What%20are%20my%20legal%20%28legal%20not%20ethical%29%20obligations%20when%20the%20mailman%20delivers%20mail%20to%20my%20address%20that%20the%20person%20no%20longer%20%28and%20has%20not%20for%20years%29%20lives%20here%3F%20The%20person%20is%20a%20real%20sore%20spot%20and%20was%20evicted%20so%20the%20less%20I%20have%20to%20do...the%20better.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12107)
Investment Banker
What's a 100-hour work week like?
CBP Officer
Why are so many customs officers huge jerks?
Track and Field Coach
How often are your athletes tested for PEDs and is it easy to beat?
You can rest assured that those blue collection boxes are checked at least 1 time after the time on the label for the stated day. For example, if the label says Mon-Fri 3PM, you can rest assured that the box is emptied AFTER 3PM each day M-F but before the last truck has been dispatched from the local post office to a regional processing and distribution center M-F. (also known as a P&DC or "plant"). Inside each collection box is a bar code which is scanned by the collection box letter carrier. The scan records the time that the box was emptied and is recorded on a central internal computer system.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20put%20a%20letter%20in%20a%20blue%20collection%20box%20today%2C%20probably%20around%2012%3A30.%20In%20the%20past%2C%20I%20know%20USPS%20has%20tried%20to%20phase%20these%20boxes%20out%20and%20I%20am%20worried%20that%20they%20are%20no%20longer%20thought%20of%20as%20important%20to%20check.%20How%20often%20are%20they%20really%20checked%20for%20mail%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/10213)
That is true. On our website you can track if a package has arrived at the delivery unit (your PO) if it is an express mail piece, it maybe can be intercepted before sent out for delivery (usually by a parcel post driver or someone other than the regular carrier). Often, the Express Mail items go out for delivery not long after they arrive at the PO after the carriers have started their regular routes.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=regarding%20picking%20up%20mail%20thats%20showed%20up%20after%20postal%20carrier%20left%2C%20If%20the%20letter%20is%20shipped%20overnight%20express%20can%20you%20pick%20it%20up%20then%3F%20I%20heard%20from%20someone%20they%20showed%20up%20when%20the%20delivery%20truck%20arrived%20and%20was%20able%20to%20get%20the%20package%20when%20%40%20PO&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/9221)
Great question. Since it has been many years since I have been trained to be a letter carrier, I don't remember if I was trained to make sure the box is closed. Personally, it is just common sense to close any mailbox if you can. What I mean is that sometimes the mail is too "tall" and would prevent a lid from closing completely, but I would still close the lid as much as I can. To be honest, I don't think training is that thorough when it comes to being a letter carrier. I have seen carriers just put the mail on the ground in front of a house (not even rubber-banded) because they couldn't find a mailbox or doorslot. I have also seen the mail delivered but hanging out of the mailbox in a very messy fashion when there was clearly enough room to fit it all in. Granted some mailboxes are quite small and it is impossible to fit the mail entirely inside, but I've never heard a customer complain about the mail hanging out of those small boxes. My suggestion would be either to call the PO and speak to a delivery supervisor about this or put a note on the mailbox saying "please close lid after delivering the mail". By the way, I am presuming that your mailbox is deep enough to fit even catalogs and magazines. If this isn't the case, then I do understand the mailbox lid not being closed.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20was%20wondering%20if%20letter%20carriers%20are%20trained%20to%20close%20the%20hinged%20lids%20on%20vertical%20wall%20mounted%20mailboxes%3F%20I%27ve%20had%20many%20carriers%20over%20the%20years%20and%20none%20of%20them%20has%20ever%20closed%20the%20lid.%20As%20a%20result%2C%20whenever%20it%20rains%20my%20mail%20gets%20drenched.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12316)
-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
