Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

I received a very important & personal letter. Our mail carrier, whom we have not yet met, left a congratulatory note. That was kind, but she wrote it in red ink directly on the envelope! I was surprised. Does the USPS employee handbook allow that?

Asked by Dalgety over 11 years ago

Another good question on this message board that I dont know the answer to. We rarely ever look at or are directed to a USPS employee handbook. I am sure it exists but don't know where it is at my PO. I am pretty sure my supervisor would have it at their desk or know where to find it. As far as writing a personal note directly on a letter, I would suggest that it not be done, but I can't say that it is against the rules. In general I don't think we should be making any comments or judgments about the mail that somebody receives. I'm not saying we don't talk about it internally but I wouldn't comment (in person or in writing) to the mail recipient or anybody else in public. That would be completely inappropriate. Please notice I don't use the word "illegal" here as I am not versed in the legality or disciplinary actions that are in play here, if any. The only time I would write directly on the mail is if I'm not familiar with the name of the recipient on a piece of mail that differs from the current residents that I know live at a particular address. In this case, I put a "?" next to the addressees name and deliver the letter. By doing this, the current residents can accept the letter or realize I wasn't sure if it was delivered correctly and leave it out for me the next day to return to the sender as "Attempted, Not Known." Thanks for writing.

774 Votes

If DOG is barking in fenced in front yard, should the mail carrier still enter when sign on gate warns of the dog?

Asked by herding hollywood over 11 years ago

I know I have sort of answered this question already, but I will again. I would say that a letter carrier shouldn't enter a yard where a barking dog is visible and not on a leash and could physically come in contact with the letter carrier. If the owner isn't present to accept the mail, the carrier is best advised to bring the mail back to the post office and notify the supervisor why the mail couldn't be delivered. The USPS wants to reduce the number of dog bites because it is dangerous to the letter carrier and costly to the USPS because of any time off required and any medical treatment needed. Fortunately where I work I don't hear of too many dog/carrier incidents, but I do realize other areas may not be as safe.

774 Votes

How long does it take to receive an orientation email? I've completed all steps and was told that it take 7-14 days. I am now on 14 days and I am still waiting on email for orientation.

Asked by Glo over 11 years ago

I don't know anything about the orientation process and how long it takes to get an orientation email. I do hope you get something soon. Good luck to you!

773 Votes

I got a ring on ebay the mail carrier delivered it to the wrong address i call my post office and thay will not do any thing about it. i cant get my money back. so i am out the ring and 172.00

Asked by Debbie over 11 years ago

Debbie, I m sorry to hear that the ring you ordered on eBay was misdelivered. I'm pretty sure there is nothing we can do regarding reimbursing customers for misdelivered unless there is some insurance purchased by the sender. Your story doesn't surprise me, however, since misdeliveries are made all the time. It's also unfortunate that whoever received the misdelivered package didn't return it to the PO since it didn't belong to them. That would have been the right thing to do. I am also guessing that in the situation you described, the sender won't reimburse your $$ because their records show that the ring was delivered.

773 Votes

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do mailmen carry flat rate boxes and envelopes on their vehicles for people who need them along the route?

Asked by neva about 11 years ago

Generally I would say no. I know that I don't carry them in my vehicle. We are told to empty out our vehicles each night. Maybe some carriers do bring them with, but I would doubt it and we aren't told to by management. If a customer asked me to bring them some I would the next day. The best way to get supplies is to visit a Post Office or order the Priority Mail supplies for free at www.usps.com. Thank you for your inquiry and I think Priority Mail is one of the most reliable services that the USPS provides.

772 Votes

Hi there,

I just sent out my rent check to my landlord and realized everything was correct except I wrote 362 Box Street rather than 462 Box Street. Will it still be delivered? Or should I cancel the check and resend?

Asked by AmandaB about 11 years ago

Amanda, I can't say for sure what will happen with your rent check that was misaddressed. If the letter carrier delivers both of those addresses on Box St. and is familiar with the names on their route, they may deliver the letter to where it is intended (meaning it will get to your landlord). It's also possible that different letter carriers deliver to those 2 addresses and the letter carrier at 362 Box St. will just deliver it to 362 Box St. or return the check to the sender (you) as "Attempted, Not Known". I would recommend not canceling the check and waiting several days to see if the landlord received the check. Is there a way to contact the landlord and tell them what you did and it's possible they will ask you to resend the check or wait a few days to see if they receive it? I say this also to maybe save you money because putting a stop payment on a check often has a fee associated with it.

772 Votes

How do i get the full name of my postman?

Asked by dave over 11 years ago

I am not sure how you would get the full name of your postman. I read that he won't give you his last name. I have no idea whether or not he has any obligation to do so. I gladly would give it out, if asked. It is also on my ID badge that I wear. I feel that it should be available to the public, but I am sure you will find great disagreement among my colleagues. If you were to call the PO and ask them, I have a feeling they wouldn't give it to you either. Some people get very private about certain matters, yet they will join Facebook and broadcast a lot about their personal lives. That's about all of the insight I have on this subject. Thanks for writing.

771 Votes

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Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

I received a very important & personal letter. Our mail carrier, whom we have not yet met, left a congratulatory note. That was kind, but she wrote it in red ink directly on the envelope! I was surprised. Does the USPS employee handbook allow that?

If DOG is barking in fenced in front yard, should the mail carrier still enter when sign on gate warns of the dog?

How long does it take to receive an orientation email? I've completed all steps and was told that it take 7-14 days. I am now on 14 days and I am still waiting on email for orientation.

I got a ring on ebay the mail carrier delivered it to the wrong address i call my post office and thay will not do any thing about it. i cant get my money back. so i am out the ring and 172.00

Also on Jobstr...

do mailmen carry flat rate boxes and envelopes on their vehicles for people who need them along the route?

Hi there,

I just sent out my rent check to my landlord and realized everything was correct except I wrote 362 Box Street rather than 462 Box Street. Will it still be delivered? Or should I cancel the check and resend?

How do i get the full name of my postman?

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

I received a very important & personal letter. Our mail carrier, whom we have not yet met, left a congratulatory note. That was kind, but she wrote it in red ink directly on the envelope! I was surprised. Does the USPS employee handbook allow that?

If DOG is barking in fenced in front yard, should the mail carrier still enter when sign on gate warns of the dog?

How long does it take to receive an orientation email? I've completed all steps and was told that it take 7-14 days. I am now on 14 days and I am still waiting on email for orientation.

I got a ring on ebay the mail carrier delivered it to the wrong address i call my post office and thay will not do any thing about it. i cant get my money back. so i am out the ring and 172.00

Also on Jobstr...

do mailmen carry flat rate boxes and envelopes on their vehicles for people who need them along the route?

Hi there, I just sent out my rent check to my landlord and realized everything was correct except I wrote 362 Box Street rather than 462 Box Street. Will it still be delivered? Or should I cancel the check and resend?

How do i get the full name of my postman?

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Hi there,

I just sent out my rent check to my landlord and realized everything was correct except I wrote 362 Box Street rather than 462 Box Street. Will it still be delivered? Or should I cancel the check and resend?