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 don't know of any rules of what the recipient of errantly delivered mail is required to do. Ethically it would be correct to put it in the outgoing mail to be (hopefully) delivered correctly the next time. Since it seems you probably don't speak with your neighbor, my suggestion would be to call the delivery supervisor at your PO and explain the problem. I don't know that there is much that can be done about except for an alert to be given to your letter carrier to be more careful with mail for your address. We shouldn't be misdelivering mail with any great frequency, but I know it is a problem in some areas or with some personnel.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=We%20have%20a%20neighbor%20who%20we%20don%27t%20get%20along%20with.they%20have%20recieved%20some%20of%20our%20mail%20and%20instead%20of%20returning%20it%20to%20USPS%20to%20send%20back%20they%20held%20onto%20it%20for%201%20mo.%20%26placed%20it%20on%20our%20recycletrash%20bin%20with%20a%20rock%20on%20top.%20Is%20there%20any%20rule%20they%20can%20do%20that%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15399)
I don't know what will happen if you don't fix the mailbox by tomorrow morning and go out of town. It's possible that the mail will still be delivered to your mailbox if it's on the ground near where it was before it got hit. Two other possibilities are that the mail will be held at the PO for a few days in hopes that you will repair it or the mail would be returned to the sender marked "No Mail Receptacle". The latter is very unlikely since it just happened today. If possible, contact your local PO and advise them what happened and that it will be fixed once you get back in town. Another option would be to go our website at www.usps.com and put in a hold request for your mail and that you will pick it up on your return. I know that may be difficult depending on your work schedule. I'm also not sure how far in advance a "hold mail request" must be submitted online. I can accept them via paper for the same day or next day. The reason I don't have a definite answer for this is because different POs and different employees handle each situation that's not always consistent with what should be done. I'm sorry about your mailbox being hit.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hello%2C%20someone%20hit%20my%20mailbox%20while%20I%20was%20at%20work%20today%2C%20I%20didn%27t%20notice%20until%2010%20minutes%20ago%20and%20my%20finace%20and%20I%20are%20going%20out%20of%20town%20tomorrow%20morning%20and%20don%27t%20have%20time%20to%20fix%20it%2C%20what%20will%20happen%20when%20we%20don%27t%20have%20a%20box%20up%20tomorrow%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15791)
That is true Sergio. When a letter carrier is delivering from their truck and they can't access the mailbox due to a vehicle in the way or garbage cans blocking the mailbox, they can opt not to deliver the mail. I don't think they can just leave the mail on the windshield of the car impeding access to the mailbox. If there is a note on file saying explicitly that they can do this,maybe it would be allowed, but I wouldn't count on it. Generally, however, mail must be delivered to a mailbox or doorslot.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20have%20read%20a%20lot%20of%20comments%20over%20mail%20men%20not%20delivering%20if%20there%20is%20obstruction%20impeding%20safe%20delivery%20without%20getting%20off%20the%20truck.%20But%20can%20the%20mailman%20leave%20my%20mail%20on%20the%20windshield%20of%20the%20car%20impeding%20access%20to%20my%20mailbox%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/13791)
I am not sure. If the letter carrier is using a postal delivery vehicle like a 2-ton truck or LLV (long-life vehicle), they will usually deliver a parcel before or after they deliver the mail and smaller parcels on that street or area. If they are a foot carrier with a walk-out route that means they don't drive a delivery vehicle and another postal employee, usually a Parcel Post carrier, would deliver the large parcel separately. Thanks for your question.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Will%20a%20mail%20man%20come%20back%20afyer%20his%20route%20if%20there%20is%20a%20package%20to%20large%20for%20him%20to%20carry&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/14897)
School Teacher
How do you feel about the idea of year-round schooling?
Investment Banker
How much can bankers earn in a year?
Day Trader
What's the difference between a trader and a hedge fun guy?
In most apartments, just like houses, mail is delivered 6 days week (every day except Sundays and Holidays). If there is outgoing mail, it should be taken at that same time. Many apartment cluster boxes have a slot for outgoing mail. If not, the mail should be deposited in a blue collection box which are at the Post Office or in the street in various locations. With regards to asking a mail lady to sell you stamps, you can ask but we aren't required to carry stamps as city letter carriers. I carry a few with that I purchase with my own money and will put them on envelopes if someone has short-paid the postage or if they need a stamp. Sometimes I'll ask them for the money, sometimes I won't. The whole scenario doesn't happen too often. I am a stickler for the proper postage being affixed to mail so I sometimes I won't accept a letter with insufficient postage and leave a note or write on the envelope that add'l postage is required.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=what%20days%20do%20mailman%20come%20to%20turn%20in%20or%20take%20mail%20from%20apartments%3F%20%0Acan%20I%20ask%20my%20mail%20lady%20to%20sell%20me%20stamps%20if%20i%27m%20in%20a%20tight%20situation%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15186)
I don't know if they can do that, but I would do it if it weren't clearly posted on the house or on the mailbox. This is important so that the letter carrier can deliver the mail properly. I am very big on communication so that anybody can fill in on any route and deliver the mail properly. As far as marking the house number on the outside of the mailbox, I don't know that it is necessary. A sticker on the inside lid or inside the box that clearly states a house number should be fine.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Can%20a%20mail%20carrier%20write%20my%20house%20number%20on%20the%20outside%20of%20my%20mailbox%20with%20a%20sharpie%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/14979)
When a route goes up for bid due to a vacancy, it is usually first offered in the office or city (if there are multiple stations combined into one bidding unit). If nobody bids that assignment and there are no unassigned regular letter carriers in the bidding unit, the assignment might be posted as available through the eReassign system. This is the way that letter carriers can move between districts.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Can%20a%20mail%20man%20bid%20on%20a%20route%20that%27s%20not%20in%20his%20%20district%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15429)
-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
