Just a friendly reminder about yard sales and your mail carrier

[My2BabiesLexis&Dill]

Really this is a vent..LOL.. I am a mail carrier and today the subdivision that I deliver to were having their neighborhood yard sale. Great! But really it ended up being a pain in my hiney.

First of all, to the buyers, DO NOT block the mailbox. I mean really, you have passed me several times today, you can't tell I'm delivering mail to the boxes? I had this one vehicle that passed me several times. They knew I was delivering mail. They passed me again, well 10 boxes up, they pulled right up in front of the mailbox. They had the whole street to park on, no traffic on that side of road, why in the world do they have to park in front of the mailbox?

And if you are the seller, I know your busy with your customers but PLEASE keep an eye out for us if your mailbox is blocked. I had some customers who sat there and watched me get in and out of the vehicle to deliver their mail. Did they move? Nope. Did they yell "Thank you"? Nope.

Now I do have to say that there are some great customers that did meet me up to mailbox so they could get their mail since it was blocked.

Sorry small vent but it was hot as crap today and when you sit in a vehicle for 2-3.5 hrs and have to do it over and over again, it's just crazy.

 

[Princess Nancy]

Oh I am glad you are in VA! I did meet my Mail carrier at the street, but did see she had a terrible time getting around the traffic!

It always amazes me how rude people can be!

I think she could have just held onto those bills til Monday!

Then DH would take me to a nice dinner with our $$ not just burgers!!!

 

[Inigo]

When I worked for USPS, the policy was that, on a mounted route, if the mailbox was blocked, you took the mail back to the office with you and didn't deliver that day to that box.

You're too nice if you got out to deliver the mail. Were you able to complete the route on time without accumulating OT?

 

[LMC]

When I worked for USPS, the policy was that, on a mounted route, if the mailbox was blocked, you took the mail back to the office with you and didn't deliver that day to that box.

I thought this was the standard. Our box was blocked a few years ago by, of all things, a dead racoon in the road, so we didn't get mail until we moved the dead racoon off the county road. We live in the boonies people, there are dead things in the roads all the time!

 

[Duckyiam71]

You are very nice when we live in VA we never got blocked mail. It really sucked because our neighbor would block our box a lot. Now we live in El Paso and I meet my mail carrier with an ice bottle of water. The boxes are mounted on the houses so she walks the block. It is really bad because our street is a hill and she has to walk up in 90 to 100 weather. I feel bad so i give her the water. I think she appreciates it. I really hate rude inconsiderate people.

 

[swkmom]

Our mail carrier won't leave our mail if our box is blocked by a car (sometimes my neighbors daughter blocks our box). We just get twice the mail the next day with a note on the mail saying box blocked and the date, I guess they can do that. It's never really bothered me.

 

[My2BabiesLexis&Dill]

It use to be that if the mailboxes were blocked, yes we could bring the mail back. Not no more!! We have these idiots up in the office, higher ups, that has never delivered mail, decide that we HAVE to deliver every piece of mail. If the mailbox is blocked, we are suppose to take it to the customers house. Can you imagine how long that takes when you deliver mail to 500-600 mailboxes.

I was giving some evil looks to the people that were plain rude but I just kept thinking...this is payin my way to Disney. Then happy thoughts came in my head. LOL But it was a VERY long day.

And to the op that gives their carrier iced bottle waters, do you want to move to VA? LOL. We have a few that does it but not many. I try to take water with me but being out soo long, it gets hot and nasty. So when you get an ice cold one right near the end, it makes your day.

Thanks again yall for listening to my vent.

 

[arminnie]

You should be so glad that you are not on my route. I honestly don't know how my carrier does it. And we've had the same great guy for over 10 years.

Our mailboxes are on the houses (older neighborhood) so he has to walk the route. We are in a very hilly neighborhood. Most of the houses are pretty far back from the street. Plus the way it is terraced you often cannot walk from one yard to another.

Believe me - I've walked this as a volunteer to pass out information. Just my one little street (a small circle), and it was HARD!

Besides being nice my carrier is also really cute and in great shape.

 

[dblr]

The folks on your route are lucky that you took the time to get out to deliver their mail. If we have our mailbox blocked for any reason I always watch for the carrier so I can meet him. He always tells me not to worry about it but I think I am making his job harder for him.

 

[Leajess99]

You are very nice when we live in VA we never got blocked mail. It really sucked because our neighbor would block our box a lot. Now we live in El Paso and I meet my mail carrier with an ice bottle of water. The boxes are mounted on the houses so she walks the block. It is really bad because our street is a hill and she has to walk up in 90 to 100 weather. I feel bad so i give her the water. I think she appreciates it. I really hate rude inconsiderate people.

That is so awesome that you are so caring to your mail carrier. I know exactly how hot El Paso/F.B. gets as my dad was stationed there in the late 70s and I did AIT up on the hill there in 90/91.

 

[MAGICX2]

Really this is a vent..LOL.. I am a mail carrier and today the subdivision that I deliver to were having their neighborhood yard sale. Great! But really it ended up being a pain in my hiney.

First of all, to the buyers, DO NOT block the mailbox. I mean really, you have passed me several times today, you can't tell I'm delivering mail to the boxes? I had this one vehicle that passed me several times. They knew I was delivering mail. They passed me again, well 10 boxes up, they pulled right up in front of the mailbox. They had the whole street to park on, no traffic on that side of road, why in the world do they have to park in front of the mailbox?

And if you are the seller, I know your busy with your customers but PLEASE keep an eye out for us if your mailbox is blocked. I had some customers who sat there and watched me get in and out of the vehicle to deliver their mail. Did they move? Nope. Did they yell "Thank you"? Nope.

Now I do have to say that there are some great customers that did meet me up to mailbox so they could get their mail since it was blocked.

Sorry small vent but it was hot as crap today and when you sit in a vehicle for 2-3.5 hrs and have to do it over and over again, it's just crazy.

First, I would like to say that I have given water to our carrier before and we also give him a Christmas gift every year, however...
Isn't this your JOB?
Sometimes things don't always go the way you want them to at work. Sometimes you have to go the extra step to get your job done or give good customer service. If I got mad everytime someone did not say "Thank You" to me or caused me to do a little more than normal, I would be one very unhappy person.
I know when I am having a yard sale that it is hard to even step away from it for two minutes. There are some very dishonest and theiving people in this world and if I would have turned my back to get my mail I would have had things stolen.
I think having to "get out of the car" to deliver the mail and complaining about it is awful. At least you were in a car, you could have been delivering on foot in this "hot as crap" weather. I know 100 people who would gladly sit in a car for 2.5-3 hours delivering mail everyday rather than what they do or not have a job at all. Seriously, it probably took you what, 10 steps to get the boxes that were blocked.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

we used to give our mailperson soda in the summer, then again we used to fight over who got to get the mail and bring it inside.

 

[Momto4boys]

First, I would like to say that I have given water to our carrier before and we also give him a Christmas gift every year, however...
Isn't this your JOB?
Sometimes things don't always go the way you want them to at work. Sometimes you have to go the extra step to get your job done or give good customer service. If I got mad everytime someone did not say "Thank You" to me or caused me to do a little more than normal, I would be one very unhappy person.
I know when I am having a yard sale that it is hard to even step away from it for two minutes. There are some very dishonest and theiving people in this world and if I would have turned my back to get my mail I would have had things stolen.
I think having to "get out of the car" to deliver the mail and complaining about it is awful. At least you were in a car, you could have been delivering on foot in this "hot as crap" weather. I know 100 people who would gladly sit in a car for 2.5-3 hours delivering mail everyday rather than what they do or not have a job at all. Seriously, it probably took you what, 10 steps to get the boxes that were blocked.

Jeez...rude much?

 

[Inigo]

First, I would like to say that I have given water to our carrier before and we also give him a Christmas gift every year, however...
Isn't this your JOB?
Sometimes things don't always go the way you want them to at work. Sometimes you have to go the extra step to get your job done or give good customer service. If I got mad everytime someone did not say "Thank You" to me or caused me to do a little more than normal, I would be one very unhappy person.
I know when I am having a yard sale that it is hard to even step away from it for two minutes. There are some very dishonest and theiving people in this world and if I would have turned my back to get my mail I would have had things stolen.
I think having to "get out of the car" to deliver the mail and complaining about it is awful. At least you were in a car, you could have been delivering on foot in this "hot as crap" weather. I know 100 people who would gladly sit in a car for 2.5-3 hours delivering mail everyday rather than what they do or not have a job at all. Seriously, it probably took you what, 10 steps to get the boxes that were blocked.

Actually, no, it's NOT HER JOB! The DMM (domestic mail manual) states that mail doesn't get delivered if the mailbox is blocked. She isn't required to get out of the car to deliver.

Have you ever worked a job with standards? USPS carriers are only given a certain amount of time to get their routes completed. City carriers get in trouble if they go over on time. Rural carriers get no extra pay at all if they go over on time.

I'd hate to have to work with you.

 

[tinatark]

First, I would like to say that I have given water to our carrier before and we also give him a Christmas gift every year, however...
Isn't this your JOB?
Sometimes things don't always go the way you want them to at work. Sometimes you have to go the extra step to get your job done or give good customer service. If I got mad everytime someone did not say "Thank You" to me or caused me to do a little more than normal, I would be one very unhappy person.
I know when I am having a yard sale that it is hard to even step away from it for two minutes. There are some very dishonest and theiving people in this world and if I would have turned my back to get my mail I would have had things stolen.
I think having to "get out of the car" to deliver the mail and complaining about it is awful. At least you were in a car, you could have been delivering on foot in this "hot as crap" weather. I know 100 people who would gladly sit in a car for 2.5-3 hours delivering mail everyday rather than what they do or not have a job at all. Seriously, it probably took you what, 10 steps to get the boxes that were blocked.

I agree - and compensated very well, as I understand - our mail carrier frequently cruises internationally - I believe he said he gets 4 weeks vacation a year - also just works Mon-Fri.

I would love it if my mailbox were at the end of MY driveway... we live on a *Circle* and the USPS requires all mailboxes to be on the inside - so my mailbox is in front of the across-the-street neighbor's house!

Sorry, OP, that some of your customer's customers made your workday a little harder.

 

[2bearsmom]

Our mail carrier will not deliver mail if the boxes are blocked. In Feb we had 27inches of snow and most people had a hard time digging out of their driveways let alone the mailboxes as the plows just kept adding to the piles around the mailboxes. One day I heard all this honking, it was the mail carrier in the driveway, she had two pkgs for us and she told me if we didn't clear and dig out our mailbox so she could pull her truck right up next to the box she couldn't deliver the mail as she is not to stretch, bend, reach into a mailbox or anything or get out of the truck, and for me to let the other neighbors know so they can all dig out their mailboxes. She said she had been trying to be nice by still attempting to deliver the mail but she has a family too and she isn't risking her life... She posted a letter to the bank of mailboxes at the townhouses in the plan stating to have someone or the association clear a path. I honestly don't care if we got mail delivered that entire week...we are smart enough to run to the post office and pick it up if there was something urgent we were waiting for.

 

[cole6179]

When I worked for USPS, the policy was that, on a mounted route, if the mailbox was blocked, you took the mail back to the office with you and didn't deliver that day to that box.

You're too nice if you got out to deliver the mail. Were you able to complete the route on time without accumulating OT?

Yes, that is our standard here too. My mom is the Postmaster's Secretary and she is always telling me their do's and don'ts. She used to always get so mad when we parked anywhere near the box when I lived with her as a teen.

 

[MAGICX2]

Jeez...rude much?

Not my intention. Just stating that complaining because you have to get out of your car or because someone doesn't say "Thank you" seems petty to complain about when they are doing a job they get paid highly for and do from their car.

Actually, no, it's NOT HER JOB! The DMM (domestic mail manual) states that mail doesn't get delivered if the mailbox is blocked. She isn't required to get out of the car to deliver.

Have you ever worked a job with standards? USPS carriers are only given a certain amount of time to get their routes completed. City carriers get in trouble if they go over on time. Rural carriers get no extra pay at all if they go over on time.

I'd hate to have to work with you.

Actually I am a mammographer so the standards I have to adhere to are much higher than that of a postal carrier. I do my job everyday and many times go out of my way to help a patient or customer without the expectation of a "Thank you" because that is MY job. With many hospitals facing cutbacks and new state hospital taxes I am very aware of getting everything done under the clock and on time. I am sure she is aware that the mail does not have to be delivered if the box is blocked. SO, if she chooses to get out of her delivery vehicle and get it to the box, kudos to her, she is going the extra mile and making it nice for the people on her route. But, if she doesn't like doing it, then take the mail back to the post office and deliver it tomorrow.

 

[Starshine]

I don't want to hijack your thread, but is there some kind of rule about the size of packages and getting them to fit in the mailbox? I'm not sure if we got a new mail carrier or what (I'm at work during the day when the mail comes), but recently we're finding packages stuffed in our mailbox to the point that I have a terrible time trying to get them out (and the other mail gets all bent). It used to be that anything that didn't fit easily in the box was left on our porch but I'm not sure what changed!

 

[My2BabiesLexis&Dill]

Jeez...rude much?

That's what I was thinking.

Actually, no, it's NOT HER JOB! The DMM (domestic mail manual) states that mail doesn't get delivered if the mailbox is blocked. She isn't required to get out of the car to deliver.

Have you ever worked a job with standards? USPS carriers are only given a certain amount of time to get their routes completed. City carriers get in trouble if they go over on time. Rural carriers get no extra pay at all if they go over on time.

I'd hate to have to work with you.

They did change it...well in my office they did. We do have to dismount for blocked cars.

Our mail carrier will not deliver mail if the boxes are blocked. In Feb we had 27inches of snow and most people had a hard time digging out of their driveways let alone the mailboxes as the plows just kept adding to the piles around the mailboxes. One day I heard all this honking, it was the mail carrier in the driveway, she had two pkgs for us and she told me if we didn't clear and dig out our mailbox so she could pull her truck right up next to the box she couldn't deliver the mail as she is not to stretch, bend, reach into a mailbox or anything or get out of the truck, and for me to let the other neighbors know so they can all dig out their mailboxes. She said she had been trying to be nice by still attempting to deliver the mail but she has a family too and she isn't risking her life... She posted a letter to the bank of mailboxes at the townhouses in the plan stating to have someone or the association clear a path. I honestly don't care if we got mail delivered that entire week...we are smart enough to run to the post office and pick it up if there was something urgent we were waiting for.

I have to say I worked when we got hit by the big snow storm. Yes we were allowed to bring the mail back at that time because it was dangerous out there for us. And we were told to tell our customers to clear their mailboxes b/c we couldn't get to them.

As for the other person who commented, I do love my job. I do go above and beyond of what they ask for. But until you work one day in this job, don't be so rude. I'm sorry but we are a carrier short, I have to go in at 6am and case 2 routes and deliver one of them and still be back before the truck comes. If I work over my evaluated time, I don't get paid for it.

I was just passing some information along since it is the time of the year for yard sales.