Mailman ?

[denisem]

Considering the OP's mail carrier was a substitute, isn't it possible she was doing this route in addition to her regular route, thus having to speed things up a bit?

 

[herdtoDisney]

Considering the OP's mail carrier was a substitute, isn't it possible she was doing this route in addition to her regular route, thus having to speed things up a bit?

Yes, quite possible, and like I mentioned upthread, she probably just didn't see it. I try to see everything, but for example yesterday-it was raining heavily, I had on a helmet and there were leaves blowing everywhere-could barely see to walk in the gusts. Some days ain't easy and it was most likely her not seeing it.

 

[hambirg]

OP here. . just to clarify some things. . .

Our mail carriers are not on foot. They drive in their mail truck and have to walk maybe 15ft to the porch. You can clearly see the mailbox from the street. Like a PP said, she just didn't look over at all to see the red Netflix clipped to the outside of the box.

Now I know she was not obligated to pick it up. I was just a bit miffed because I've never had that happen before.

I've lived in this house for 15+ years and they always take the outgoing mail. I think maybe part of the problem is that our box, for years, was the one with the bar code on it. So even if there was no mail to deliver they had to stop, get out, and scan the box. I think it was last spring sometime that they changed things and our box is no longer the one that has to be scanned.

Soooo. . .you do learn something new everyday. It seems that I'm not alone in my assumption that it would be picked up though. I just hope I get my regular guy back soon.

 

[ChiCat]

When I lived in the city you didn't put outgoing mail in your box at home. You had to walk it to the post office box down the street or drop it off at the post office.

Yeah same here.

 

[World Showcaser]

To get back to your original question: It seems we have concluded that your mail carrier did nothing wrong in this instance.

Thanks for the thread. You really do learn something new every day. I had no idea that leaving outgoing mail in a mailbox was even an option.

 

[disykat]

I'm feeling very spoiled & special in my little podunk town! I always leave mail in the box at the end of my driveway with the flag up and they always stop and pick up the mail. If there's a package that they think might be too big they'll drive up to the door and deliver it.

I'm feeling the love for my mail deliverers!!

You're not spoiled. Your mailbox is on the road with a flag. According to their job description they have to pick it up.

They don't have to pick up at boxes that are attached to people's homes. That involves getting out of the truck and walking up to each porch.

 

[FireDancer]

around here all the mail boxes are on the house, heck when I moved in I still had a mail slot going right to my living room (its actually still there but we use a mail box now) for the first few days I was all worried because we hadn't gotten around to putting up a mail box yet... then I looked behind the couch for a toy or something and see all this mail.. I was very confused.. then it dawned on me.. holy cow I have a mail slot.. I only saw those in the movies.

The way ours was was there was a hole in the brick with a cover and it went down a shoot to a little door in the house. I didn't really consider that a mail slot but I guess it could be. I always though of a mail slot as those things they show in movies in the front door.

Around here it is getting rare to see an on house mailbox (the kind we had or just a normal box). The house my grandparents have lived in my whole life used to have the same kind of mail shoot (for lack of a better description) and it is still physically there but they converted to a street mailbox in the early 90's.

I think it is a combination of being more efficient (driving to each house as opposed to walking neighborhoods), less chance for negligence like icy steps or a stray dog, and because our winters are pretty brutal and if I were a mailman I'd rather be in a truck.

 

[JessicaR]

Have not read the thread. My mailbox is at the end of my driveway. If I have mail in the box for outgoing but dont receive any mail that day they do NOT pick up the outgoing.

 

[denisem]

OP here. . just to clarify some things. . .

Our mail carriers are not on foot. They drive in their mail truck and have to walk maybe 15ft to the porch. You can clearly see the mailbox from the street. Like a PP said, she just didn't look over at all to see the red Netflix clipped to the outside of the box.

Now I know she was not obligated to pick it up. I was just a bit miffed because I've never had that happen before.

I've lived in this house for 15+ years and they always take the outgoing mail. I think maybe part of the problem is that our box, for years, was the one with the bar code on it. So even if there was no mail to deliver they had to stop, get out, and scan the box. I think it was last spring sometime that they changed things and our box is no longer the one that has to be scanned.

Soooo. . .you do learn something new everyday. It seems that I'm not alone in my assumption that it would be picked up though. I just hope I get my regular guy back soon. [/QUOTE]

OP, I learned from your post as well, and I think many besides us have been educated by the different forms of postal delivery/pickup. Not to mention 1st hand experience from postal workers & their family/friends.

Thanks!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yikes. Please accept my apologies for that.

But my salary site was correct. In fact, salaries may have gone up since that data was published.

Not necessarily. I looked up individuals I know who work for the USPS and they came up as earning no money. Now, when I look up carriers (not the job these people do) in my city, I do get a list of the carriers in my city and what they earn. What bugs me? The new guys, the one's who've been doing it for 'only' six years, are earning just a few thousand fewer dollars per year than the old-timers. We've got one carrier who's been delivering mail for 34 years.

All this blather about college degrees notwithstanding... nobody just gets hired to work for the post office, at least not at the lower levels. It starts with testing - and Armed Forces veterans get an automatic ten point bonus score (or did, back when I took the tests, and qualified).

 

[herdtoDisney]

Not necessarily. I looked up individuals I know who work for the USPS and they came up as earning no money. Now, when I look up carriers (not the job these people do) in my city, I do get a list of the carriers in my city and what they earn. ).

I looked myself up and it has me making about 9 or 10 grand more than I actually do-even with overtime I've never earned the figure it used. I wonder if they are counting in unused annual leave or something

 

[SandrA9810]

The local branch here says the post office is very profitable if the government didn't keep sticking it's greedy hands into the profits.

Originally, the post office was good enough to self support itself, give good wages, and enough to pay out the pension plans. Now the government thinks it's a free surplus of money for them. Making it harder to keep branches open, and causing consolidation among cities.

In most standards around the world, we do have the best mail system. Low postage, rarity with mail theft from the inside, and for the most part consistent.

I love the local branch here, and the delivery lady. Never appreciated them as much till I came here.

 

[bankgirl05]

Your Mailman (lady) takes outgoing mail????? Never heard of that.
tigercat

I believe the correct term is LETTER CARRIER
or maybe postal delivery engineer

 

[mickeymedic]

Anyone who has a mailbox on the house, at the end of the driveway, in your building, etc, should consider yourself fortunate. Those who lives in my hamlet are forced to use post office boxes. I live in a normal village-type neighborhood. But there is no door-to-door or driveway-to-driveway delivery. We are not charged for our post office box since we have no choice. If you live outside the hamlet, you get regular rural delivery.

Until recently, we could only access our post office box during normal operating hours for the post office: M-F from 8:15am until 4:45pm and Saturday from 8am-noon. So, for anyone who works normal business hours or people like me who work 12 hours shifts (6am-6pm), accessing mail was insanely difficult. Due to the recent closing of a neighboring post office, our post office doubled (or more) in business/usage. As a result, they made changes so that we can now access our post office boxes 24 hours a day. But it's still a pain in the butt to have to go to the post office. I miss getting delivery right at the house.

 

[ReneeA]

Don't automatically assume that all postal workers are making good money with government benefits, either. One of our good family friends is in management at the post office, and when DH was laid off 6 years ago, we asked her about referring him for a job. At the time, they were laying off postal workers and hiring temporary workers for $10 - and paying no benefits.

As for the question at hand, I've always left letters clipped to the box and they've always been picked up. Of course, now I pay everything online and only mail something once in a blue moon.

 

[YodaGirl]

I never knew that not all people were able to place outgoing mail in their mailbox for pick-up. Learn something new everyday.

 

[C.Ann]

I never knew that not all people were able to place outgoing mail in their mailbox for pick-up. Learn something new everyday.

I think it all boils down to some of us are lucky - have carriers that will do those little extras for their customers - and others who don't.. Makes me appreciate mine all the more (except that darn sub - LOL)..