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.
It is strictly against the law for any letter carrier to take anything out of the mail. That would be considered tampering with the mail. If the gift was just put in a paper envelope and the envelope was bulging it is possible that if it went through mail processing equipment the machine could have damaged the envelope and caused the gift to fall out. It would be hard to prove that an item was stolen out of the mail, but if this happened on multiple occasions and you suspect something wrong, I'd report it a delivery supervisor at your local post office. I don't think much will be done about it but at least they'd have a record of it. I would hope that any theft from the mail by USPS employees is rare and dealt with in a severe and prompt manner if proven.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=My%20question%20was%20can%20mailmen%20take%20things%20out%20of%20letters.%20Because%20twice%2C%20I%20found%20a%20letter%20that%20was%20supposed%20to%20have%20a%20gift%20in%20it%2C%20but%20there%20was%20a%20huge%20hole%20in%20the%20envelope%20and%20the%20gift%20seemed%20to%20taken%20out&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12583)
As far as I know if a letter requires a signature to be delivered (i.e. registered or certified), the letter carrier should make an attempt to get a signature at the intended address and not just leave a PS3849 Notice of Attempted Delivery. You may call the Post Office to have the item redelivered and you may leave the signed notice for the carrier to pick up and leave the registered item if all parties feel comfortable doing that.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=are%20mailmen%20suppose%20to%20come%20to%20the%20door%20with%20a%20registered%20letter%20or%20just%20leave%20a%20card%20for%20you%20to%20go%20to%20the%20post%20office%20to%20get%20it%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/10044)
It depends how far the letter as to travel to get to its destination. I think 1-4 days is the normal amt of time for a letter to reach its destination.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20put%20a%20letter%20in%20the%20mail%20yesterday%20around%2011%20am%2C%20when%20do%20you%20think%20the%20letter%20will%20be%20in%20the%20person%27s%20hands%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/13153)
The Missing mail would likely be returnEd to the sender and not kept at the PO. if I were the carrier and I saw mail with a name I wasn't familiar with, I think I would deliver it and if each time the letter was not returned to me with a notice saying "not here", I would assume it was a valid delivery. Unless you live on a rural route, there is no obligation that I'm aware of to notify what names are valid at a specific address. I generally deliver it until told otherwise.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Our%20mailbox%20has%20no%20names%20on%20it%2C%20the%20other%20day%20on%20one%20of%20our%20letters%20was%20written%20%22do%20they%20live%20here%22%20%0A%0ADoes%20that%20mean%20the%20mailman%20has%20not%20been%20delivering%20that%20persons%20mail%3F%20Would%20the%20missing%20mail%20be%20held%20at%20the%20post%20office%20or%20sent%20back%20to%20sender%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/9178)
SWAT Team Commander (Retired)
How do you decide whether to try and kill a hostage taker?
Sommelier
Do you occasionally get a little turned off by wine snobbery?
Hairstylist and Makeup Artist
How much am I supposed to tip my hairstylist?
I believe it is permissible to spell out the single-digit number of a street adddress as given in your example.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Is%20it%20okay%20to%20spell%20out%20single-digit%20street%20numbers%20on%20postal%20mail%3F%20For%20example%2C%20writing%20out%20Two%20Penn%20Center%20instead%20of%202%20Penn%20Center.%20Or%20do%20postal%20regulations%20prohibit%20spelling%20out%20the%20figure%20two%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/9786)
I don't know what can be done regarding this very important letter which was returned in error by your letter carrier. You can mention it to him or call the PO and speak with a delivery supervisor or Postmaster so that it doesn't happen again. I am sorry for the inconvenience and expense caused by this mistake.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi.%20Our%20mailman%20returned%20a%20very%20important%20immigration%20letter%20to%20USICS%20TWICE%20despite%20the%20fact%20he%20knows%20my%20husband%20lives%20here%20%28%2B%20delivered%20his%20other%20mail%29.%20This%20has%20cost%20us%20immeasurable%20heartache%2C%20%24%24%24%24%24%20%20and%20a%20YEAR%20delay%20in%20our%20process.%20What%20can%20we%20do%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/10309)
Congratulations on your being employed with the USPS. It depends on the staffing of a particular office as to whether you will get a set route right away or varying hours. If the office is shorthanded, it's possible you can be assigned a route to daily and that will become your route until further notice. More often than not, new hires fill in where needed to cover carriers who are on vacation or sick leave or to deliver "pieces" on routes which one carrier may not be able to complete in their workday. At a certain time, usually after probation is over, you can bid to "hold down" a route or assignment of rotating routes when a carrier is out on vacation or extended sick leave. If you "hold down" an assignment this entitles you to do that route daily and you can only be "bumped off" that route under certain circumstances which are covered in the labor/mgmt or local agreement.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=im%20about%20to%20start%20orientation%20next%20week%20would%20I%20be%20able%20to%20get%20a%20set%20route%20right%20away%20or%20at%20least%20routating%20or%20a%20set%20schedule%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/11104)
-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
