13 Things Your Mail Carrier Won’t Tell You

[luv]

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/...l-you-2445111/

1. Maybe your dog won’t bite you. But in 2009, 2,863 of us were bitten, an average of nine bites per delivery day. That’s why I wince when your Doberman comes flying out the door.

2. Remember this on Valentine’s Day: It takes our machines longer to read addresses on red envelopes (especially if they’re written in colored ink).

3. Why stand in line? At usps.com, you can buy stamps, place a hold on your mail, change your address, and apply for passports. We even offer free package pickup and free flat-rate envelopes and boxes, all delivered right to your doorstep.

4. Media Mail is a bargain, but most of you don’t know to ask for it. Sending ten pounds of books from New York City to San Francisco through Media Mail costs $5.89, compared with $16.77 for Parcel Post. Besides books, use it to send magazines, manuscripts, DVDs, and CDs; just don’t include anything else in the package.

5. We don’t get a penny of your tax dollars. Really. The sale of postage, products, and services at our 36,000 retail locations, and on our website, covers all of the post office's operating expenses.

6. UPS and FedEx charge you $10 or more for messing up an address. Us? Not a cent.

7. Paychecks, personal cards, letters—anything that looks like good news—I put those on top. Utility and credit card bills? They go under everything else.

8. Sorry if I seem like I’m in a hurry, but I’m under the gun: Our supervisors tell us when to leave, how many pieces of mail to deliver, and when we should aim to be back. Then some of us scan bar codes in mailboxes along our route so they can monitor our progress.

9. Yes, we do have to buy our own stamps, but a lot of us carry them for customers who need them. If we don’t charge you, that’s because we like you.

10. Use a ballpoint pen. Ink from those felt tips runs in the rain.

11. Please dress properly when you come to the door. A towel wrapped around you doesn’t cut it. And we definitely don’t want to see you in your underwear!

12. We serve 150 million addresses six days a week, so we’re often in the right place at the right time. We pull people out of burning cars, catch burglars in the act, and call 911 to report traffic accidents, dead bodies, and more.

13. Most of us don’t mind if you pull up to our trucks while we’re delivering and ask for your mail a little early. But please get out of your car and come get it. Don’t just put your hand out your window and wait for me to bring it to you.

"We don’t get a penny of your tax dollars. Really. The sale of postage, products, and services at our 36,000 retail locations, and on our website, covers all of the post office's operating expenses."

This is true. The post office is one of the (if not the only) government agencies that is 100% self-sufficient. They do not get tax dollars or money from the government. Whenever postage goes up, it's typically because the cost of technology used, gas, cost of benefits, or wages have gone up.

Anyway, I just thought I would share this. I know my dad has told me several of these, but I didn't know if everyone was aware.

[TrebMaxx]

I would like to know why we are going on day 4 without mail service. I live in a sub-division in Columbia and the roads have been bladed although not perfect they are passable. I even made sure to spend an extra 30 minutes clearing the street in front of my mail box when I did my driveway on Wednesday. It cracks me up that for the past few days the local news stations have been talking up the USPS about how they are still delivering mail. I can understand no mail on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the storm but now I am getting to the point of wanting to contact the local Post Master to ask what is going on.

I also find it a bit ironic that we received a package from FedEx today and a UPS truck just delivered a package to our neighbors across the street.

[luv]

Originally Posted by Brock

They have a pension plan.

I guess my dad lied to me, then.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by luv

I guess my dad lied to me, then.

Perhaps your dad is sitting on a gold mine and doesn't even know it!

[luv]

Originally Posted by TrebMaxx

I would like to know why we are going on day 4 without mail service. I live in a sub-division in Columbia and the roads have been bladed although not perfect they are passable. I even made sure to spend an extra 30 minutes clearing the street in front of my mail box when I did my driveway on Wednesday. It cracks me up that for the past few days the local news stations have been talking up the USPS about how they are still delivering mail. I can understand no mail on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the storm but now I am getting to the point of wanting to contact the local Post Master to ask what is going on.

Just call the post office and ind out what's going on.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by luv

What about it? Jenson asked about retirement.

That's a huge portion of the retirement benefits, from what I understand.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by luv

I guess my dad lied to me, then.

Believe your dad, I don't give a shit. Don't tell me the USPS doesn't have a pension plan, it's all over the news for being overfunded by 75 billion dollars.

[ModSocks]

how the **** did this thread last this long?

This was one of those threads that i refused to click on because i figured it would suck and be gone in half a day.

And here i am still wondering how the hell this went 19 pages.

[luv]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

Perhaps your dad is sitting on a gold mine and doesn't even know it!

Must be. He specifically told me he gets social security and he has a 401k.

[luv]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

how the **** did this thread last this long?

This was one of those threads that i refused to click on because i figured it would suck and be gone in half a day.

And here i am still wondering how the hell this went 19 pages.

People like to think they're always right. I just like to argue.

[TrebMaxx]

Originally Posted by luv

Just call the post office and ind out what's going on.

I plan on doing that if there is still no service tomorrow.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by TrebMaxx

I plan on doing that if there is still no service tomorrow.

Be sure to use lots of vulgar language and insults.

[luv]

Originally Posted by TrebMaxx

I plan on doing that if there is still no service tomorrow.

My mom is livid, so I get to play go between. I swear, I don't know who appointed me mediator. Anyway, they live on a rural route, and today was the first day their road was somewhat passable. My stepdad went to their post office while he was in town today, and asked about it. They contract certain rural routes out, and they hadn't seen their delivery person in three days. My stepdad asked to get his mail, but they told him they'd rather him not do that. So, of course, I get to call my dad, and he said the reason they couldn't have given it to him right then was because it was back in a holding tray that they couldn't get to, waiting to be delivered. She proceeded to tell me what she thought. I'd had enough of doubting questioners on here today, that I told her to take it up with her post office on Monday. Ugh.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

I heard a rumor that as a postal employee, you aren't allowed to say "going postal".

Please verify. tia.

[luv]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

Please verify. tia.

Actually, I did. He laughed at me, and said yes, they could. Since he found it so funny, I figured you were just joking.

[Over-Head]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

how the **** did this thread last this long?

This was one of those threads that i refused to click on because i figured it would suck and be gone in half a day.

And here i am still wondering how the hell this went 19 pages.

Thats the magic and mystery of the Chiefsplanet