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.

[luv]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

I'll give the mail carriers credit for dealing with the elements. I work in an office building.

But I handle items that contain confidential information on a daily basis.....so I can't give them credit for that.

I really think people that deal with confidential information should get paid more. I worked with medical records. Handled them everyday. And we hired people off the street at just above minimum wage. We had to take a HIPAA test, but we got five tries to get 100%! Like the post office, I think anyone dealing with confidential information needs to go through several background checks, testing if necessary, drug tests, and get paid more for this.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by luv

I really think people that deal with confidential information should get paid more. I worked with medical records. Handled them everyday. And we hired people off the street at just above minimum wage. We had to take a HIPAA test, but we got five tries to get 100%! Like the post office, I think anyone dealing with confidential information needs to go through several background checks, testing if necessary, drug tests, and get paid more for this.

I don't. Stupid people don't know what to do with confidential information. If confidential information was available to someone with half a brain, they might figure out ways to use that information to their benefit. Stupid people will just drudge on throughout their day not taking advantage of the wealth of information at their fingertips, which is obviously advantageous.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by Brock

You're assigning way too much significance to yourself. I couldn't care less who started the thread. Walking around outdoors every day is a benefit, not a task. The rest of the job is just a job like any other.

When I got home Tuesday and saw my mailman walking his route in the blizzard conditions, I felt bad for him. I had just stopped at Redbox and in the time it took to rent 2 movies my fingers were numb.

While Saul sat at home Tuesday and Wednesday because the State closed, my mailman was out walking through blizzard conditions and snow drifts.

Hardly a benefit.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

When I got home Tuesday and saw my mailman walking his route in the blizzard conditions, I felt bad for him. I had just stopped at Redbox and in the time it took to rent 2 movies my fingers were numb.

While Saul sat at home Tuesday and Wednesday because the State closed, my mailman was out walking through blizzard conditions and snow drifts.

Hardly a benefit.

And then they get to walk outside on beautiful spring/summer/fall days....

[luv]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

When I got home Tuesday and saw my mailman walking his route in the blizzard conditions, I felt bad for him. I had just stopped at Redbox and in the time it took to rent 2 movies my fingers were numb.

While Saul sat at home Tuesday and Wednesday because the State closed, my mailman was out walking through blizzard conditions and snow drifts.

Hardly a benefit.

Wouldn't it be great someplace like California or Florida though? Except for the "mailman's tan" which is basically a form of the farmer's tan.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by luv

Wouldn't it be great someplace like California or Florida though? Except for the "mailman's tan" which is basically a form of the farmer's tan.

Hell it would be great anywhere. We get blizzard like conditions for what, a couple weeks throughout the year, if that?

[Brock]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

When I got home Tuesday and saw my mailman walking his route in the blizzard conditions, I felt bad for him. I had just stopped at Redbox and in the time it took to rent 2 movies my fingers were numb.

While Saul sat at home Tuesday and Wednesday because the State closed, my mailman was out walking through blizzard conditions and snow drifts.

Hardly a benefit.

So that one or two days out of the year that you might be walking in a snowstorm is tough? Jesus, don't ever work on a cattle ranch.

[phisherman]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

I don't. Stupid people don't know what to do with confidential information. If confidential information was available to someone with half a brain, they might figure out ways to use that information to their benefit. Stupid people will just drudge on throughout their day not taking advantage of the wealth of information at their fingertips, which is obviously advantageous.

so, now you're bitter AND you seem to have an over-inflated opinion of your own intelligence?

[Baby Lee]

My mailman is the talkingest mofo on earth. Has a bluetooth in his ear and rambles on, so that you know the mail's coming when he opens his vehicle door.

[phisherman]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

Hell it would be great anywhere. We get blizzard like conditions for what, a couple weeks throughout the year, if that?

it sounds like you secretly WANT to be a mailman.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by phisherman

it sounds like you secretly WANT to be a mailman.

Secretly? I thought I made it clear that I think it would be awesome to be a mailman. Perhaps you are stupid enough to get a job handling confidential information.

I wish I could be a full time mail carrier, those guys got it made.

[Over-Head]

Originally Posted by luv

I believe that's why there have been talks of going to five day delivery instead of six. That would cut costs, but thousands would lose their jobs.

How so? we've NEVER had sat or sun delivery up here, while the post office may be open for buisness, if it wernt sorted Friday, you'll get it monday, same as sending out. Drop off all ya want but after 3pm Friday, it'll sit in the box or building till Monday (non-express packages mind ya)

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by Over-Head

How so? we've NEVER had sat or sun delivery up here.

"Mail on a Sunday?"

"Whoops!"

[The Franchise]

You know who's got it made? ****ing garbage men.

[phisherman]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

Secretly? I thought I made it clear that I think it would be awesome to be a mailman. Perhaps you are stupid enough to get a job handling confidential information.

good point. why don't you just become a full-time carrier then?

nope, not stupid enough to handle confidential info, though i do work in health care.