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 Over-Head

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

You wouldn't need any swing men. Letter carriers get every Sunday off, and the other day rotates (Monday one week, Tuesday the next week, and so on). The swing man has five different routes that he delivers, because he delivers different people's routes on their days off. Plus any part time weekend clerks wouldn't be needed.

[Over-Head]

Originally Posted by luv

Have you walked 14 miles in a foot of snow?

Yes actually I have, 214 newspapers every morning SEVEN days a week, for a a lot less than any post man ever made.
You ever carried 35 boxes of mud up 4 flights of staqirs that weigh 65lbs a pop?
Yeah my hart bleeds purple piss for em.
Great pay, great benifits, any and every friggen reasons to take a holiday you can think of.
Yepper...they got a hellish life

[Ugly Duck]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

postal workers get really good benefits.

Interesting note: Congress requires that the USPS fund both the retirement program and the health plan at 100%. USPS has over-funded the plans by $75 billion and they want it back. $75 billion is equal to a year’s income at the USPS. Congress has been adding the over-payment to the budget cuz it makes the deficit look smaller. They'll probably just keep taking the extra money until the deficit eases up.

[luv]

Originally Posted by Over-Head

Yes actually I have, 214 newspapers every morning SEVEN days a week, for a a lot less than any post man ever made.
You ever carried 35 boxes of mud up 4 flights of staqirs that weigh 65lbs a pop?
Yeah my hart bleeds purple piss for em.
Great pay, great benifits, any and every friggen reasons to take a holiday you can think of.
Yepper...they got a hellish life

Maybe you're in the wrong line of work?

[Brock]

Originally Posted by luv

Maybe you're in the wrong line of work?

Well, you certainly are.

[luv]

I guess I never realized so many people hate the post office. Oh well.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by luv

I guess I never realized so many people hate the post office. Oh well.

It's a necessary evil, unfortunately. I would much rather have all correspondence sent through e-mail.

Packages can go through UPS or FedEx. USPS is worthless when it comes to tracking packages compared to UPS/FedEx.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by Over-Head

Yes actually I have, 214 newspapers every morning SEVEN days a week, for a a lot less than any post man ever made.
You ever carried 35 boxes of mud up 4 flights of staqirs that weigh 65lbs a pop?
Yeah my hart bleeds purple piss for em.
Great pay, great benifits, any and every friggen reasons to take a holiday you can think of.
Yepper...they got a hellish life

I bet your boss offers great benefits.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

It's a necessary evil, unfortunately. I would much rather have all correspondence sent through e-mail.

Packages can go through UPS or FedEx. USPS is worthless when it comes to tracking packages compared to UPS/FedEx.

This.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by luv

I guess I never realized so many people hate the post office. Oh well.

I didn't either. My dad worked for the post office for 30 years. I don't remember how long he delivered but his last 15 years or so he just worked on the counter.

And yes the post office has great benefits and I even considered joining when I was younger. Probably should have

[luv]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I didn't either. My dad worked for the post office for 30 years. I don't remember how long he delivered but his last 15 years or so he just worked on the counter.

And yes the post office has great benefits and I even considered joining when I was younger. Probably should have

I've taken the civil service exam twice. I got an 87. Dad said that might be good enough to get a job on a rural route somewhere in mid-Missouri, if I'm lucky.

[The Franchise]

Unfornately I have to deal with all of the Post Offices **** ups in my office......so you can see why I can't stand them.

I don't have a grudge against the actual carriers though.

[Coogs]

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.

Here is one I have never understood. So what if you include something else in the package. Who is going to know besides the person you mail it to?

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by luv

I've taken the civil service exam twice. I got an 87. Dad said that might be good enough to get a job on a rural route somewhere in mid-Missouri, if I'm lucky.

What's on the civil service exam? I vaguely remember hearing about it in the past, but didn't know that it still existed. What type of questions do they ask?

[loochy]

I love how the post office consistently loses packages that I've sent. It's happened twice in the last month.

I've only had 1 ups lost package, and they actually tried to help me find it. The post office just blew me off. F U post office. I only use you for letters now. I don't care if you are cheaper.