posted on November 25, 2000 10:29:05 PM
Looking for info/suggestions. Been noticeing my mail delivered only every 3-4 days, always in a rubber band...alot of it. Today, got 18 pieces, most of it 1st class, one postmarked the 9th. This includes credit card bills, bank statement, Ebay payments, etc. Hubby caught the mail lady...she says she will NOT get out of her truck to deliver the mail. If any vehicle is in the way of the box, all mail will be held. I called 1-800-ask-usps and they said she is within her rights, they are sorry for the inconvenience, they will make a case number, blah blah...Another words, TOO BAD. We do not have a drive way, own 2 cars and have no other place to park, other than in the street, in front of our house. She has told 2 of the neighbors the same thing...One is in the process of digging his box up to move it to the street for her, although the box has been there for at least 10 years. Do we no longer have any rights concerning our 1st class mail delivery? In addition, our mail and the neighbors is repeatedly put into the wrong boxes...we have called the main number and have case records of it, as have our neighbors. I almost lost my health insurance due to this. Not to mention, it makes me look bad to my buyers...info?
posted on November 25, 2000 10:37:54 PM
I would start with the Postmaster at the Post Office she works at. This would be her supervisor. Perhaps the Postmaster will see it your way.
posted on November 25, 2000 10:46:17 PM
I live in the most corrupt city in the USA. (Rockford, IL) Winner of the worst city in the United States to live in. If the mailman is a friend of the supervisor, your complaint will make it as far as their circular file (trash can).
I suggest cc your complaint to:
Postmaster General
William Henderson
Postal Service Headquarters
Washington, D.C. 20260
posted on November 25, 2000 10:50:21 PM
WOW..Hope that doesn't happen here, because the Mail Delivery Person usually DRIVES on the side walk if there are no cars in the way!!! Our sidewalk is right at the curb...we have NO room to move the Mail Box unless we put it in the strett!!!
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on November 25, 2000 10:51:22 PM
And just perhaps your local Postmaster will take the complaint seriously and do something about it and save you the trouble of sending a complaint to the Postmaster General.
posted on November 25, 2000 10:58:20 PM
Geez, this really burns me up. It is 2:00 in the morning here in TN and I can't go to sleep for this. Seems like when a person pays for a first class stamp, a contract of some sort is made. In the least, it would be false advertising...if one pays for mail to be delivered on a timely basis, shouldn't it? I have talked to her supervisor before...then, the mail was misdirected because the address wasn't on the mailbox, or so was the excuse then...never mind it is plainly on the house, not 25 feet away. These *^^$ are making at least $12 bucks an hour, seems she could get off her arse and do her job. It isn't like there is not parking in front of at least one of our neighbors houses most of the time... and never anyone parked across the street.
posted on November 25, 2000 10:58:47 PM
Defintely contact the local Postmaster. Mail is supposed to be "delivered" daily. The only real exception is packages, but they should be delivering them as well. Your alternative is to get a PO Box and pick up the mail yourself--as a business you can write off the expense. I realize that is a giant pain, but if you ship from there, it's one stop and you will get your mail faster.
posted on November 25, 2000 11:32:53 PM
"Customers must place mailboxes on motorized city, rural,
and highway contract box delivery routes so a carrier
can safely and conveniently serve them without leaving his
or her vehicle. ...Customers must remove obstructions, including
vehicles, trash cans, and snow, that impede efficient
delivery. Except when a mailbox is temporarily
blocked, carriers must have access to the mailbox without
leaving the vehicle unless authorized to dismount."
Or maybe USPS will change its regulations just for you.
posted on November 26, 2000 12:05:07 AM
Well...Where did you find that? I found this...
"Curbline Delivery
Curbline delivery provides service to customer boxes located at the edge of streets and roads that can be safely and conveniently served by carriers from their vehicles. If unusual conditions, such as excessive street parking, make it impractical or difficult to serve boxes at the curb, customers may install boxes at the edge of the sidewalk closest to their homes. These boxes can then be served from the sidewalk by the carrier. The local post office makes this determination after all other delivery options, including central point delivery, have been explored."
Now, the way I'm reading it, she needs to get out of her cart and put it in the box. The only sidewalks are the ones that connect to the houses. I suppose I should sell my vehicles and walk to accomodate her??
posted on November 26, 2000 12:12:30 AM
I don't know why anyone would want their mail put in a outside mailbox--that anyone can rifle if they wish and steal items. I know that is the way most delivery is done in the states---but I prefer the way my postman does it here---sticks it the mailslot in my door where it lands on my hall carpet---and stays there til I get home.
I think I would rent a postal box.----they're only $14.00 for the year--plus $1.00 for each key.
posted on November 26, 2000 12:14:44 AMThe local post office makes this determination after all other delivery options, including central point delivery, have been explored."
I wonder if all the other options have been explored? Including you have to go to the post office to pick it up?
I do know that they have the right not to deliver if there is a dog and they believe they can be bitten.
posted on November 26, 2000 12:16:41 AM
Notice that the part you quoted said 'including central point delivery'?
They have done that in several areas near me where there are lots of cars parked on the streets. They install a mini-post office box kind of thing. The carrier puts everyone's mail in that and everyone has to walk to the mini box to pick it up.
My bet is that this would be their solution, other than the if possible, you would have to move your box to the other side of the street where there is no parking and walk there to pick it up (they also put mailboxes only on one side of the street around here). There are also very few carriers that walk their routes any more due to hazards.
I think the routes they do walk are a courtesy in business/apartment districts and for the most part, they are phasing them out.
I seriously doubt that they will have a carrier get out to deliver the mail if the box is blocked. (Although they are required to leave the vehicle for packages that don't fit in the mail box.)
posted on November 26, 2000 12:17:13 AM
Now I know why the mail was so slow last Christmas! Even the priority mail took about a week to be delivered! Here I thought a record number of people were shopping online!
posted on November 26, 2000 04:14:18 AM
" rent a postal box.----they're only $14.00 for the year--plus $1.00 for each key. "
Price must depend on which city you live in. Mine is $44.00 per year. The larger ones are even more.
posted on November 26, 2000 07:08:04 AM
According to Pub 201, Central Point delivery is option for NEW residental areas. This house is 50 years old, and mailbox has been standing in the same place for over 20 years. It seems to me like placement of the mailbox is "grandfathered" in, due to the years it has been there and that it is "permanently attached" to the ground. To demand no cars be in front of the mailbox virtually implies I have control of the street in front of me, which of course I don't. If a car parked in front of the mailbox, I don't have any legal right to have the car towed...but the mail is then held?
posted on November 26, 2000 07:20:48 AM
I guess we're lucky here, most mailboxes on our street are actually mounted on the side of the house beside the side door.
We live on a short dead end street, only 10 houses. There is a sidewalk, but it is directly on the street with no tree lawn, and most owners here have to park at least one vehicle on the road, and partly on the sidewalk. Our driveways are not very long, and the lots are only 50 feet feet wide or so.
Most of the houses near us have either slots in the doors or boxes right beside one of the doors, and the mailperson parks their truck at the top of the street and walks the route. I seem to remember some type of notice that is sent out each winter explaining that the mailbox must not be blocked by a ton of ice or snow, or even a dog that seems threatening. The person delivering the mail may make their own decision about not delivering if their safety could be in question, or if they would have to walk through knee deep snow etc.
posted on November 26, 2000 07:56:41 AM
Dont know where you live but here in NY where I live if there is a package to be delivered the mail person dont even use the mail box they park the truck in the drive way and hand diliver the mail and packages.
In fact the mial person is so use to seeing a lot of small packages leaveing here that even when there is no packages for us incomeing when they are at the box during the week they blow the horn till we come out so they can ask if we have packages that need to go out.
we dont even need stamps just packages and cash in hand they take the money packages and bring a receipt and change the next day in a postal enevelope with our name and total amount of $$ we gave them on it.
posted on November 26, 2000 08:43:36 AM
If there is one close enough Mailboxes etc. is nicer than the PO because they will accept UPS - FedEx etc for you.
We can get in our 24 hrs. and my lady does extra things for me like sell me peanuts for $1.00 a cubic foot for a 20 cubic foot bag.
She also accepts local delivery for me from office supply etc.
posted on November 26, 2000 09:02:42 AM
This mail situation has become very aggravating!...Some years back my little 90 year neighbour Lady had my Federal Tax refund.....for one week....did not know what to do with it. Found out by asking if by any chance, she might have some of my mail...
Then, when our great Postman is off, I sometimes get the ENTIRTE BLOCKS's mail in my mailbox, tied with a 2"-wide rubberband ....
There are [two] flats in my house: A and B...mailboxes labeled with NAME and A or B. Sure enough, we have to constantly check each other's mailbox...
When I finally complained at PO (supervisor), she told me post person is NOT obligated to deposit mail in the proper mail box; only to the proper steet address..
So, I wonder what happens to mail delivery in buildings with 100 mailboxes or more... Must be a mad scramble for retrieving one mail's........and for that, the price goes up every year????
******************** Gosh Shosh!
posted on November 26, 2000 09:11:50 AM
Move your mailbox. You're not going to win this one. My carrier used to not deliver if the box was blocked by anything, car, trashcan or whatever. The carrier must be able to reach the box without exiting the vehicle. If you're nice to her and remember her at Christmas and maybe once a month tell her to keep the change, you'll be amazed at how your service will improve, mine certainly did. Mine will now bring my mail to the door and put it in my garage when I have parcels.
Needless to say, a blocked box is no longer an obstacle. He will now also take parcels and letters without stamps, insure them, get insurance & del. conf. & bring me the change the next day.
The way it was explained to me is that the carriers are working within time constraints. They are expected to deliver their route within a certain time frame; exiting their vehicle to deliver to blocked boxes takes extra time and then this will be the reason given that they went into overtime.
The postal service wants to get away from house to house delivery anyway, talk to your neighbors, the post office will put up boxes for free at a central location on your street if all neighbors agree but they are not going to pay overtime to carriers to deliver to blocked boxes.
As to the different cost of boxes, if there is no delivery available to your area, boxes are 12-14 dollars. If delivery is available, it's pretty much up to the local postmaster within guidelines set by the post office. Don't expect to give city carriers postage and have them mail anything unless they just want to be nice; rural carriers have this as part of their job description to sell stamps, etc.
posted on November 26, 2000 09:21:23 AM
The delivery of the mail you get depends on who is delivering. For instance I am a HCR(Highway Contract Route), I deliver in mostly rural areas as do Rural Carriers. The difference between those two types is that Rural Carriers are employees of the PO and I have to bid a contract. Most of the same rules apply to all, dog rules etc., although HCR and rural are different from city carriers. As far as I know most city carriers do walk the streets and will deliver to the door. There are certain rules of which you must abide in order to get your mail and one of the is that your box not be obstructed. You could probably call the PO and request a cluster box for your area, but you are going to have to have the agreement of all residents in your area. And that will have to be ok'd by the central office in your area. Also they may not have the funds to put one up, as I am told that is the reason I cannot get them for some in my area. The thing that always get my goat is that postal patrons expect the mail carrier to abide by all the rules but they can ignore the rules when it warrants what they want. When a carrier brings a parcel, certified letter, postage due, etc to your door they are being courteous when they bring your mail also...they could just leave it in your box on the way up to the door. Maybe, IMO, you should try a little courtesy it will get you alot more than when you try to butt heads with them. And if you think they make so much money maybe you should make a trip to the PO, especially on a Mon, and ask for a tour of the PO. Make sure it is around 8a.m., then you can see what your carrier has to put up with...if they are in a large office they not only have your mail to deliver but probably about 300 to 600 other patrons as well. One of our rural carriers has over 1000 patrons. They have to case at least 9 feet of magazines, newspapers, junk mail and letters not including the parcels. Another words if you think that its a real cushy job, you've got another think coming. Alot of time when a carrier has a scheduled day off this time of year he/she won't get it because they get called in to help because there is too much mail. They sometimes work 2 weeks without a day off. At our PO there is someone there every day of the week including holidays. And some will deliver on Christmas day just to get your holiday parcels to you in time. I usually look forward to the holidays because I know I will find goodies in my boxes around Christmas time. And I will be totally honest those people get Special Treatment, because I know they appreciate what I do for them and its mostly the older generation. All I ask is that you take the time to appreciate what they do for you and it might just surprise you what you get in return.
posted on November 26, 2000 10:06:35 AM
As a matter of fact, I know it IS a fairly cushy thing to work for the post office. I worked there for several months, and know how work hours can be filled in by picking rubber bands up from the floor during slow time. I was a transitonal till the union complained they weren't getting enough hours, so most of us were going to be demoted to a seasonal...60 more days at most. I quit, which is unfortunate, as just weeks later I got notification I was to be moved to part time...which is much better than it sounds. I am not referring to working at a little rural office, but our main center which handles all the mail for the fourth largest city in TN. So, no need to tell me how hard they have it. I also know about the trays of mail that sit for days...how the little color construction paper strips are stuck in to try to keep track of which tray needs to be worked next, according to the day it came in. Leaves lots of room for error. Not to mention all the mail that is torn to shreads by the machinery and pieced back together...maybe.
Again, moving the box would not help, there is no other place to put it. As far as a central box, this is a main road leading from a hwy to a business district, and not in the best of neighborhoods at that. The houses are not clustered on a little side street... Tractor trailor trucks go by on a regular basis, though this is a residental neighborhood.
I see no reason to coddle a spoilt government worker. If she didn't want a carrier job, she needs to find her a clerk position. Additionally, by law they are not supposed to accept any cash gifts...other gifts not to exceed $20 value. It is a shame for someone to get paid so much and not do her job.
posted on November 26, 2000 10:11:10 AM
I forgot to mention...is it the rural workers or the city workers that get paid for doing the job as a whole as a carrier...doesn't matter how many hours it takes, as soon as they are "done" they can go home...earning the same amount of cash, regardless? That wouldn't be the rural position, would it?
posted on November 26, 2000 10:41:18 AM
I believe you are referring to the job I hold which is highway contract route. These are bid on. I am not an employee of the PO, therefore I recieve no benfits. If I want benefits I have to include them into the bid, which would mean I most likely would not get the job if done correctly or should I say based on the salary of a RC or city carrier. These jobs are usually paid about 1/2 what an employee would receive. Fact is these are the jobs that are lower that whale $#%^ on the totem pole of who counts and who doesn't. I get paid regardless of how much time it takes or doesn't. If I'm stuck in the mud or snow for 2 hours or the mail is light, doesn't matter. I don't think a plate of cookies is going to amount to 20.00, but at least I know I am appreciated and I'm going to go the extra mile for those people. And by that I mean do the things for them that are normally not in the rules...such as dismounting to deliver the mail to a blocked box. Showing appreciation doesn't have to be in that form either...Attitude goes along way too. I get Christmas cards from some instead of cookies or cake, that means alot to me to know that I'm not busting my tail every day for a bunch of grinchy public. I take you were a clerk in the biz...if that is so you have no idea what it is like to carry the mail. Its a completely different deal. If you do not like the way your mail is delivered and believe you can do a better job, I think the PO in your city would love to have you work for them as a carrier. Another question I have...if you worked in the PO why are you here asking for advice on what to do about your mail when you were right in the thick of it and should know?
