To all mail carriers: thank you so much

[Lyric]

Our mailman just came, and while I was idly watching him make his park-and-loop route out the window, I noticed a few things I don't ordinarily see--usually I'm not home this time of the day.

1. When he was across the street at a neighbor's house, he didn't just put the mail in the box. He knocked on the door and handed it to them. An elderly couple live there, and I never seen any visitors there unless it's Christmas. I wave at them all the time because the elderly man has a gorgeous, mint-condition '65 Mustang convertible that he occasionally takes out for a spin on sunny days. I didn't see the woman sign anything, and he didn't have a package for them. My guess is that he's just checking up on them. I find that touching.

2. After he finished there, he stooped down near a hedge at the next house over. I couldn't figure out why until I saw him pick up a small calico cat and carry it across the street to another house. That cat is NOT an outside cat--I'm guessing that he sees her in the window a lot (as we do), and knows that she isn't supposed to be outside. He knocked and handed over the cat along with the mail. Again--very touching.

3. He then came over to our side of the street. Our left-side neighbors had a package delivery today, but they aren't home right now. I watched as he put their package discreetly behind a recycling bin that sits on their front porch, so that it couldn't be seen from the street but COULD be seen by someone who's actually ON the porch. This is a neighborhood with a lot of college students, and some of them can be real idiots (I should know...I'm in class with them all day, most days) so it was nice to see the carrier take the extra time to make sure the package wouldn't be seen (or stolen) by someone walking by on the street.

4. When he got to our house, I saw him put an envelope into the box, and then he knocked sharply on the wall before moving on. When I got the envelope out, it was a small refund check from my university. They're really easy to identify to anyone who's ever seen one; they have the University logo and the tear-off tabs that just SCREAM "Check!" to anyone who sees them. I thought it was very kind of him to give us the knock as a heads-up, just in case someone was home to get it out. Someone stealing it out of our box is unlikely, but you never know, and those checks can sometimes be for thousands of dollars (although this one was only $25). He'd have had no way of knowing the amount, but he knocked anyway.

Our mailman at our house before this one was someone we never saw, because all the mailboxes for the whole mobile home park were up at the office. This is the first time in a loooong time that we've had a mailman walk right up to our house to deliver the mail, and since we're rarely home during the days, I'd never gotten to see him in action. Anyway--I was touched and pleased, and wanted to share it with you all.

So if there are any mail carriers here--THANK YOU!

:yourock:

[nenagh]

1. Wonderful story

Thanks... My post-lady walks on her route in this smaller town..

[Lyric]

4. Our guy has a mail truck, but he parks it at the end of the street

and walks the mail around, then drives to the next street and does the same.

:hi:

[Occulus]

31. I would like to thank everyone on this thread for the wonderful compliments

I'm a USPS employee (NOT a carrier; I work in a processing and distribution facility), and hearing things like this makes it all worthwhile. It's an often tedious, boring job, and we really don't hear compliments from customers in my workplace because we don't have any direct contact with them.

The mail carrier is the endpoint of a long process of handling and automated processing, and there are many people involved in that process, but the carriers are often the only postal employees people ever have regular contact with. Again, on behalf of my fellow employees, THANK YOU ALL for your compliments!

[salguine]

2. And you know what sucks? If someone contacted the Post Office to compliment them

on what a good guy this carrier is, they'd probably fire him for dawdling on his route. I've seen it happen.

[Lyric]

3. Why? They don't get paid by the hour.

Why does it matter if they "dawdle" a little? So long as the mail is all delivered before 5:00 pm, I don't think it should matter.

[MuseRider]

9. They probably would fire him.

We had a trash man come up to our door (before we moved out in the boonies) and remind us that we had forgotten to put the trash out. He helped me carry it out and was on his way. I was so impressed with his kindness and help that I immediately called his office to compliment him and them for providing such helpful service and they fired him that evening. They actually called us to thank us for letting them know, I was stunned when they told me he was fired because they are not supposed to stop and help their clients. We switched to another company at that point, went from county supplied to a private company who promised us they do not have that policy. How sad that was. At least that was back in the days when you could actually find another job fairly quickly. I have often wondered what he ended up doing.

[Lyric]

10. Oh god, that's terrible!

I'd have written a SCATHING LTTE over something like that so that everyone in the area knew about that policy. What evil, evil people! :(

[MuseRider]

12. I wish I had done that.

At that time in my life I would never have thought of doing something like that. Too bad but I did pass the story along any time I had the chance. These days I would be on that like a flash.

[Lyric]

14. Yeah, I know how that feels.

For the first couple of years of my adult life, I honestly had no idea that such a thing was even possible. I thought you had to be someone special to do something like that. Then along came 9/11, and my whole outlook changed, and I became politically and socially active and have never looked back.

:hug:

[RoyGBiv]

30. Because it matters to the boss ...

Almost the worst thing you can do to a helpful employee is to give detail to a manager about precisely how that employee helped you. A generic compliment is great, details not so much. More often than not, the little details the employee put into the job to make you happy violate some rule or policy. Often these rules are idiotic and are churned out of a spreadsheet based on some algorithm that is intended to define maximum productivity, but that's what the boss cares about.

To take a brief tangent, it seems one of the most popular service people to complain about is the cable company technician. Often the very things that make people so incredibly angry at them are things they are doing just to keep their jobs. There is not a cable company in this country, for example, that allows their service technicians to move furniture. Some will do it, and if the customer then compliments them on it to someone that matters, that tech will at the very least be reprimanded. Techs are also not allowed to string wire across doorways. Again, some will do it, and as soon as their boos learns of it, they're either sitting down being lectured or just plain gone.

A lot of helpful employees will often say something to the effect, "This is just between us," "You don't need to tell anyone I did this," etc., which sounds all cloak-and-daggery. And I've seen customers think that employee is just being modest and go the extent of informing their superiors. And, I've seen those employees fired that day for it.

It sucks, but there it is.

[Renew Deal]

17. I agree

Sadly

[LibDemAlways]

5. My mail carrier Stan is a gem, too. He knows everyone on the

route, watches out for Social Security checks, and also takes the time for the personal touch just like your guy. Mail carriers are out there 6 days a week rain or shine to keep the mail moving. They do, indeed, deserve our thanks.

[sketchy]

6. Great post!

Your post is so well-written, and illustrates the great work these usually unlauded (and unfairly maligned) public servants do.

I think dropping Saturday postal delivery service is a bad idea for many reasons, but especially because it would give an edge to private delivery options over the post office's public delivery options, and another little push into second-class status for the postal service.

[lunatica]

7. My mailman knocks on my door to get me to put stamps on my mail

Occasionally everyone forgets to put stamps on their mail, but usually it goes to the post office and gets sent back via the mail. I live in a condominium where our mailboxes are all together in one place and for him to go the extra mile to make sure I put postage on is way above and beyond. I'm sure he does it for everyone there too.

When my grandmother was alive she lived by herself. The mailman always called her name and waited till she answered and told him she was OK before he moved to the next delivery. Looking out for the elderly may be something the Post Office tries to do officially.

[kestrel91316]

8. I've had just two primary mail carriers in the 19 years I have had my practice.

They have both been GREAT! The first one we gave wine to at Christmas most of the time. The substitutes can be iffy, but the primary guys are really nice and chatty and always on the lookout for things not right in the neighborhood.

[MuseRider]

11. You could leave him a little private note

taped to the mailbox to thank him. I doubt many do that kind of thing and it would probably make him feel really good :-).

As a kid we thought of our our mailman as our friend. His name was Jack and we would wait for him to come, run out to him as he crossed the neighbors yard and he would give each of us a piece of mail to carry inside.

Our dog was stolen from our house one winter. Jack happened to be driving down a busy street about 2 weeks later, not terribly close to our house and spotted a dog that he thought might be her walking down the street in the sleet looking very confused. He called and we found her. Jack was an amazing mail carrier and they deserve far more respect than they probably get.

Lovely post Lyric. These days stories like this renew my faith that there are still wonderful people out there who look out for others when it is not part of their job description. How lovely. I will share the story with my family.

[lamp_shade]

13. I just printed this out and put it in an envelope for my Letter Carrier to

enjoy and perhaps pass around. My father also was a LC for 30+ years (many years ago).

[Lyric]

16. Oh, that's fantastic!

I ought to do the same thing--just print it out and leave it in the mailbox marked "mail carrier". :)

[ChoppinBroccoli]

15. And Isn't It Funny............

...........how you always get your mail, 6 days a week, and usually only a day or two after the person who sent it dropped it in the box, and you always pay a rate that's a fraction of what private parcel services like UPS and FedEx charge...........despite the fact that the Post Office is an EVIL, SOCIALIST ENTITY?!?!?!?!?!?!

GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED MAIL DELIVERY??? BOO!!! HISS!!! EVIL!!! SOCIALISM!!!

The next time you see your mailman, maybe you should spit on him and call him a Socialist, because everyone in this country knows that Government-controlled programs are nothing but ways to weasel more tax money out of you, and represent all things that are BAD!!!

[Dappleganger]

18. Our mail carrier is also a real gem...

Occasionally her mom with Alzhiemers will ride with her and treats her so respectfully. She loves my doxies and gives them treats. She is ALWAYS cheerful with a great sense of humor.

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. Our mailman always drives to the house to hand us large boxes

that won't fit into the mailbox at the end of our long driveway.
Never have had a green card "pick up at PO notice."

He has been on the job for at least 15 years here.

When I moved away for 7 years, them moved back to another part of town,
he remembered me, stopped to say hi.
I am used to this small town but still was pleasantly surprised.
He keeps an eye on the elderly neighbors, asks about them.

It is nice.

[robdogbucky]

20. I was always so proud

of my grandfather, who carried mail in the neighborhood I grew up in for 42 years.

Those years included the depression, and feeling grateful he even had a job, he would note which families had little ones and not much in the way of resources (like food) and would have my grandmother bake some loaves of fresh bread. Then he would deliver a loaf to those families struggling with children. Never said a word, just left it with their mail.

He set a good example for his own kids and we grandkids, being from Ireland originally, he was always thankful for everything he had received in life and truly believe in the modern expression "Pay it forward."

He had obtained this civil service job long before the depression hit, but all of my aunts and uncles pursued civil servant jobs after they saw my grandfather stay working all through those years. One became a mail carrier himself, one a public school teacher, one a streets, parks and recreation foreman, and my own mother an unemployment insurance analyst for the state. They all felt that business was not to be trusted with the future of their families and sought the security and stability of civil service positions.


Just my dos centavos


robdogbucky

[earth mom]

21. Love this OP-thank you! We have an awesome mail carrier too & always give him a dinner out

(gift card) at the holidays. He never fails to knock on the door when we get a package which he doesn't have to do-he could just drop it and go like the Fedex guy does.

:loveya:

Love him and the U.S. postal service-we all must fight for it to not be privatized like some of the bastards in this country want to do!

[LWolf]

22. I rarely see my carrier, and then only from inside her car.

My box, along with the rest of my "neighborhood," is about a mile away, lined up along the country road that leads back to my little private dirt road.

I did talk to her once when I left a sign for free chickens by the boxes; she wanted them, but they were already gone. ;)

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. I'll pass that on to my dad. :^)

[NoSheep]

24. What a great post! Thanks for this. Our mailfolks are very nice in Durham

[tblue37]

25. I have one mail carrier who will not even climb the TWO steps to my porch to pick up my

outgoing mail, unless he has mail to deliver to me.

I called the post office about this the first time it happened, and that's when I found out that mailpersons don't actually have to pick up our outgoing mail at all, so if they don't have mail to deliver and they need to make time (and since the postal service is very extreme about them making time on their route) they often don't bother to pick up mail.

I also don't put out bags of food any more when they have mail deliverer food bank collections, because the last two times I did, the bags sat out there all day until I got home, and the last time, they were soaked because it started raining in the afternoon. I have always gone shopping to fill two bags of groceries for that day, but now I don't do it, becuase I can't count on my mail deliverer to pick them up.

I also remember this horrible thing happening a few years ago: the postal service actually fired one female mail deliverer whose "stride wasn't long enough." They decided she was too slow because her stride was too short when she walked (they measured it!), and since they decided she could lengthen her stride if she wanted to, they fired her. (Actually, lengthening one's stride beyond what comes naturally is a recipe for serious joint problems.)

I think you just have a wonderful mail deliverer. Some are just very nice people--but some are less so. I worry about him, though, because the postal service is so strict about time on mail routes. If he is even a bit later than he is supposed to be, he could get fired, and doing what he is doing (i.e., being a decent human being) takes time.

[Liquorice]

35. I've had both good and bad carriers. My latest carrier is a nightmare. She

leaves everyone's mailbox hanging open, gives me other people's mail at least twice a week, and throws anything that doesn't fit in my mailbox onto my driveway. My mail is soaking wet when it rains. It is like a small tornado has come through my neighborhood every day after her mail deliveries. I think she recently got fired because I haven't seen her in a week or two and the mail has been more reliable. I hope she is not just on vacation.

[Beringia]

26. I wonder how they deal with dogs n/t

[bigwillq]

27. K and R

Thanks for sharing. Great story. :bounce:

Thank you, mail carriers! :)

[BigBearJohn]

28. My dog got out once and I didn't know it until my mailman

knocked on the door and told me my dog was on the
next block and some lady was putting him in her car.
My son caught up with the lady just in time.

So, yes, I love our postman too!!!

[DainBramaged]

29. The USPS IS the single most dependable company in America

If you put an envelope in the mail, do you EVER worry it won't make it to it's destination? Do your mail carriers (like mine) but mail in plastic bags on rainy days so that it stays dry between the Post Office and your mailbox? Can you send a package any cheaper or more reliably than a bulk box Priority mail shipment that without fanfare, can make it ACROSS the country in three days while UPS and Fedex take 5 to 7 days?

I KNOW my mail carrier and everyone down at the Post Office (I get a lot of computer stuff)I never see the same people on the UPS or Fedex trucks.

[Foo Fighter]

32. Awesome story!

However, after reading through the posts here, it sucks that you can't let his boss know what a great job this guy is doing. That is just wrong on so many levels. This guy should be rewarded for going "above and beyond the call of duty," not punished. I guess it's true that good deeds never go unpunished. You should print your post and give it to him, along with a nice box of home-baked cookies or something like that if you're so inclined.

I don't know my new mail carrier as I'm not home when the mail comes but the previous one loved me. I happened to run into him one day when I was home and we chatted a bit. I apologized to him for having to deliver junk mail to me but I told him I didn't unsubscribe for a couple of reasons. First off, it gave the Post Office more business. Second off, I took the junk mail I received and stuffed it into the various return envelopes I got in the junk mail and mailed them out as that gave the post office even more business. He LOVED my approach and thanked me for it. Hey, just doing what I can to help!

The US mail service is absolutely top-notch. I know of no other service that is as dependable as the mail, day in and day out. UPS and FedEx absolutely suck in comparison. No way, no how should they gut the USPS and suspend Saturday delivery. That will only open the door to eventually privatizing it and that's the last thing we need. Give 'em a bailout if that's what's needed. Better them than Wall Street any day. After all, the USPS actually performs a useful service. Wall Street, not so much.

[grantcart]

33. My work takes me inside post offices

They work very hard.

In El Centro they walk all day in 120 degree heat. Former marines tell me the first 3 summers almost killed them.

[ConsAreLiars]

34. Add me to the "Thank You" list, and add my carrier for similar reasons. (nt)

[eridani]

36. Really gives "going postal" a much nicer meaning! n/t

[Daphne08]

37. My great-uncle was a mail carrier, so Thanks!

:thumbsup: