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11 More Things Your Mail Carrier Won’t Tell You

Letter carriers from around the country reveal the secrets of their profession.

By Michelle Crouch from Reader's Digest | February 2011

1. Most of us love our jobs and the people we serve. I met my wife and my best friend because I was their letter carrier. 

2. We go to great lengths to deliver to every address, no matter how remote. That’s why, in the most rural areas, even UPS and FedEx rely on us to make their final deliveries.

3. Those plants around your mailbox are beautiful, but I’d like them better if you kept them trimmed back.

4. Is it hot enough for me? The heat index is 110 degrees. What do you think? (Instead of asking that, offer me a cold drink.)

5. Despite the “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” motto, we’re instructed not to deliver to a mailbox if the snow and ice around it isn’t cleared. Most of us take the motto to heart, though, and do our best to deliver in even the most hazardous conditions.

6. I have people who leave a letter in their box and tape 44 cents in change to it. I’ll take it, but the next day I’ll be waiting in line like everyone else to buy you a stamp.

7. One day while delivering to a woman who had been very sick, her daughter met me by the mailbox and asked me if I wanted to say goodbye to her mom.  She was unconscious and didn’t know that I was there, but I held her hand and said a silent prayer for her and her family.  It wasn’t even an hour later when another customer met me at his door.  He was a new father, overjoyed, telling me that his wife had just given birth to his son. The whole cycle of life, in just one day.

8. It’s a small thing that makes my job so much easier: Please park your car in the driveway instead of in front of the mailbox.

9. If a letter has your name but the number is wrong and it gets to you, thank your carrier. We still sort our mail before we hit the street.

10. If your carrier walks his route, it would be nice if you would sweep or shovel your stairs when it snows.

11. Sometimes, when my wife and I are shopping or out to dinner, I ask if they give discounts to people in the “service.” They usually say “yes,” then ask “What branch are you in?” I reply, “postal.”  I usually get a funny look and a little snicker… I guess that means I’m just going to have to wait for my senior citizens discount.

Sources: Letter carriers in Missouri, New Jersey, and North Carolina; Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers; and a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service.

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Your Comments

  • AK Postal

    Thanks for the websites for swing away type mailboxes.  The state of Minnesota has the directions for a “build it yourself” swing away mailbox on their DOT website.  I live in Alaska and the snowplows do quite a bit of damage to mailboxes.

  • USVeteran

    Being in the Postal Service is nothing like being in the military. Don’t cheapen the discount our service members deserve by trying to weasel in on it. You will never be taken away from your family, you will never worry about someone taking your live every day. Show some respect.

    • AlabamaMail-Lady

      We are very proud of all the things each one in the service does for our country and for all the things they give up to service this wonderful country. I delivered mail in birmingham inter city daily on foot. One friday 3 people were shot at different times and addresses on my routr. I’ve had men follow me, hid behind things and watch me, tornado hit Legion Field as i was trying to walk and deliver my mail, daily delivered to crack house, biten by dogs thoses are hazardous experiences postal workers are faced with daily. I was also asked inside to eat lunch with several of my customers, taken care when i slipped and fell on wet leaves hid my head on sidewalk steps, enjoyed birthday births retirements enagements and life celebrations with my customers. A cold drink put in mailbox sometimes fresh baked cookies cake or chips

    • AlabamaMail-Lady

      We are very proud of all the things each one in the service does for our country and for all the things they give up to service this wonderful country. I delivered mail in birmingham inter city daily on foot. One friday 3 people were shot at different times and addresses on my routr. I’ve had men follow me, hid behind things and watch me, tornado hit Legion Field as i was trying to walk and deliver my mail, daily delivered to crack house, biten by dogs thoses are hazardous experiences postal workers are faced with daily. I was also asked inside to eat lunch with several of my customers, taken care when i slipped and fell on wet leaves hid my head on sidewalk steps, enjoyed birthday births retirements enagements and life celebrations with my customers. A cold drink put in mailbox sometimes fresh baked cookies cake or chips

    • AlabamaMail-Lady

      We are very proud of all the things each one in the service does for our country and for all the things they give up to service this wonderful country. I delivered mail in birmingham inter city daily on foot. One friday 3 people were shot at different times and addresses on my routr. I’ve had men follow me, hid behind things and watch me, tornado hit Legion Field as i was trying to walk and deliver my mail, daily delivered to crack house, biten by dogs thoses are hazardous experiences postal workers are faced with daily. I was also asked inside to eat lunch with several of my customers, taken care when i slipped and fell on wet leaves hid my head on sidewalk steps, enjoyed birthday births retirements enagements and life celebrations with my customers. A cold drink put in mailbox sometimes fresh baked cookies cake or chips

    • AlabamaMail-Lady

      We are very proud of all the things each one in the service does for our country and for all the things they give up to service this wonderful country. I delivered mail in birmingham inter city daily on foot. One friday 3 people were shot at different times and addresses on my routr. I’ve had men follow me, hid behind things and watch me, tornado hit Legion Field as i was trying to walk and deliver my mail, daily delivered to crack house, biten by dogs thoses are hazardous experiences postal workers are faced with daily. I was also asked inside to eat lunch with several of my customers, taken care when i slipped and fell on wet leaves hid my head on sidewalk steps, enjoyed birthday births retirements enagements and life celebrations with my customers. A cold drink put in mailbox sometimes fresh baked cookies cake or chips

    • AlabamaMail-Lady

      We are very proud of all the things each one in the service does for our country and for all the things they give up to service this wonderful country. I delivered mail in birmingham inter city daily on foot. One friday 3 people were shot at different times and addresses on my routr. I’ve had men follow me, hid behind things and watch me, tornado hit Legion Field as i was trying to walk and deliver my mail, daily delivered to crack house, biten by dogs thoses are hazardous experiences postal workers are faced with daily. I was also asked inside to eat lunch with several of my customers, taken care when i slipped and fell on wet leaves hid my head on sidewalk steps, enjoyed birthday births retirements enagements and life celebrations with my customers. A cold drink put in mailbox sometimes fresh baked cookies cake or chips

    • AlabamaMail-Lady

      We are very proud of all the things each one in the service does for our country and for all the things they give up to service this wonderful country. I delivered mail in birmingham inter city daily on foot. One friday 3 people were shot at different times and addresses on my routr. I’ve had men follow me, hid behind things and watch me, tornado hit Legion Field as i was trying to walk and deliver my mail, daily delivered to crack house, biten by dogs thoses are hazardous experiences postal workers are faced with daily. I was also asked inside to eat lunch with several of my customers, taken care when i slipped and fell on wet leaves hid my head on sidewalk steps, enjoyed birthday births retirements enagements and life celebrations with my customers. A cold drink put in mailbox sometimes fresh baked cookies cake or chips

    • AlabamaMail-Lady

      We are very proud of all the things each one in the service does for our country and for all the things they give up to service this wonderful country. I delivered mail in birmingham inter city daily on foot. One friday 3 people were shot at different times and addresses on my routr. I’ve had men follow me, hid behind things and watch me, tornado hit Legion Field as i was trying to walk and deliver my mail, daily delivered to crack house, biten by dogs thoses are hazardous experiences postal workers are faced with daily. I was also asked inside to eat lunch with several of my customers, taken care when i slipped and fell on wet leaves hid my head on sidewalk steps, enjoyed birthday births retirements enagements and life celebrations with my customers. A cold drink put in mailbox sometimes fresh baked cookies cake or chips

    • AlabamaMail-Lady

      We are very proud of all the things each one in the service does for our country and for all the things they give up to service this wonderful country. I delivered mail in birmingham inter city daily on foot. One friday 3 people were shot at different times and addresses on my routr. I’ve had men follow me, hid behind things and watch me, tornado hit Legion Field as i was trying to walk and deliver my mail, daily delivered to crack house, biten by dogs thoses are hazardous experiences postal workers are faced with daily. I was also asked inside to eat lunch with several of my customers, taken care when i slipped and fell on wet leaves hid my head on sidewalk steps, enjoyed birthday births retirements enagements and life celebrations with my customers. A cold drink put in mailbox sometimes fresh baked cookies cake or chips

    • vet2

      I’m also a vet and I really don’t think he was cheapening military service in the article… only having a bit of humor. Don’t take things so personally, yes, the things some of us have been through are crazy, but let’s not forget that we are not the only ones who make sacrifices everyday. If anything, we are appreciated by many people for our service, however, there are many more unsung heroes that go about their business everyday (police officers, firefighters, postal carriers, medics, doctors, social workers, etc.)

      • Lawdiva57

        I agree. I think he was just closing out his article with some humor!

      • Roger_doger

        I’m also a Veteran, and a Mail Carrier.  Many of my co-workers are veterans or current members of the Guards. 

    • Service is service

      Servicemen and women are just that-they provide a service… whether you’re “fighting” off deadly weather, dogs, weapons, robbers, etc. or in combat I believe that all should be honored. I do believe that mail carriers feel as if they are in the military, because they serve each member of this country with an “I’ll do everything I can…” attitude. It is because of this loyalty that servicemen and women are able to communicate with their families (through letters, pictures, care packages, etc.) In my opinion, they are the liason between families, businesses, pen pals…they link people with the world!

       They ought to be honored somehow…even it is a mere 10% discount at a restaurant. There’s no harm in that…lighten up USVeteran!

    • Janicekay80lady

       Whoa!

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/EDMM62DHJTVNAWYPYUDJFK2XD4 Otis

      Ask me and I’ll say that I don’t agree with a “military discount” anyhow. It was your decision to join the military. Police officers, Firemen, Teachers, and Lawyers should all be getting discounts as well if the reasoning is your “sacrifice”. 

    • Urbanhick

      In case you didn’t know, the vast majority of postal workers are VETERANS.

  • Alabama-Mail-Lady

    I appreciate the article on Postal Service Things They Don’t Tell You. Money saving information simply explained on choosing media mail vs parcel post. I also liked info for the colors not to use for envelopes or ink to help prevent your item from being late because postal machine unable to read address.

  • Alabama-Mail-Lady

    I appreciate the article on Postal Service Things They Don’t Tell You. Money saving information simply explained on choosing media mail vs parcel post. I also liked info for the colors not to use for envelopes or ink to help prevent your item from being late because postal machine unable to read address.

  • Alabama-Mail-Lady

    I appreciate the article on Postal Service Things They Don’t Tell You. Money saving information simply explained on choosing media mail vs parcel post. I also liked info for the colors not to use for envelopes or ink to help prevent your item from being late because postal machine unable to read address.

  • Alabama-Mail-Lady

    I appreciate the article on Postal Service Things They Don’t Tell You. Money saving information simply explained on choosing media mail vs parcel post. I also liked info for the colors not to use for envelopes or ink to help prevent your item from being late because postal machine unable to read address.

  • Alabama-Mail-Lady

    I appreciate the article on Postal Service Things They Don’t Tell You. Money saving information simply explained on choosing media mail vs parcel post. I also liked info for the colors not to use for envelopes or ink to help prevent your item from being late because postal machine unable to read address.

  • Alabama-Mail-Lady

    I appreciate the article on Postal Service Things They Don’t Tell You. Money saving information simply explained on choosing media mail vs parcel post. I also liked info for the colors not to use for envelopes or ink to help prevent your item from being late because postal machine unable to read address.

  • current resident

    Stop, oh please stop, putting mail that isn’t addressed specifically to me, into my mailbox. By delivering bulk mail, you’re contributing to the 90 billion pieces of garbage mail American’s receive every year. Think of how much easier your job would be if you only delivered mail, not advertisements. Thanks for getting me the mail with my name on it, shame on you for delivering the rest.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3N34ZVMAOHMVOCWLD652PORXNQ Ryan

      .

      Advertisements bring in revenue; a lot of revenue. And seeing that the USPS operates entirely off of the revenue it brings in from the sale of its products and services, more revenue means the price of postage stays relatively low for everyone else who mails a letter, ships a package, etc. How much do you think the price of a stamp would be without advertisements in the mail? How much do you think your cable bill would be without network commercials playing on your TV? Do you really think FM radio would be free without commercials?

      Have you ever heard of the expression: “Don’t shoot the messenger”? The messenger in this case is quite literally a messenger: it’s your daily letter carrier. Letter carriers can not discriminate on what might be deemed garbage or not garbage; that’s for you to decide. After all, the bulk mailer is a paying customer, just like you when you mail a letter or ship a package. If you feel there are items you are getting in your mailbox from senders that you do not want to receive mailings from, do the responsible thing and contact the sender and ask them for no further mailings. Stop playing the victim. And “don’t shoot the messenger.”

      .

    • USPSinPA

      As a rural mail carrier in Pennsylvania… If it has “current resident” on any bulk mailings, we have to deliver it.   You’re blaming us for garbage mail being put into your box… It’s what we HAVE to do.  We are not permitted to curtail mail unless it has a specific name and the people dont live at the address anymore.  If you dont want the catalogs, call and cancel them from being delivered.

    • Ted

      If mail is addressed with someone elses name but it says “or current resident” that would be you! We can not throw your mail away…duh

  • current resident

    Stop, oh please stop, putting mail that isn’t addressed specifically to me, into my mailbox. By delivering bulk mail, you’re contributing to the 90 billion pieces of garbage mail American’s receive every year. Think of how much easier your job would be if you only delivered mail, not advertisements. Thanks for getting me the mail with my name on it, shame on you for delivering the rest.

  • Ready2draw

    I stumbled onto this article while searching for disciplinary actions on mail carriers. Because, today – AGAIN – my package was delivered to a wrong address. When this happens multiple times in a month, it becomes evident that this is the NORM for the USPS, not the exception, and frankly, no employee of any other institution could get it wrong so often and still face zero consequences. How about addressing some of that, instead of telling people how to dress when they answer the front door of their own home, or discrediting the work of our military? 

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3N34ZVMAOHMVOCWLD652PORXNQ Ryan

      .

      Have you had a conversation with your letter carrier about the misdelivery issue or have you called your local post office and spoke to a supervisor about the issue? If not, I STRONGLY suggest you do so. Going on the Internet and complaining on a comments section of a random website will NOT – I repeat – will NOT solve this issue. Understand? It could be a simple misunderstanding at the post office resulting in the misdelivery and once YOU take the initiative to straighten it out, everything could very well be OK. Doesn’t this sound rational and fair to you?

      And where did anyone discredit the military? Nowhere in the article do I see anyone speaking ill of the military. Unless you are referring to item #11 where the letter carrier made a pun. As you can see, it says that discounts at the restaurants he and his wife sometimes patronize are given to people in the “SERVICE”, the guy is in the “United States Postal SERVICE”. . . “postal SERVICE.” Get it? Lighten up!

      .

  • Enufbs

    Here is another secret:USPS nationwide are refusing to put the “senders info”on certified mail slips.This has been a nationwide It is absolute bs for you creeps to be doing this!!!

  • BooHoo

    All this article is is a bunch of whining. You get paid to do a job so do it and quit sniveling. 

  • Carrier

    Instead of asking for a “service” discount ask for a “Government” discount…We (Postal Workers) are certainly that…and I ALWAYS  get a discount!  :)

  • Paboyle

    i have been a mail carrier for 19 years….before that i  served for six years in the Marines.. im a combat vet …thanks to desert storm. sixty percent of postal employees are veterans!!! i am proud to be a Marine and i enjoy being your mailman…i dont sweat the small stuff and its awesume to get paid $65ooo/yr to exercise!! Semper Fi!!!!

  • long drive

    do carriers get paid more when i do the online scheduled package pickup? im wondering if i should bother doing it if it is going in the mail box anyways.

  • lilypad73

    Where can I get my mail after a one month hold with Postal Service?

  • Shannon

    I just wish my mail lady would give me my catalogues. Instead of my neighbor. Who by the way will not give them to me!! Grrrr. ThTs my only pet peeve with my mail person. She works hard. And I realize that.