Post Office Pea Brains

[GopherM]

I just got back from a weeks vacation and found that the cluster mail boxes in our neighborhood had all been turned around 180 degrees. One of our neighbors had called the post office in Leonardtown and was told that they had to pay the postal delivery person by the number of steps they had to take to deliver the mail and that by positioning the back of the boxes so that they faced the street they were able to save a couple of steps on each delivery. The cluster boxes are mounted on a concrete pad that measures around 3 feet by 4 feet. Though the pad is flush with the curb at the street side of the box, the sides and rear of the concrete pad drop off by almost 18 inches. While this doesn't seem significant, at 60 I am the youngster on our street. The average of my neighbors is around 80 and many of them have difficulty with their balance. Several people have complained and the post office says that they don't care and that they will not turn the boxes around. It is very sad when saving 3 or 4 steps at each box is more important than the safety and health of our senior citizens. I wonder what will happen if one of our seniors goes postal???

 

[bohman]

I can't believe the crap that the post office in this area gets away with. Where I grew up, mailboxed are mounted on the house by your front door - all you have to do is stick your arm outside. Almost as good as a mail slot in the door.

Now, I live in a neighborhood where I almost can't park on the street if I want my mail. All the mailboxes are on my side of the street; they can't be bothered to go up one side of the street and down the other. If I park near the box, they won't deliver the mail.

And I'd really be pissed if I lived on rt 5. Same procedure, so people on one side of the road get to cross a state highway to get their mail. What about the elderly folks trying to dodge 60mph traffic for their mail?

 

[smoothmarine187]

The lazy ass mail lady that we have will sit in our drive way honking her horn if she has somethng that won't fit in the box.

 

[Ehesef]

I can't believe the crap that the post office in this area gets away with. Where I grew up, mailboxed are mounted on the house by your front door - all you have to do is stick your arm outside. Almost as good as a mail slot in the door.

Now, I live in a neighborhood where I almost can't park on the street if I want my mail. All the mailboxes are on my side of the street; they can't be bothered to go up one side of the street and down the other. If I park near the box, they won't deliver the mail.

And I'd really be pissed if I lived on rt 5. Same procedure, so people on one side of the road get to cross a state highway to get their mail. What about the elderly folks trying to dodge 60mph traffic for their mail?

I live on Hollywood Road and have to cross the street to get the mail. I wait until it's dark before darting across the street because I can see the headlights coming before I can see the car. I feel a little less like Frogger that way.

 

[aps45819]

Call Steny
While you've got him on the phone, tell him you want to carry a gun and it's a good idea to prove who yo are before MD gives you a drivers license

 

[oldman]

In my hometown the mailman drives his little truck. To cut down on costs?? they are now required to park and walk certain distances to deliver rather than stop at each house. After delivering they then drive past those same houses to get to the next stopping point. What's the logic in that? My Dad was a mailman when they did it the right way but guess it's a different world today.

 

[desertrat]

I just got back from a weeks vacation and found that the cluster mail boxes in our neighborhood had all been turned around 180 degrees. One of our neighbors had called the post office in Leonardtown and was told that they had to pay the postal delivery person by the number of steps they had to take to deliver the mail and that by positioning the back of the boxes so that they faced the street they were able to save a couple of steps on each delivery. The cluster boxes are mounted on a concrete pad that measures around 3 feet by 4 feet. Though the pad is flush with the curb at the street side of the box, the sides and rear of the concrete pad drop off by almost 18 inches. While this doesn't seem significant, at 60 I am the youngster on our street. The average of my neighbors is around 80 and many of them have difficulty with their balance. Several people have complained and the post office says that they don't care and that they will not turn the boxes around. It is very sad when saving 3 or 4 steps at each box is more important than the safety and health of our senior citizens. I wonder what will happen if one of our seniors goes postal???

That sounds like b/s. I'll bet they are paid by the hour or salaried.

 

[itsbob]

In my hometown the mailman drives his little truck. To cut down on costs?? they are now required to park and walk certain distances to deliver rather than stop at each house. After delivering they then drive past those same houses to get to the next stopping point. What's the logic in that? My Dad was a mailman when they did it the right way but guess it's a different world today.

In your hometown it's probably a contracted mail deliverer, and he uses his own truck. How he delivers really is up to him, and he gets paid an agree upon price to do it..

Now the way you explain it makes sense to me if I was using my truck.. Walk up one side of the road, then back on the other, stopping once, OR drive 50 feet, stop.. drive 50 feet stop.. ad nauseum..

Lot less wear and tear on his truck, even though he's travelling the same amount of miles.

In OC, PA we had front door delivery, and the mailmen/ women all had HUGE thighs. We lived on the side of a mountain overlooking the Allegheny River and they walked up and down the mountain to deliver our mail. Some of the mailmen had entire routes where they walked out the door of the post office and didn't stop walking until they re-entered the post office at the end of their route.. up and down the side of the moutain.

My oldest son delivered Newpapers in the same environment, and when I had to step in for him, it wore my butt out, and the newpaper delivery area was probably a 10th of what the mailman had to do.

 

[kwillia]

The lazy ass mail lady that we have will sit in our drive way honking her horn if she has somethng that won't fit in the box.

You are fortunate. My mailperson leaves a "pick-up" slip in our mailbox and I have to drive to the post office to retrieve it.

 

[kom526]

The lazy ass mail lady that we have will sit in our drive way honking her horn if she has somethng that won't fit in the box.

When we lived in Hollywood our weekend mail lady did the same thing. Several times I had to run out give her hell because we had just put mini me down for a nap. I always got the "Oh, I forgot." Maybe if she got out and walked a bit she wouldn't weigh 417 lbs.

 

[SEABREEZE 1957]

I just got back from a weeks vacation and found that the cluster mail boxes in our neighborhood had all been turned around 180 degrees. One of our neighbors had called the post office in Leonardtown and was told that they had to pay the postal delivery person by the number of steps they had to take to deliver the mail and that by positioning the back of the boxes so that they faced the street they were able to save a couple of steps on each delivery. /QUOTE]

Seriously? That is unreal! My goodness, Check out Section 508 and throw that at them...

https://hdusps.esecurecare.net/cgi-bin/hdusps.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=4223&p_created=1072130887&p_sid=SxuSAexi&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MyZwX3Byb2RzPTQwLDE0MCZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9Mi4xNDAmcF9jdj0mcF9wYWdlPTE*&p_li=&p_topview=1

The last sentance reads "The Postal Service takes seriously its mandate to serve ALL people.?

 

[Mousebaby]

My mailman is the greatest! Not only does he pretty much deliver around the same time everyday, if I have a package he leaves it between my screen door and front door. Well hidden from any would be thieves! Of course he may treat us so nicely because he also lives on our street!

 

[johnjrval424]

In my hometown the mailman drives his little truck. To cut down on costs?? they are now required to park and walk certain distances to deliver rather than stop at each house. After delivering they then drive past those same houses to get to the next stopping point. What's the logic in that? My Dad was a mailman when they did it the right way but guess it's a different world today.

My sister lives in Caroline County on the Eastern Shore and she used to deliver mail (she is now retired from the post office). She used her own vehicle and they paid her mileage. However, she was a full-time employee and received the same benefits (health insurance, retirement, etc.).

In the rural areas, the carriers will use their own vehicles because the post office doesn't supply mail trucks for rural routes. They only use the mail trucks for the more densely populated areas. Heck, even here in good ol' Prince Frederick, our carrier uses her own vehicle as well and we live off of Dares Beach Road.

 

[awpitt]

I just got back from a weeks vacation and found that the cluster mail boxes in our neighborhood had all been turned around 180 degrees. One of our neighbors had called the post office in Leonardtown and was told that they had to pay the postal delivery person by the number of steps they had to take to deliver the mail and that by positioning the back of the boxes so that they faced the street they were able to save a couple of steps on each delivery. The cluster boxes are mounted on a concrete pad that measures around 3 feet by 4 feet. Though the pad is flush with the curb at the street side of the box, the sides and rear of the concrete pad drop off by almost 18 inches. While this doesn't seem significant, at 60 I am the youngster on our street. The average of my neighbors is around 80 and many of them have difficulty with their balance. Several people have complained and the post office says that they don't care and that they will not turn the boxes around. It is very sad when saving 3 or 4 steps at each box is more important than the safety and health of our senior citizens. I wonder what will happen if one of our seniors goes postal???

Contact Steny’s office. In the past, he has always been pretty effective in dealing with USPS issues.

 

[smoothmarine187]

You are fortunate. My mailperson leaves a "pick-up" slip in our mailbox and I have to drive to the post office to retrieve it.

I would rather have her do that, then sit outside honking the horn when the baby is sleeping.

 

[GopherM]

I just got back from a weeks vacation and found that the cluster mail boxes in our neighborhood had all been turned around 180 degrees. One of our neighbors had called the post office in Leonardtown and was told that they had to pay the postal delivery person by the number of steps they had to take to deliver the mail and that by positioning the back of the boxes so that they faced the street they were able to save a couple of steps on each delivery. /QUOTE]

Seriously? That is unreal! My goodness, Check out Section 508 and throw that at them...

https://hdusps.esecurecare.net/cgi-bin/hdusps.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=4223&p_created=1072130887&p_sid=SxuSAexi&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MyZwX3Byb2RzPTQwLDE0MCZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9Mi4xNDAmcF9jdj0mcF9wYWdlPTE*&p_li=&p_topview=1

The last sentance reads "The Postal Service takes seriously its mandate to serve ALL people.?

Thanks for refering me to the website. I used the quote in an email to congressman Hoyer's office. Now I guess that I will wait and see what happens. Interestingly enough, i drove through the parts of the neighborhood serviced by the other route delivery person and not a single one of the cluster boxes on that route were turned around...and there are a lot more of them. I guess they have a stronger lobby with the post office than we do, or a post person that doesn't mind the two extra steps at each box.

 

[vanbells]

Our mailman has stopped us while walking to give our dogs treats.

Our Deer Park delivery guy has also stopped to give us small bottles of water on hot summer days.

Customer Service is GREAT!!!!

 

[Richard Cranium]

My mail is backed up by about a week and I'm finding some items are opened when it gets to me. 20653 ZIP.

 

[kwillia]

My mail is backed up by about a week and I'm finding some items are opened when it gets to me. 20653 ZIP.

I'm thinking it's just the local cops inspecting your mail before you get it...:shrug:

 

[K_Jo]

I'm thinking it's just the local cops inspecting your mail before you get it...:shrug: