Things You Didn't Know About the Daily Life of Your Mailman
- 1118 VOTES
Mailmen Carry Dog Spray... Just in Case
Mailmen are trained not to approach any house to a dog out in the yard. Occasionally, a situation will present itself when an angry pet comes out of nowhere and surprises the valiant postal worker. This is no cartoon chase scene however, and the mailman has a pepper spray variant in his or her arsenal just for this situation. One spray of "off" is usually enough to allow the mailman to make a swift exit.
Some use other techniques including rolled up mail or even using their postal bag as a shield! - 2120 VOTES
There ARE Conditions When Mail Is Not Delivered
Photo: uknowgayle / Pixabay / CC0 1.0"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
You've likely heard it, but this isn't really the USPS motto; it's actually an unofficial creed from the James Farley Post Office in New York City:
No matter whose motto it is, it holds true in the baking heat of summer in the South and the rains of the Pacific Northwest. The mail, though, will be held if the conditions are considered too dangerous for the carriers to out on their routs. This is usually in the winter when snowstorms and ice can cause major problems on the roads. - 3119 VOTES
Delivering the Mail Is Only Part of the Job
Photo: johncappiello / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0The part of the mailman's day that the public sees is sometimes less than half of the job. The day starts several hours before mail hits the mailboxes with organizing hundreds of piece of mail with upwards of 1,000 names and addresses involved. Next comes packing the mail, a stressful process that has to be done perfectly day after day to ensure perfect mail delivery. After the mail is finally delivered, hitting every box on the route, the mailman must then organize any mail picked up on the route for pickup and finish their paperwork. - 4146 VOTES
They Don't Really Have a Place to Go to the Bathroom
Photo: martyspittle / Pixabay / CC0 1.0Mailmen work an eight hour shift between the work at the post office and the work on their route. During this time period they get a 30 minute lunch break and two 10 minute breaks. While mailmen working in cities will often pass businesses where they can stop in and use the bathroom, there are rural routes that offer no such luxuries. Workers on these routes need to either time their breaks so they are passing a gas station or be ready to ask a resident to use their bathroom. If all else fails, there's always disappearing into the woods. - 5125 VOTES
There Is Still One Route Where Mail Is Delivered by Mule
Supai, AZ, is a small Indian reservation of around 3,000 people on the floor of the Grand Canyon that still has its mail delivered by mule train every day. The trip, which takes three hours each way, is not possible using even the best four wheel drive vehicle out there and instead the journey is made in the most traditional way possible.
"We got milk, we got eggs, we got all kinds of frozen food, plus the first class mail," said Charile Chamberlian who delivers the route. - 6151 VOTES
Mailmen Check on the Safety of People as They Do Their Rounds
Photo: velostricken / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0The USPS Carrier Alert Program means that mailmen are keeping a watchful eye over the people on their route. Created in 1982, this program is a natural fit for a person who sees the neighborhood on a regular schedule and who gets to know the routines of the people to whom he or she delivers daily. - 799 VOTES
The First Female Mail Carrier Was Hired in 1845
Photo: Richy! / flickr / CC-BY-NC 2.0While people are in the habit of saying mailman, the truth is that somewhere between 33% and 40% of mail carriers are actually women. This is not a recent development either, the first known female mail carrier was Sarah Black, who carried the mail between the Charlestown, MD post office and the railroad. This forward-thinking appointment happened way back in 1845. - 8127 VOTES
USPS Is One of America's Biggest Drug Distributors
The US Postal Service is (unwittingly) one of the biggest deliverers and distributors of drugs in the USA. While Hollywood would tell you that the way to deliver drugs is via speedboats and sports cars, the truth is that many online drug dealers simply package up their product and ship it around the country for the price of a few stamps. How is this possible? This USPS statement explains perfectly:
"First-Class letters and parcels are protected against search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, and, as such, cannot be opened without a search warrant. If there is probable cause to believe the contents of a First-Class letter or parcel violate federal law, Postal Inspectors can obtain a search warrant to open the mailpiece. Other classes of mail do not contain private correspondence, and therefore may be opened without a warrant."
So unless the package smells overwhelmingly of drugs, chances are it will get through without being searched.
- 9116 VOTES
Mailmen Have Their Own Special Day
While everybody knows about Mother's Day and Father's Day, few are aware that February 4 is dedicated to the men and women of the postal service. Mail carriers are still a vital part of our every day lives and this would be the day to thank them for their hard work with a note or a treat in the mailbox. - 10102 VOTES
Mailmen Don't See It as Junkmail
With personal correspondence outside of greeting cards almost extinct, about 80% of the average postman's delivered mail is advertising, notices, and government information. Most customers see this as recycling bin fodder, but because every letter delivered is revenue to the postal service, there is no such thing as junk mail from the perspective of a mailman. - 11128 VOTES
It's Illegal to Leave Something in a Friend's Mailbox
Mailboxes at residences are considered USPS property. This means that any advertisements, newspapers, or magazines that are put in a mailbox without going through the postal service are technically illegal. While a mailman is unlikely to call someone out for posting a flyer about a missing dog around their neighborhood, they will get in touch if continued offenses occur, especially if the offense involves advertiing. - 1299 VOTES
The Average Mailman Makes $31,900 to $61,082 a Year
Photo: angrywayne / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0Pay generally depends on seniority and route. Mailmen who move up to the position of postmaster can expect a substantial bump in pay. - 1377 VOTES
Mailmen Spend a Lot of Time Looking at George Washington
Photo: DrPhotoMoto / flickr / CC-BY-ND 2.0This may come as no surprise at all but George Washington has been featured on more stamps than any other person. Washington was on the very first set of general issue stamps that were released in 1847 and has been a central figure on US postage ever since. - 14105 VOTES
Many Mailmen Are Actually Temporary Employees
Photo: *hajee / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0While career mailmen can make big bucks, there are many mailmen out there who are technically temporary employees. These employees will be hired for a year before being let go for a week around their anniversary date... then being hired back on again. Why? Because this way the US Postal Service is that there are no benefits, and specifically no retirement funds, paid to these employees. These kinds of carriers became much more commonplace because of budget issues in late 2012. - 1599 VOTES
Mailmen Should Not Actually Be Listening to Music
Photo: ademar_santana0 / Pixabay / CC0 1.0Mailmen, like just about everyone else out for a walk, are often seen listening to their iPhone/radio/iPod while doing their deliveries. While this is technically against the rules due to safety concerns, most mail carriers will be plugged in to some form of audio entertainment as they deliver their route.
