RANT: Our Doofus Mail Carrier

[Kevin Dean]

I'd have to agree with kevin here. Certainly the mail carrier didn't handle the situation well, but it's definitely understandable how someone in that line of work wouldn't want to put up with anything when it comes to dogs. That is, he may not have been justified, but it's understandable all the same.

For example, my mom is deathly afraid of dogs, even small harmless ones.

Um... I'm going to have to say your mom needs to grow a pair. Not being rude, but I don't consider personal phobias to be an acceptable reason to not do your job. Dealing with restrained dogs is a part of a mailman's job. People smoking is a part of a waitress's job if she works in a facility that allows smoking. These things are both known at hiring time.

The difference in this case, which makes me side with he non-delivery is that something was "unusual". Evan has a dog that is NORMALLY restrained (he has a mat that prevents the dog from jumping up to the window) and one day he was NOT. The situation changed and he had to make a judgement call. The furtherance of that is once the threat was removed normal operating should have resumed. Once the mailbox was moved away from the dog, everything should have been back to normal. The rest was unacceptable.

This isn't the same opinion as my Uncle---and he's a USPS bigwig who is the boss of dozens of postmasters. he says that without prior incident, there's no justification for it, and they are obligated to deliver my mail.

I'm not saying your uncle is wrong but I'm saying that "barrier = no delivery" is something that happens, and it has alway been explained to me as policy. It wouldn't be the first time I've seen a disconnect between management and line-workers, or a difference between what makes sense and what's written in SOP.

I think if there's a reasonable risk the mailman should be able to avoid it until it is removed. If the risk is your/our fault, you/we should be informed and able to take action. The whole thing changes when the "informed" thing is tossed out the window.

 

[beala]

In response to everyone:

That is, he may not have been justified, but it's understandable all the same.

Read my post more closely before getting all high and mighty. I never said he should have done what he's done. I merely said it was understandable. There's a big difference.

 

[uglygoat]

heh... high and mighty. mostly drunk and stumbling around here...

 

[beala]

^ haha fair enough

 

[Fingers]

heh... high and mighty. mostly drunk and stumbling around here...

Well, I'M high and mighty....

No, wait......

SWMBO says drunk and stumbling. Never mind.

 

[landhoney]

I'm with Kramer on this...

That exchange is classic, Seinfeld at its best.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Maybe he was afraid that the dog would burst through the window breaking the glass.....But that doesn't even happen in movies.

A friend and co-worker of mine has a rather large, rather friendly golden retriever. A few years back, she did just that...jumped right through a plate glass window to "greet" the mailman. Mind you, the dog doesn't have a vicious bone in it's body, but I guess she still scared the snot out of the poor guy.

It took a lot of calls and letters to get them to resume delivery of mail.

 

[Dude]

FWIW, Evan, I got a brand new issue of BYO, AND the SI swimsuit issue in my mailbox today. You should come live here. Our mailman is awesome!!!!!!!

 

[iamjonsharp]

Your mailman needs to stop staying up late at night watching Cujo on cable.

This situation really sucks. Your mailman is totally lame-ass.

 

[chione]

I don't disagree with anything you're saying. The window thing has been a problem that we've been trying everything to fix...and now that the mailbox is nowhere near the window, there should be absolutely no cause for concern. Like I've said numerous times above, I don't want to put him or my dog in danger---which is why I've gone through these measures---and no matter how silly we all might think it is to be askeered of a dog on the other side of 2 panes of glass (one being storm glass), it's not necessarily my place to make that call. But yeah, they've handled it sh*ttily...

well did you get your mail?
-

 

[wihophead]

Sorry kind of off the topic but I have a small USPS rant.

I was sitting in my living room when I watched our mailman drive right past our mailbox that had the flag up with mail in it ready be picked up.

I called the post office to complain and they told me that they are not required to pick up mail if there isn't any mail to be delivered...what a crock of ****