primitives discuss mail delivery

[franksolich]

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1274275

Oh my.

Right now, with President Trump trying to do something about the poison gas in Syria, it's a good time to avoid "General Discussion," as it's traffic-jammed with primitives yammer-yammering about things of which they have no understanding.

It gets boring, when primitives yip-yap about things of which they're utterly ignorant.

samnsara (641 posts)     Wed Mar 29, 2017, 05:08 PM

has anyone applied for, or got Hardship Mail Delivery?
 
My parents have to cross an extremely busy road with 60 mph speed limit to get their mail. They are in the country so the mailbox is on a post across the road. Both use walkers and are high fall risks. I am here with them a few days a week so I can get the mail when I am here but when I am not here it has to be brought in daily... as there are meds from the VA. Just wondering if anyone had attempted to get this?...and what would be the options? Tossing the mail into the driveway? I got the paper delivered this way.... I not only worry about my dad getting hit ( mom is too 'with it' to go get it herself but dads a 91 yr old marine, so....)but if he fell she couldn't even go out and rescue him.

I did find the hardship mail delivery info online and it says they usually side with the post office in making decisions 

any info regarding this would be appreciated and thanks in advance!

NJCher (20,669 posts)      Wed Mar 29, 2017, 05:49 PM

1. I don't know about it
 
but my own mother died as a result of getting the mail. She slipped, fell, and had a stroke as a result of the fall. She subsequently died as a result.

Her situation was nowhere near as hazardous as you describe. 

My sincere condolences to Ms. Vanderbilt-Astor, even though this probably took place a long time ago now.  But Ms. Vanderbilt-Astor, having grown up around here, knows how it is; Nebraska isn't kind--other than socially--for old people.

williesgirl (3,834 posts)      Wed Mar 29, 2017, 06:11 PM

2. What about hiring a local teenager to bring the mail to your
 
parents' front door? I'm rural too, on a mountain in VA. I know a boy who does this for 2 families. He gets $25/wk. Also ended up doing odd small jobs for them.

Just a possible fall back on case USPS falls through. 

Vanessa Rose (2 posts)      Wed Mar 29, 2017, 10:49 PM

3. Mail delivery
 
I used to work for USPS. If you can talk directly to the carrier, he/she might be willing to come up with a solution. They usually are pretty accommodating, within reason, if they understand the situation. Good luck. 

[Carl]

Both use walkers and the primitive lets them live alone?

[Delmar]

The primitive visits a few days a week and can bring in the mail then.  Meds from the VA arrive every day?  No.  The mail can stack up in the mailbox for a couple or even a few days, no problem.  The parents are probably just bullheaded seasoned citizens who see the mail truck pull up and then have a compulsion to go and find out what was delivered.  They need to relax and let their good-for-nothing primitive kid bring in the mail every few days.

[98ZJUSMC]

If you can talk directly to the carrier, he/she might be willing to come up with a solution. They usually are pretty accommodating, within reason

They are.  I'm rural and my mail lady goes out of her way to accommodate big packages and the like, but, by the description, their delivery is very likely a two lane county road (55MPH).   Any accommodation would probably entail pulling into the driveway. 

<<<<Doesn't know any USPS rules on that.

[jukin]

SOrry DUchebag, you are dealing with postal union employees. There will be no considerations. I moved a mailbox once. It was right in the middle of the sidewalk. People had to go out into the street to get around it. I placed it back about 18 inches. I received no mail at that address. I finally was there when the postman came by. I was informed that this was a "mounted route" and the mailbox was too far away.

I do like when a DUmmy goes up against the grand big government leviathan they say they love so much.

[J P Sousa]

A couple life times ago, the same situation occurred near me. A man was killed walking across the street to get his mail. The post office changed the route so the mail box was in front of the house.

I guess there is a government rule for; mail boxes, stop signs, traffic lights etc., that says, "once a person gets killed we can change the rules". 

[landofconfusion80]

Accommodations can be made, just need to talk to the carrier.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[jukin]

Accommodations can be made, just need to talk to the carrier.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Depends on carrier. If find carrier of one in three million maybe.

Many moons ago Squaw Jukin tried postal delivery. She have heap bad time. No union carrier want to work. They all say she work too hard and hate her. She quit and make heap big wampum at start up firm. She happy as buffalo roaming green plain.

[landofconfusion80]

Depends on carrier. If find carrier of one in three million maybe.

Many moons ago Squaw Jukin tried postal delivery. She have heap bad time. No union carrier want to work. They all say she work too hard and hate her. She quit and make heap big wampum at start up firm. She happy as buffalo roaming green plain.

I was casual. I was told the union people hated me being there. Never saw any evidence though

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[I_B_Perky]

Oh geeez dummie. Get a PO box in town for your parents and pick the mail up before you go visit them.   

[USA4ME]

After seeing the words "Hardship Mail Delivery", and upon supposing the word "Mail" was a misspelling, the DU twinkles all needed a group hug and medication to control their increased heart rate.

.

[jukin]

I was casual. I was told the union people hated me being there. Never saw any evidence though

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

She was on some permanent-temp thing and would deliver 2-3 times the mail on an offload route. Made the regulars look bad and they told her so. The worst days were people waiting for their welfare checks (gives a time frame) in the apartments the regulars would slough off. She came home crying many nights with election coverage.

[FunkyZero]

Both use walkers and the primitive lets them live alone?

Here's how it's done in rural Indiana...
My grandmother live in the exact same conditions almost. She wasn't using a walker, but was rather feeble.
We knew the carrier for years, made them a cup of coffee now and then and were generally nice.
All we did was ask the carrier, and he told us to just move the mailbox up by the house in the driveway.
Every day for many years to follow, he pulled up the driveway and delivered the mail.
We never filed a single piece of paper to get it done.

[thundley4]

This is off-topic, but I wonder if you can still put change in the mailbox with an unstamped letter and the rural carrier will put a stamp on it for you?

[catsmtrods]

Sounds like they ought to get to know their carrier and maybe tip them. Mine will do anything I ask as gifts are often left for him. But then these are DUmmies so they look for a govt program to help them!

[landofconfusion80]

This is off-topic, but I wonder if you can still put change in the mailbox with an unstamped letter and the rural carrier will put a stamp on it for you?

Sorry for sounding so naddish on this... yes, you can occasionally do that. I'd have loose change taped to an envelope and fix it back at the post office. I'd also get empty letters at bars and the mailer would just give me change to get them a stamp. Not a big deal

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Adam Wood]

Sounds like they ought to get to know their carrier and maybe tip them. Mine will do anything I ask as gifts are often left for him. But then these are DUmmies so they look for a govt program to help them!

That's actually a no-no.  Postal employees (as well as pretty much all other federal employees) are forbidden from accepting gifts or gratuities "of intrinsic value," I believe is the phrasing.  Basically, you can leave them little things like home-baked cookies or a Hallmark card, but you can't legally give them something of any substantial monetary value.  IOW, you can give them a Bic pen, but you can't give them a Mont Blanc.

I'm sure that not everyone adheres to this strictly, as there is a little wiggle room for the definition of "intrinsic value," but broadly-speaking, it's a no-no to do that.

[catsmtrods]

Well I'm a rebel like that

[landofconfusion80]

That's actually a no-no.  Postal employees (as well as pretty much all other federal employees) are forbidden from accepting gifts or gratuities "of intrinsic value," I believe is the phrasing.  Basically, you can leave them little things like home-baked cookies or a Hallmark card, but you can't legally give them something of any substantial monetary value.  IOW, you can give them a Bic pen, but you can't give them a Mont Blanc.

I'm sure that not everyone adheres to this strictly, as there is a little wiggle room for the definition of "intrinsic value," but broadly-speaking, it's a no-no to do that.

Christmas time is a very profitable time for carriers. Legal or not, lots of tips are given

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[diesel driver]

This is off-topic, but I wonder if you can still put change in the mailbox with an unstamped letter and the rural carrier will put a stamp on it for you?

I do it all the time, put stamps on letters for people who leave change in the box.

I carry about $75 worth of stamps with me all the time.  Heck, I even have other carriers in the office buying stamps off me so they won't have to go to the window and get them...

[J P Sousa]

Accommodations can be made, just need to talk to the carrier.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

"Deviation of route" is a punishable offense.

  A deviation is a departure from the "agreed route" or the "usual route", and it can amount to a serious a breach of contract. The consequences of unjustified deviation are very grave for the carrier, who is thereby prevented from relying upon any exclusion clause which limits his liability. 

Depends on the post office and type of delivery. "Rural" routes vs "city" routes. Rural routes sometimes called "contract routes", have different rules (in my area). "City" routes are union routes and strictly monitored in my area (had a supervisor hide in the bushes to catch "offenders").
 
We had a supervisor so good at hiding I never saw him till he was right beside me. 

[landofconfusion80]

"Deviation of route" is a punishable offense.
Depends on the post office and type of delivery. "Rural" routes vs "city" routes. Rural routes sometimes called "contract routes", have different rules (in my area). "City" routes are union routes and strictly monitored in my area (had a supervisor hide in the bushes to catch "offenders").
 
We had a supervisor so good at hiding I never saw him till he was right beside me. 

I always had special cases. Delivered in a higher crime area where stealing packages was a hobby for a good chunk of the primitive population. Had a guy request a special procedure for dropping his stuff cause theft was such a problem. Beat the heck out of getting phone calls at the office

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[catsmtrods]

When I have day old chicks delivered to the PO they automatically go to the area's main PO which is about 7 miles away from my rural PO. I have friends in both who communicate with each other. The postmaster of my rural will go to the main and pick up my little peepers for me and keep them warm till I can get there. Is that a crime? We are all criminals I guess. My route carrier will always drive up the driveway and knock on the door with a package that won't fit in the box.

[FunkyZero]

When I have day old chicks delivered to the PO they automatically go to the area's main PO which is about 7 miles away from my rural PO. I have friends in both who communicate with each other. The postmaster of my rural will go to the main and pick up my little peepers for me and keep them warm till I can get there. Is that a crime? We are all criminals I guess. My route carrier will always drive up the driveway and knock on the door with a package that won't fit in the box.

On our rural route, everyone was just courteous and that's how things get done.
We all know they have a lot of miles to cover, so we tried to not ask for anything special. The guy would do just about anything to help you out, but simple stuff like leaving money in the box when you were out of stamps can slow them down. Plus who wants to carry around 50 bucks in change?
Like I said, we'd show up outside with a cup of coffee once in a while and try to keep the chit chat to a minimum. But if you needed something, the guy was more than willing to help out.
I can even remember a couple of times seeing people help him dig his car out of the snow somewhere on some country back road. In our area, the carriers always drove their personal vehicles too. I never saw a mail jeep until I moved into the city. I also always wondered WHY on earth the guys in town got the 4X4 Willies and the rural carriers, where they could actually use the 4WD, were driving an old Buick

[BlueStateSaint]

On our rural route, everyone was just courteous and that's how things get done.
We all know they have a lot of miles to cover, so we tried to not ask for anything special. The guy would do just about anything to help you out, but simple stuff like leaving money in the box when you were out of stamps can slow them down. Plus who wants to carry around 50 bucks in change?
Like I said, we'd show up outside with a cup of coffee once in a while and try to keep the chit chat to a minimum. But if you needed something, the guy was more than willing to help out.
I can even remember a couple of times seeing people help him dig his car out of the snow somewhere on some country back road. In our area, the carriers always drove their personal vehicles too. I never saw a mail jeep until I moved into the city. I also always wondered WHY on earth the guys in town got the 4X4 Willies and the rural carriers, where they could actually use the 4WD, were driving an old Buick

Just last week in my subdivision of Suburbia, I had a discussion with my mail carrier.  She wanted to know about one of the units in the row of townhouses we're in.  I filled her in on what I know about the place and its' possible sale, and then filled her in on one of my neighbors who was returning from FL last week, that she didn't know about.  She thanked me for the info.  I'm sure that she appreciated it.  And, she makes sure that the door on my mailbox is closed (rain does get in there at times!).  I figure that if I'm nice to her, it will eventually make its' way back to my family.

God tends to work like that.