Dh is ready to go postal !

[Blackberry]

My husband is a mail carrier for USPS. He's worked for them for about 6 years. Today he called in sick to work and went to the doctor because he is SO stressed that he can hardly contain himself. The doctor gave him a week off of work to start with. Then he has to see another doctor.

You guys have no idea how bad it can suck to be a mail carrier. I swear the supervisors have to go to school to take classes such as "how to contridict yourself in 2 sentences or less" or "evading answers 101" or "how to thouroughly piss off your mail carriers until they get to the point where they want to kill you"!

I really is that bad. Supervisors are under alot of stress to make sure each route is done completely by a certain time even if people call in sick or whatever. The level of mail on any given day can be not very much or tons of mail. So they have all of these stupid formula's & stuff that "magically" tell them what time a carrier should be out on the street after caseing his mail (putting it in the correct order) and delivering it. It is almost always wrong but you can't tell that to a supervisor because it must be YOUR FAULT! Not the formula!

I could go on and on and on......Dh won't even go to work to pick up his paycheck this week, I have to go get it for him so he doesn't have to see anyone there.

My Grandfather worked for USPS as a routing supervisor. He was under enormous stress daily. He even took a couple of different leave-of-absenses because of stress. He lived in California and Oregon because that is where the p.o. sent him, he declined to be transfered to Washington for the last year before he retired. Well they basicly black-balled him because he didn't want to move his family again & they made him miserable utill the day he retired. Only a year later he had his first major stroke, with more to follow later.

[Dolly<3]

I had no idea how stressful it was. I always thought it'd be fun b/c you get to drive around all day and just deliver the mail. My friend told me that's not all they do, but I figured that for the most part, it was an easy job. My mail woman is so nice. She gets out of her truck to give me packages that won't fit in the mail box and I heard that they don't have to do that. I'm so thankful for mail workers. Their work is so taken for granted. I read this in a magazine a couple days ago. You might want to pass it along to your hubby. It might cheer him up knowing how important his job is.

"The US Postal Service
I don't find it beautiful because of nostaligia. It's beautiful because it works so well and costs so little. I know that postal workers kill one another occasionally and that not every section of every large urban area enjoys the same level of service, but I've lived all over the US, in places large and small, and I've never had any problem with my mail.

Thirty-seven cents. You hand a homeless guy thirty-seven cents, he'll hock on your shoe. You hand the United States Postal Service thirty-seven cents and it'll tote your sh*t three thousand miles in a matter of days and deliver it by hand - and yet folks p*ss and moan when they raise the rate three stinkng cents. Where's the love?"

[azwup05]

My hearts with you. I'm in my 8 th year as a carrier and every year it gets worse. It is a very physical and stressful job, but as long as I can find some joy in it I'm staying. I hope this break is what he needs and is enough, I too have had to leave once due to the stress and physical injuries that the USPS denies. Keep us posted, your in my prayers.

[miccit]

Your DH doesn't work at the Parkland branch does he? Iknow they are working with half their usual staff right now. Some of the carriers are doing 3 different routes.

Sorry he is having trouble.

[DivineMsDi]

I know I get annoyed because the mail seems late or slow. I think a lot of us believe the posties have it easy. The guys and gals on the route do work very hard, in all sorts of weather. You are right about what they carry and how it varies. The supervisors should ease off...I hope your husband is okay soon.

[schsa]

I ended up having a nervous breakdown because of work related stress. I will be on anti-depressants for the rest of my life because I just couldn't understand why I couldn't do it all. Your husband needs to get out and get another job. Any job. But it is not worth it to end up an emotional and physical mess because someone who doesn't do the job thinks that you should be faster, stronger, better and work longer.

I swear if I had known what a mess I was going to end up I would have quit that job years earlier. It isn't worth it. I don't care what the benefits are or the money. It just isn't worth it.

Let him take a medical leave of absense and then just don't come back. I was so bad, I had panic attacks just thinking about going to work. It isn't worth it.

[stevedqfan]

There must be a big shortage of carriers in my area because all mail usually dosen't come untill 5:00 p.m. or so. I belive the supervisors should start covering some routes.

[azwup05]

OK steve, who's freebies are you trying to get? I saw my supervisor carry part of a route 4 years ago, and they had to run a flashlight out to him so he could see the mail. This same supervisor said if it happened again , he would see the next carriers job posted. Most of us love what we do, but hate the circumstances we tend to have to work under. And the ones that fudge the system are the ones that are praised for being fast. If your carrier is good by going to your door and actually doing thier job, send a letter to the postmaster. If we could get the same amount of mail every day at the same time, we would get it to you at the same time. We have to break it down, sort it, endorse it, mark it up, forward it, pull it down, allign it, load it up, and bring it to you. And the post office wants us to do it in the least amount of time so they are going to ride you in the process. I have had a letter thanking me for having a customers water cut off because tier pipes busted when they were out of town, I have had a letter thanking me for taking the mail to a customers grandmother that I was afraid would fall. etc. I've seen carriers on chemo and radiation carry thier route because they worried that some of thier customers might not get thier social security chechs. If you have a good carrier, let them know you appreciate it.

[azwup05]

OK steve, who's freebies are you trying to get? I saw my supervisor carry part of a route 4 years ago, and they had to run a flashlight out to him so he could see the mail. This same supervisor said if it happened again , he would see the next carriers job posted. Most of us love what we do, but hate the circumstances we tend to have to work under. And the ones that fudge the system are the ones that are praised for being fast. If your carrier is good by going to your door and actually doing thier job, send a letter to the postmaster. If we could get the same amount of mail every day at the same time, we would get it to you at the same time. We have to break it down, sort it, endorse it, mark it up, forward it, pull it down, allign it, load it up, and bring it to you. And the post office wants us to do it in the least amount of time so they are going to ride you in the process. I have had a letter thanking me for having a customers water cut off because tier pipes busted when they were out of town, I have had a letter thanking me for taking the mail to a customers grandmother that I was afraid would fall. etc. I've seen carriers on chemo and radiation carry thier route because they worried that some of thier customers might not get thier social security chechs. If you have a good carrier, let them know you appreciate it.

[Azriel_LittleHawk]

hmm...i love my mail carrier...we live in a big apt complex..and he would run stuff to big for our box to my door...i thanked him every time and also he got a small present at christmas...*G* i have a P.O. box now...**bad area got tired of my mailbox being broken into & generaly trashed** but this guy is a GREAT postmen...he didn't have to run those packages to my door..he did anyway. *giggle* i think he wondered about us and all the weird packges we recieved. <---freebies!!:D

[stevedqfan]

I didn't relaize that supervisors did cover some routes sometimes.

[Blackberry]

Originally posted by miccit
Your DH doesn't work at the Parkland branch does he? Iknow they are working with half their usual staff right now. Some of the carriers are doing 3 different routes.

Sorry he is having trouble.

No, he works at Columbia Station which is in Seattle but so far South it is almost Renton.

Dh loves his route. He's always comeing home telling me about all of the cats and dogs he pet that day and all of the funny things they've done. He has "friends" all over his route. Before his route got changed he had a very elderly man on his route that he used to spend his lunch breaks with alot of the time. Mr. Tucker whould bring him some lemonaid or something and they would just sit and shoot the breeze.

For those that wonder why they get their mail late, it is probably just because your house happens to be at the end of your carriers route. Sometimes if the carrier has way too much mail then someone else will do part of the route for him & that could give you your mail at a different time too. There are just alot of variations.

[miccit]

I know the Parkland branch is way understaffed. Our mail has been coming anywhere between 5:30 and 7:30. I am hoping they will replace the people who left soon.

[Willow]

I hope your husband feels better soon. It sounds like he needs a break. I've had a few problems in the past with the mail carrier leaving packages when we specifically asked him not to leave them if we aren't home. What he started doing is leaving slips in the male box and not ever bothering to ring the bell because many times he left slips in the box when I had been home all day. I don't know why he did that because he ended up having to take it out of the truck at the end of his shift and then put it back in the truck the next morning to redeliver it. For the seven years that we've lived here our mail has always been delivered in the afternoon usually between 2:00 and 3:00. Sometimes later. I don't know why or how but one day last week he had delivered it at a little after 9:00am. My neighbor was in shock so she called to tell me. lol I wish that he could make it so that we could get our mail in the morning for a change.

[DAVESBABYDOLL]

Been there done that~NEVER I repeat NEVER again!! When I moved here to Ohio I saw an add for a casual carrier in the town I moved to.I worked Full time and basically did all the rotes in town (when someone has their day off I'd do their route) The money was good, but the post master was hard on the regular carriers like he was on me,He didn't even ease up on Jill (who is full time and in their union) when she was pregnant with twins!!! He was on her to "hurry up" etc. she complained to the union,who went to him...

she had two daughters but sadley one passed away a few days after her birth. Jill doesn't rule out stress from the job as a possible reason for this.

I did my year, which is what a casual here does 6 mos. then 6 mos.
It is hard work, my route was walk 11 miles, drive 13 miles. I got to know most everyone in town (small town) because I learned names that went with the addy :) so that was a benefit in itself.

I respect the mail carriers!! I always leave somthing at Christmas :D

[DAVESBABYDOLL]

oops,posted twice

[Blackberry]

Well, today is the last day of Dh's week at home. I know I AM VERY READY FOR HIM TO GO BACK TO WORK! Right now we have to share a computer, "his" computer (mine is not hooked up to the internet right now). I am lucky if he gives me an uniterupted 15 min. on it. Right now he is sitting on the edge of the bed and stareing at me. Grrrrr.......

[tsquared]

And here we all sit getting our freebies and adding to that job of the postal worker..lol
Postal workers have all T's admiration......had a friend that worked for the PO for a year and he bassically ran his route...lost a lot of weight and for what........nothing, never a thanks from the postmaster or nothing......Tell DH to hang in there and just think about his retirement years with a sweet gal like you........but realize being happy and retired there is a ton of ways to get there...
Now tell your DH go get em TIGER!!!!!!!!!

[Blackberry]

Dh went back to work today. Even though the supervisors didn't bother him today, he got stressed just walking into the place. But otherwise his day went fine. He has decided that he no longer wants to be a mail carrier. It's really too bad because he really enjoys doing his route; he gets lots of excersize and fresh air (well, as fresh as you can get in Seattle)and there is always an abundance of cats and dogs to pet.

So now dh is going to look into doing something else for the post office, not sure what yet. We'll see.

[dlwt]

I have a question WHO gets 9am mail delievery?? Does anyone?? I always hoped to have early mail delievery. I live in Tacoma as well my Dad got his mail the other night at 9:30 at night (no kidding)

[Blackberry]

Originally posted by dlwt
I have a question WHO gets 9am mail delievery?? Does anyone?? I always hoped to have early mail delievery. I live in Tacoma as well my Dad got his mail the other night at 9:30 at night (no kidding)

I don't think anyone get's their mail that early. Most carriers start at 7 or 8 am & have to case up their mail, which can take 2-3 hours & have a little break before they head out to the street. I'm not sure what time my mail is delivered but I go out to check it around 11am every day and it is always there, so I must be toward the beginning of the route.