MailmanDave
17 Years Experience
Long Island, NY
Male, 43
I am a City Letter Carrier for the US Postal Service in NY. I've been a city letter carrier for over 17 years and it is the best job I've ever had. I mostly work 5 days per week (sometimes includes a Saturday) and often have the opportunity for overtime, which is usually voluntary. The route I deliver has about 350 homes and I walk to each of their doors to deliver the mail. Please keep in mind that I don't have authority to speak for the USPS, so all opinions are solely mine, not my employer.
I think you mean in our carrier cases when we sort the mail in the post office, we use different color plastic tabs or colored bars to put in the case to indicate the status of certain addresses. Some carriers are better at using these than others and I don't think it's mandatory, but I think it is a great tool to help the carrier remember any changes on the route and to communicate that information for any substitute letter carrier.
The following is my understanding of the colors:
Red=I don't know
Green=Hold Mail
Yellow=Certain name at that address has/had a forwarding order on file (In our colored tabs, you can actually put a small tab of paper in there with the name of the family/individual/business that has a forwarding order on file)
Orange=Vacant Address-Do not deliver anymail here
White=Unknown
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When I first applied to the USPS, it was paper applications (1998). I rcvd notices where to appear for the exams and interview and physical exam. Regarding the qs I rcv here, you make a great point. I am no expert in most of the nuances of shipping, tracking, and regulations. They can call the 800# and hopefully get a satisfactory answer. It doesnt bother me to rcv those q's but as you can tell, I don't always know the answer.
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You should be getting delivery mail every regular delivery day if there are items addressed to you. The tracking website which indicated your specific item was still at the PO doesn't mean you will get iat the same day, especially if the package arrived later in the day at the PO. It is possible that your mailman was just late.
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When you address an envelope, there are basically 3 sections. In the upper left hand corner of the envelope, you would write your address. That is called the return address in case the letter is undeliverable. In the center of the envelope (centered top to bottom and right to left), clearly write the address of the person you are sending the letter to. Please make sure that information is correct. In the upper right hand corner is where the postage is affixed. The current rate for a one oz. letter/greeting card is .49 . The stamp will usually have the word for "Forever" on it which is sufficient to cover the current one oz. letter rate.
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I don't know the answer to this question. I do know that there are times we are required to finish delivery and return to the PO by a certain time and to call if we aren't going to make it back by a certain time. That is usually due to inclmement weather or high volume of mail delivery. I am not sure if 7PM is the actualy curfew for this.
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I am sorry that the letter never made it to you. the letter must have been mailed with some type of tracking on it for your friend to know it reached your area. I don't know how you would go about getting it. Does the tracking # say it was delivered anywhere? Possibly it was mis-delivered. Did the item need a signature for delivery?
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I am not sure of the the regulations as to whether or not the mail should be delivered without proper lighting. It is difficult to deliver mail if one can't read the addresses clearly enough or if it isn't safe to do so. Is it possible the complex mgmt can install a light over the boxes that can be switched on or off as needed. In general if mailboxes are set up so that delivery can be effected from inside a postal vehicle, the carrier shouldn't have to get out to deliver the mail. That said, I'm sure there are many occasions that it's easier to just deliver the mail than having to bring it back to the PO for delivery at a later date. I'm sorry I can't give you any more specific info.
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