Getting Your Mail - We Deliver!

As a mail carrier, there are quite a few things that I observe that could be prevented if our customers knew about them. This is a list of common preventable reasons why your mail may not have been delivered.

No House Numbers On Mailbox. Has the neighbors mail been delivered to you? Put the numbers on your mailbox and I guarantee it will increase the odds of you getting YOUR mail.

Name/s Inside of Mailbox. Do you constantly receive mail for previous occupants at your address? Use a wax pencil or a marker and note the names of the current occupants inside the mailbox door.

Box Blocked. If your mailbox is blocked for any reason, we will not deliver your mail. This includes being blocked by cars, recycling bins, garbage cans, etc. For the safety of the mail carrier, we are not supposed to get out of the delivery vehicle to deliver the mail, unless you have an oversized parcel. Did you know that in most areas, the garbage cans & recycling bins can be placed on the opposite side of the driveway? It is a common misconception that they will not pick up unless you place them by the mailbox or on one side or the other. Check with your local waste management company.

No Flag! Did your mail not get picked up because your flag is broken or missing? Replacement flags are available for sale for around $8.00 and you don't have to worry anymore whether that bill will go out on time!

Broken/Damaged Box. If your box is damaged, and off the post, we are not supposed to deliver to it. This is true regardless of whether you have it sitting on the ground, propped on a chair, etc.

Too Much Brush! You may not receive mail simply because your plants/bushes are out of control! Usually you will receive some kind of notice asking you to clean up around the box. However, if you do not take action, your mail may be put on hold until it is taken care of. Please keep in mind that this is a safety issue - The brush may have thorns, biting or stinging insects, or it may just be grown out too far and we can no longer reach to open the box!

Biting/Stinging Insects. I guarantee you that your mail carrier has been bit by a spider or stung by a bee or wasp. Wasps especially LOVE to build nests in and around mailboxes. Did you know that you can develop an allergy to a wasp or bee sting even if you never previously had a problem? This can be serious, even deadly, so please take care of the insects for your safety AND ours!

Dogs It is not news that dogs and mail carriers don't mix well. However, sometimes people don't understand our actions. Just a few examples of issues with dogs include:

• Being chased by dogs - They see the stop and go of the truck, and chase it as a fun game.
• Nips through the window - Our windows are kept open so low that many dogs can jump up and nip us
• Small dogs running around the truck - We cannot see small dogs in our mirrors and are fearful of hitting them with the vehicle.
• Letting your dog out when we come to the door - Please do not let your dogs out when you come to the door – even small dogs – because even though they would never hurt/nip you, there is no way to know how they will react to a stranger. A very high percentage of our yearly dog bites to carriers are by small dogs that would "never hurt a fly." This is a preventable issue that will be pursued through legal means/insurance if something happens.
• Leaving your dog loose outside - There are numerous safety issues with this practice and no one wants your dog to be injured or killed.

Also, did you know that many home improvement sites and shows say that putting up a new mailbox is one of the best ways to increase curb appeal, especially when a house is up for sale. In addition, it is one of the cheapest renovations you can make!

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this note on mailbox delivery. Please pass it on to your friends!