For about two years, I have been locked in an unending battle with my mailman. Sure, he plays it all nonchalant, pretending to be unaware of our struggle; but he knows. Oh, he knows.
The problem with being at war with your mailman, is that he already has you hostage by the time you are aware of an issue. I could call to complain, but I can’t foresee that paying out any dividend other than even worse service. You see, my mailman is lazy. I can only suspect that he’s holding my mail, as I’m pretty sure that mail delivery is supposed to happen more than once or twice a week. However, I can’t really prove that. More irritatingly, he doesn’t pick up outgoing mail unless he has something to drop off. My Netflix suffers immeasurably by this. To really twist the knife, he will drop off mail in my neighbors mailbox, about 5 feet away; but he’ll be damned before he grabs the outgoing mail from my own.
So, what do you do when held hostage by your mailman? Bear trap? False floor to a pit? Pay some unknown ransom? Remove the black widow that lives in my mailbox?
#1 by Loki on October 12, 2009 - 10:59 am
A friend of mine and I both have the same problem with our mailcarriers. He has taken to writing ‘OUTGOING MAIL’ in sharpie on his Netflix envelopes so it’s visible from the street 25 feet away. I get mail for my downstairs neighbors all the time (a 15 foot walk around the side of the house).
#2 by Donk on October 12, 2009 - 11:07 am
I have to suspect that mail carriers hate Netflix. Sure, a single DVD doesn’t add much weight to the bag you carry around all day, but at around 20 or 30 DVD’s, it’s probably pretty noticeable.
#3 by rhymes with orange on October 12, 2009 - 11:47 am
I’m convinced my mailwoman reads my UsWeekly.
#4 by 123ABC on October 12, 2009 - 2:33 pm
i would just complain to the USPS that the mailman in your neighborhood is unable to perform his job correctly….or move.
#5 by Loki on October 12, 2009 - 2:53 pm
It may surprise you to learn that trying to communicate with your local post office is an exercise in futility.
#6 by Space Buick on October 13, 2009 - 2:04 pm
Oh what a pleasure a roadside mailbox with a flag on it is.
#7 by Donk on October 13, 2009 - 3:47 pm
SB,
I’d agree, but our mailman hikes the neighborhood on foot. If he stops and drops mail in the mailbox 5 feet away, yet skips mine; I’m not so sure he’d bother leaning out of his car to pick up outgoing mail from a street side box anyway.
#8 by Donk on October 21, 2009 - 5:34 pm
I had three books set for delivery via USPS today. I received absolutely zero mail. Delivery is reporting as completed.
Fuck you, mailman.