I'm a postie ask me anything

[Postieonthego]

In light of the two recent thread - postman being a checker fcuker - and - how many parcel are too many. What do you want to ask a postie?

How many steps do you do a day

How many £50 quid tips do you get at Xmas?

Is there a weight limit on what you’re expected to deliver? A colleague regularly has 30 litre bags of cat litter delivered on subscribe and save and I feel for the postman every time!

Personally none, as I change my round often. I know of some posties that receive in excess of £1000.

about 22,000

No. I think this is particularly hard on more slightly built people. Cat litter, cans of coke, beer etc. It is crazy.

My postie always has a treat for my dog when we see her. My last postie did too which means my dog now thinks all posties have treats and not one has let him down yet! Do all posties carry dog treats?!

No, the postie will buy treats out of his/her own pocket. Some do, some don't.

Have you been bitten by a dog or scared by a dog?

How do you feel about how the job has changed? i.e. delivering a handful of junk and leaflets rather than a lovely handwritten letter? Does it make any difference to you, or do you just accept it as the job nowadays?

Thankfully never bitten, scared many, many times. I was once completely cornered by a dog and couldn't move until neighbours heard my calls for help. One of my workmates was bitten and the bite severed a nerve, he still can't use his hand as before.

Why is there more matter than anti matter in the universe ?

What do you honestly think when people (like me - sorry!) answer the door in our pyjamas?

How did you get into being a postman/women? Genuinely interested looking at applying but unsure what actually gets you the job.

Junk mail is a problem and I wish more people would opt out. Putting a sticker on your letterbox means little to nothing. You are in complete control of that.

The job has changed from the point of view that I have roughly four and a half hours to do my round and there are now fewer letters but many, many more parcels. If there are more parcels there is less time to deliver letters. Tracked parcels take priority.
In the rural area where I work we also deliver Amazon parcels. So I can go a whole day when I just deliver parcels and no letters. This is becoming more and more common.

What hours/ days do you work? Are you out delivering straight away or do you have to do your own sorting? How does it work with the amount you deliver, given some days it will be less and some more - is it just fixed number of addresses every day?

That's a matter of opinion.

I got made redundant and wanted to do something part-time.
I applied to do Christmas cover and then got a call in January and have done it for almost three years now. There was a test, but no interview which I thought was unusual.

Usually 8.14am until 3.14pm if I work four days or 9.30am until 3.14pm if I do five days. Recently I have been supporting parcel delivery working 12.30 until 8pm for four days a week.

If you start at 8, the post comes to you for your round and then you also have a buddy tray which is larger items, magazines etc shared with another round. Large and small parcels are sorted to your round, but you need to sort them into the sections of your round. If you come in at 9.30 the round is prepped for you - this does not always happen.

It is always the same amount of time.

Lol. I have seen people in many forms of dress. It doesn't really bother me.

What % of households give you a tip at Christmas and how much on average? I'm trying to decide what to do this year as I have two excellent posties who have collected loads of parcels from my door this year, so I want to say thanks but am pretty skint.

The Royal Mail offers the option to reschedule deliveries when you know you're going to be out. That has never, ever made a difference to when my local postie tries to make a delivery. Is that something you don't see?

Do you sneakily read postcards? (If postcards are even still a thing?).

Generally regular post people get the tips. Some people give money, usually a fiver. Some give bottles or chocolates. I think the percentage has fallen.

During Covid one lady couldn't see her mother in a nursing home and used to write to her everyday. The same postman covered her house and the nursing home, he would take letters between the two of them for free. She gave him a chocolate bar, penguin, club etc every day to thank him. Her mother died of Covid and the postman has since retired but she still leaves a chocolate bar in her letterbox every day for her 'boys'. She is highly thought of in the office.

Absolutely, but I wouldn't say sneaky.