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?

Aww, my posties are awesome - and always carry treats for my dogs. I hope you have a fabulous Christmas op.

I have two wonderful posties who deliver. They normally arrive just after 7am with my random orders and don't care if I look like I've crawled from under a rock with yesterday's mascara all over my face!

Both women couldn't be more lovely. They hear me yelling at my four legged doorbell to go in the kitchen and wait and are so patient whilst I do.

I've got a card for each of them with a tenner in. Can't guarantee I'll see them before Christmas but I appreciate them.

You are doing a great job @PostieonthegoSometimes, you are the only people we see or speak to in a week. Merey Christmas and thank you.

Trousers for me.

Do you both have a house number displayed?

Back in the day a postie was paid a rate per leaflet. Yellow Pages were 13.5p once upon a time, this is no longer the case.

Fewer places now have regular posties. From Royal Mail's point of view a postie who moves around is more valuable, can fill in when more people are off-sick or on holiday.

If the postie knows you are in ringing the bell and then walking down the street is fine.
If they know you are ok with having a parcel put in the shed/garage, left on the doorstep etc that is all great. A parcel should be 'hidden', unless you have said otherwise. Open porches, parcel boxes and open garages are best.

Yes you have to check ID to deliver alcohol and any bladed item - including knitting needles, scissors etc. Refusing to give alcohol to someone I believed was not old enough was the only time I have been spat at. You can't leave alcohol on the doorstep.

https://help.royalmail.com/personal/s/article/How-to-opt-out-of-advertising-mail

I think you'll find this page useful. Although the process is less easy that previously.

Thank you for this AMA. I’ve always wondered what post people (and delivery people) do if they need the toilet while doing their round.

Any idea where my Lego voucher is?

Do you adhere to Postie Law: shorts no matter the weather??
My brother used to work for RM.

In my office cart type things are used for people who walk from the office to their round. There are also golf trolley type things that can fit in a van and can take the load of the postie's shoulder. There used to be, less common now, metal boxes near postboxes where a postie in a van would drop bags of mail off for a colleague.

My biggest piece of advice is post some letters through your own letterbox. On a new estate I sometimes deliver to people can 'lock' their lettterbox - to prevent draughts, however this makes posting mail into the same letterbox a frustrating task. Before we left the EU, there was talk of an EU law where letterboxes where not going to be allow to be below waist height.

Lastly doorbows I think are an American idea where the mailbox is not part of the front door, so the bows are fine. However in UK homes where the bows are becoming more popular the letterbox is often covered. If a postie can't get access to the letterbox and no one opens the door when the doorbell is rang or the door knocked the post goes back to the office and is marked 'access not available'.

I've not got the legs for it.

Hopefully in a sorting office ready to come out on Monday.

Go to a shop. I know of a female postie who changed her rural round due to the lack of toilet facilities on it.

Personally no.

Yesterday I saw tracked 24 and tracked 48 being separated for the first time ever.
At a postie level they are treated exactly the same. So go tracked 48.

I would say don't do signed for. If the item can fit through a letterbox or be left in a safe place, but also need to be signed for and the person is not in then it shouldn't be left. So what could be delivered quickly, simply isn't.

Have I caught up?

I’ve had a vinted parcel stuck at the main Bristol Mail Centre since 28th November. That was where/when it was last scanned and doesn’t appear to have made it to my local mail centre at all. The main mail centre doesn’t have public access at all.

is it lost forever? Is there anything at all I can do?

My husband is a postie in the East Mids. He still gets paid per leaflet delivered. Price depends on what the company has paid Royal Mail to deliver them. I think the most he’s got is 18p per leaflet.

Do you have your own round yet? Or a different one everyday/week? It took my husband 5 years to get his own permanent route.

My husbands round is in a large new build estate. There’s a vets and a cafe that let them use their toilets. He’s had to come home a few times for a number 2 though, lucky we live 5 mins away.

Do you sort your own mail? I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve had to redeliver around my estate as any house with the same number as mine with ‘Close’ in the address ends up through my letterbox!

Different all the time.

It's very good of you to redeliver.

Do you prefer that or would you like a fixed round if one comes up? I know it took ages for my husband because people hardly ever leave his depot 😆