Cory
San Antonio,#2Consumer Suggestion
Wed, November 10, 2004
Live out in the country and everyone has big, mean dogs. Put out a large mail box at the start of the drive way. The dogs won't eat it, it won't get wet, and you won't get sued if your dogs do bite someone. Any large packages, they leave a note in the mail box and you go by and pick up the package the next day. Make sure you get an approved box and mount it in an approved manner.
Robert
Gridley,#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, November 10, 2004
As a retired letter carrier of 35 years I can vouch for most carriers who are "afraid" of your dog. Having been bitten 3 times, all in the back of the leg ala sneak attack, it's not easy to maintain safety for oneself. You have to consider that carrier has to be looking at the mail while walking and try to beware of missteps and other slips trips and falls. Dogs, kids and other anmials are just the wild card that makes for an interesting day sometimes. If you're on a mounted (vehicle) route you also have to look for traffic and the aforementioned dog/children to pop up where least expected. To top it off the postal service expects that any injury/bite that occurs due to a carriers supposed inattention can be used for letter of warning all the way up to suspension and occasionally dismissal. Your regular mailman delivers 5 out of 6 days of the year and has vacation time that places his route in the hands of a replacement who knows little or nothing of the route! Try doing someone elses job without knowing the problems and pitfalls that lie there. I couldn't wait to make regular and try carving out a territory that I'd be both RESPONSIBLE for and be on a good relation with my customers, I also had a relief carrier who was a super guy who knew the job but I'd never leave him without knowledge of problems or BAD dogs on the route. Get to know your mailman, sometimes they don't want that and thats not a bad thing but at least you have tried for some sort of meeting part way. A carrier should always make an attempt to be a good representative for the postal service. We are the closest that most people will ever get to anyone in government, We owe this to the public or the service will fail one day.