Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have always heard varying things about this. Is it illegal for your mail carrier to hand you your mail, if they know who you are and it's addressed to you/your residence? What about if you not in front of your home, let's say you pull up the mail truck to get your mail early and your mail carrier knows who you are?
I have always heard varying things about this. Is it illegal for your mail carrier to hand you your mail, if they know who you are and it's addressed to you/your residence? What about if you not in front of your home, let's say you pull up the mail truck to get your mail early and your mail carrier knows who you are?
One place I used to live I waited for the check to get there lest it take flight before I got to it. The mailman understood, but explained he had to put the mail IN the box. He had no way of knowing if I was the recipent or not. So he put it in the box and I fished it out. I can see how that works. If something is stolen by the the mail delivery person giving it to an individual claiming to be 'you', then they might be liable. The mailman is responsible for its custody up to the point it goes in its box.
Picking up something *to* mail is different. You are giving it to the same person who is to get it, with offical car and uniform. You have reason to expect they are the mailman.
You will be considered an irritating pain in the butt by most of us. Illegal or not, it's rude.
I especially hate it when I'm helping on someone else's route.
On my last route inspection I had a customer pull up to my truck. The inspector (who was in a jump seat behind me) said "no way are you getting out of your truck or stopping for that! That person is inconveniencing you and adding to your time."
Whenever we get out of the truck we have to shut it off, remove our seat belts, pull up the parking break etc.
And we no longer have just one stack of mail per address. We have the cased mail, the DPS (computer sorted letters), possibly FSS mail, circulars etc etc.
I am genuinely curious since many people I know ask for their mail if they see our letter carrier and are on their way out. I have done it here or there myself so my mail doesn't sit all day in the box.
I lived in an apartment building and when the mail carrier happened to be at the boxes the same time I went to get my mail, he would just hand it to me. He wouldn't put it in the box just so I could unlock it and take it out.
Having said that, if I was out and about and saw the mail truck, no way would I walk up to them and expect them to hand me my mail.
There was a time a few years ago when we were expecting an extremely important letter that was time sensitive. The post master told us to come to the back door of the post office first thing in the morning, hours before the PO was officially open.
He said just knock on the back door, show ID and ask for your mail. We did that for several days until the letter finally arrived. No one there had any problem with our small interruption of their morning routine.
I lived in an apartment building and when the mail carrier happened to be at the boxes the same time I went to get my mail, he would just hand it to me. He wouldn't put it in the box just so I could unlock it and take it out.
Having said that, if I was out and about and saw the mail truck, no way would I walk up to them and expect them to hand me my mail.
This is an area where our letter carriers are very friendly and know many in the neighborhood very well. And don't seem to mind at all for a request here or there. Not talking a daily thing for anyone.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
