USPS mail delivery problems in Baltimore County (Middle River: house, live in)

[janetvj]

I live in the Middle River area of Baltimore County. My development has those cluster mailboxes that were introduced around the 1980's that supposedly encourage interaction with the neighbors as well as making mail delivery easier and faster for the postal service. I have always experienced problems with mail delivery here. I regularly get mail for the neighbors delivered to my mailbox and they get my mail. Most of the time, our mail carrier doesn't even get here until 4:00 in the afternoon or later.

Yesterday, the mail was delivered around 6:00 p.m. Not unusual. I live at house number 15, and all of the mail in my box was addressed to number 17. I delivered the mail to my neighbor at number 17 and then knocked on the door of number 13 to see if possibly my mail was in her mailbox. She claimed that she cannot get into her mailbox (I have no idea of what she meant by this. I have attempted to be friendly with the people who live here but we only have a nodding acquaintance). Whatever. I figured I'd try to catch the mail carrier today and ask her.

So I managed to catch the mail carrier this evening to explain what happened with the delivery yesterday and to ask if it was possible that my mail was delivered by accident to the wrong box. I did not do this in an accusing way, and went out of my way to be cordial (I don't need her to start retaliating by always screwing my mail up). Her response was "Well, it was dark last night when I delivered here". I told her I understood that, but could she check to see if possibly my mail had been placed in the wrong box. Her response: "Maybe you just didn't get any mail".
I let it go and just went back into the house.

Is this type of poor service common in this area? Should I complain at the post office or is it better to just forget it? I try to have most of my bills delivered electronically, and my paychecks are direct deposited, but I still sometimes get mail that's important.