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 was visiting my MIL's who lives in NJ, and she has the mailbox right at the front door. I couldn't believe when the mailman walked from the neighbor's house over the lawns to get to the mailboxes. Even when I'm going to my own next door neighbor's house, which I can take a short cut over our lawns, I feel funny about doing that, and walk down our driveway, on the sidewalk, then up their driveway.
I could definitely see how much longer it would take for the mail to be delivered if they did the sidewalk/driveway thing, but to me it's a sign of respect for other people's property, whether you take short cuts on the lawn or not.
I was visiting my MIL's who lives in NJ, and she has the mailbox right at the front door. I couldn't believe when the mailman walked from the neighbor's house over the lawns to get to the mailboxes. Even when I'm going to my own next door neighbor's house, which I can take a short cut over our lawns, I feel funny about doing that, and walk down our driveway, on the sidewalk, then up their driveway.
I could definitely see how much longer it would take for the mail to be delivered if they did the sidewalk/driveway thing, but to me it's a sign of respect for other people's property, whether you take short cuts on the lawn or not.
The post office is broke and literally can not afford to do things simply because it might be more respectful. You see how much longer it would take but fail to connect that with the fact it would likely equate to one more post office delivery person per 2-4 routes that have mailboxes located on the house, which is a not-so-insignificant cost.
The post office is broke and literally can not afford to do things simply because it might be more respectful. You see how much longer it would take but fail to connect that with the fact it would likely equate to one more post office delivery person per 2-4 routes that have mailboxes located on the house, which is a not-so-insignificant cost.
Really? Perhaps they could save money by eliminating their union and associated agreements. It would make it easier to fire bad employees like the one who DROVE THROUGH SOMEONE'S YARD TO TOSS A PACKAGE AT THE DOOR! They could also eliminate home delivery on routes that require walking and then lower their PO Box rates to more affordable rates. Or the customer could choose a UPS Store PO box. Or we could do like Kosmo Kramer and tell the USPS you don't want them delivering mail to your home anymore since they're not needed.
Eliminate routes? That would require some laws to be rewritten. I do think they should put mailboxes on the street in all neighborhoods though, that would make things more efficient and eliminate this walking between houses on the lawn issue with one simple change.
Shortest route, but not necessarily the easiest. Throughout the many snows we've had this year, the mailman always cuts right across the yard, trudging through 8, 10 inches of snow, instead of walking up and down the nicely shoveled walks.
I often wondered how they got paid -- per route or per hour? The route must get done an awful lot quicker when there's no snow.
It depends "rural carriers" and contract carriers are payed by the route using a formula using the average mail volume. "City carriers" are paid by the hour and the many conflicts are with carriers and management arguing over just how long the task will take everyday. Some supervisors and carriers are flexible, others try to hold you to the minute of the computer prediction. A few years ago in a snowy district a supervisor tried to issue discipline because the carrier did not take a straight line breaking through the snow on someones lawn. I don't know if the walkway was not shoveled thus it would have saved time but it did happen. We have had carriers up for termination because a supervisor thought she did not have a long enough stride in her walk. Inside clerks have it worse, it is the cause of "going postal"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hazel W
I may be wrong but I think I've read somewhere that mail carriers are instructed to not cut across lawns. They are to use the sidewalks - hoping you have sidewalks. Check into it.
That said, I live in a complex of apartment buildings and our carriers also cut right across the lawns. Some do go out to the edge of the street (no sidewalks there) but most cut right through the middle of the grass. Even in deep snow, they seem to prefer that route. Sidewalks from the street up to the buildings are clean. Streets are clean. But they cut through the snow.
Ask USPS what the rules are about walking on your lawn, rock garden or not. I don't think they are allowed to do that.
Article 41.3.N of the contract between the postal service and their city carriers: N. Letter Carriers may cross lawns while making deliveries
if customers do not object and there are no particular hazards
to the carrier.
If a carrier has had trouble with discipline before or is a letter of the law type he might request a letter from you for his route instruction book to prove why he is wasting time. A substitute carrier would not be given time to check that route book for special instructions and when he sees that straight line while on the street delivering he will take it not knowing that the resident made an objection to the carriers walking across the lawn.
Quote:
Originally Posted by luzianne
Then why does literally NO ONE except the mailman walk through it? It seems everyone else understands it is separate. The rock garden is between the house and the sidewalk. The sidewalk leads to the porch. It's pretty obvious that the sidewalk is for walking.
meter readers might. Few others go to every house everyday. Jehovah Witnesses, maybe real estate agents or people leaving flyers on your doorstep. They don't wear a government uniform with the protection it provides and they don't have management willing to go as far as firing them for wasting time if they don't take a straight line.
It depends "rural carriers" and contract carriers are payed by the route using a formula using the average mail volume. "City carriers" are paid by the hour and the many conflicts are with carriers and management arguing over just how long the task will take everyday. Some supervisors and carriers are flexible, others try to hold you to the minute of the computer prediction. A few years ago in a snowy district a supervisor tried to issue discipline because the carrier did not take a straight line breaking through the snow on someones lawn. I don't know if the walkway was not shoveled thus it would have saved time but it did happen. We have had carriers up for termination because a supervisor thought she did not have a long enough stride in her walk. Inside clerks have it worse, it is the cause of "going postal"
Article 41.3.N of the contract between the postal service and their city carriers: N. Letter Carriers may cross lawns while making deliveries
if customers do not object and there are no particular hazards
to the carrier.
If a carrier has had trouble with discipline before or is a letter of the law type he might request a letter from you for his route instruction book to prove why he is wasting time. A substitute carrier would not be given time to check that route book for special instructions and when he sees that straight line while on the street delivering he will take it not knowing that the resident made an objection to the carriers walking across the lawn.
meter readers might. Few others go to every house everyday. Jehovah Witnesses, maybe real estate agents or people leaving flyers on your doorstep. They don't wear a government uniform with the protection it provides and they don't have management willing to go as far as firing them for wasting time if they don't take a straight line.
None of that matters to the homeowner whose landscaping is being trampled upon.
Told the UPS dude a few years ago to please STOP walking up my front lawn and through my mulched landscaping bed.
He did. We've have a new one for a good year or two and he has NEVER walked through my landscaping - and the FedEX drivers, NEVER did.
Had a recent issue with the "new" USPS carrier being so short that she had to pull up super close to my street mailbox, and would let my mailbox door slam against the door of her mail car - which chipped the enamel off of the box. Not ok. Head Beyotch in charge of the branch that delivers my mail is also the "go-to" person when you need a passport. She was nasty when I took my kids to get passports and even more nasty when I called to complain that her "new" mail carrier had damaged my mail box - after a good 5 years of no problems with carriers who didn't have arm length issues. She told me "we don't compensate unless your box got run over and then you'd have to prove one of my drivers did it". Still sent someone out to check my mailbox - yes, it was damaged…still said, "your problem, not mine. Get a less fancy box if you don't want it damaged or a PO box".
Really?
What happened to having a little respect? Not that hard, but apparently lost on the tax dollar paid for USPS employees in my town.
Through accounting tricks postal workers are not paid by tax dollars but by the sale of postage. Tax dollars merely guarantee loans for stuff like new vehicles, which is why the average truck is twenty years old and guarantees retirement benefits should the service default on payments. The last few years the service has defaulted on contributions to retirement plans for people hired 75 years in the future.
If it's not a public dedicated right of way then it's trespassing unless permission is granted.
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.
