Sixteen Four Year Olds Invade Post Office!

Today we were blessed with the presence of sixteen four year olds at our post office. Now if you know the size of our post office, you might wonder where we put them all--some here and some there.

Each one had a letter to mail to their home and I let them hand cancel the stamp and then put the letter in the correct slot for their home--whether it be a post office box or a slot on the carrier's case. We have done this for a number of years and I should not be surprised of the firsts. This was much better than the time one of the kids threw up at the post office. I think they were coming down with something--not a reflection of their opinion of the tour. Poor kid was embarrassed. I thank my clerk for handling that dirty job while I finished the tour.

This year we did have two other firsts. Some of the kids don't have a slot to put their letter in because it goes to the west side of town and has to ride on the "big truck that will take your letter tonight and then deliver it to your home tomorrow", as I told them. Perhaps she found that scary, or perhaps she had heard about lost mail, or maybe her parents only grumble about mail and don't like to receive it; but for the first time we had a little girl who did not want to part with her letter. No matter how we tried to tell her what fun it would be to get it at her home tomorrow in the mail, she was tearfully clinging to her letter. The teacher even tried demanding. She was steadfast. The teacher and an aide stayed with her while I continued with my tour. Somehow she finally decided to mail her letter and we cheered. (Now I pray it doesn't go astray.)

As the group was leaving, I gave them, as is the tradition, a postal coloring book. The teacher encouraged them as to etiquette when someone gives you something and here was the other first...A little girl raised her hand. I acknowledged her and she said, "Thank you, but no thank you. Coloring is just not my thing." From a four year old!!

Well, they made my day. As I get closer to retirement these tours will just be memories that will make me smile long after I'm gone.

Respecting the Rural Mailbox

I don't know if it's the warmer weather and more people are out walking or what, but at my post office, many people are breaking the law and I bet most don't even know it. One of my missions has been to make people aware of this. It is illegal to put things in people's mailboxes--notes, something you are returning, or an invitation--nothing. Here is the official rule from the postal Domestic Mail Manual Section 3.1.3 "no part of a mail receptacle may be used to deliver any matter not bearing postage, including items or matters placed upon, supported by, attached to, hung from, or inserted into a mail receptacle. Any mailable matter not bearing postage and found as described above is subject to the same postage as would be paid if it were carried by the mail."

I've taken some grief from the public for enforcing this rule. I am just doing my job. The immediate reaction is that this is just a way for the post office to make more money. Well, it is true that this cheats us out of money while using our system, but this is not the only reason for this rule. Please keep reading.

The minute that we allow anyone access to your mailbox, you are being put in jeopardy of someone tampering with your mail. That is why we do not allow strangers to put in advertisements, or neighbors put in notes, or anyone at all to use the mailbox without going through the proper channels. This protects them too. If you are missing a piece of mail and know someone put something in or on your mailbox one day, they could possibly become a suspect. Also, do you want your neighbors seeing what doctor bill you are getting or what magazines that you subscribe to? This law helps protect the sanctity and security of the mail. If we let this practice continue, the mailbox loses its respect. If it were common practice to use mailboxes as one pleased, this would compromise the safety of the mail.

I am here to bring back the respect that a mailbox deserves. Feel free to leave a note in someone's front door or on the windshield of their car, or even in the newspaper tube, but don't let me hear of you putting notes in a mailbox. I have harped on this subject for years. I'm surprised that someone hasn't told someone else, "How dare you open my mailbox?" It is a presumptuous thing to do and it is illegal. Protect your own mail, don't tell someone to put something in your mailbox. Keep your privacy.

Well, my rant is over.