New Route, New Customers, LONG

[Aethian]

Well as you may have remembered, now that I have brought it up, I'm on a new route in a new office.

But with all new things come new customers and me of course being new to them. Most were overjoyed that over a month period they finally have a perminate carrier. Me...I'm still in that whole, do I run from the route or do I stay...

See I moved from a mounted route, meaning I drove all day and only got out for parcels. Now I'm on a walking route where I walk, and walk, and walk even more. Not to mention the stairs to get up to the mail slots/tiny wall mail boxes/good mail boxes. Oh my goodness are there stairs....so many many stairs. *whimpers*

But coming to the people on the route, they don't seem all that bad. I'm not down in the areas of constant gang fighting (I still want to know who made a route covering three territories), nor am I in a area where I stand out even more then my postal blues make me stand out. No I am in a area that is known as a student ghetto...lots of move ins and move outs and some just disappearing with no knowledge to anyone else.

See now I'm getting off track and this should just be in the off topic area but I do have some sucky customers for all of you to revel in and remind yourself that your not me and be happy about it.


Drug Deal gone bad...

Now this isn't so much against me as I happened to find myself trapped on a porch. The carrier before me had left a note that explained that this house was a 'iffy house' Saturday I found out why. They were smoking pot and playing with some needles. But they were nice to me so I always think I'm in a weird position. Do I report it or do I...ignore it. Well I've been told by fellow carriers to ignore it as best as I can.

Today was a little different, I get up to the house and the lady of the house has some questions about forwarding mail. Her guy and his guy friends were sitting back and passing a 'cigg.' back and forth while another was making some more and I don't think that was tobacco they were rolling either.

Another guy comes up and start complaining about something he had gotten earlier and very quickly things were deteriorating. Shifting myself from the woman who all of a sudden seems to disappear I give a blank look at the door before looking back at the guys. Somehow a gun has appeared and I'm not exactly on the right end of it so while words get more and more heated all of a sudden I tell them, "I have kid pictures, would you like to see?"

One of the guys arguing stops and just looks at me, guy with gun looks uncertain as well. "Yup a lovely four year old, have to hurry on this so that I can get home to him." Carefully edging myself to the side I watch them cautiously as I get off of the porch and move back to the truck and then move the truck down the street. Don't know what ended up happening but I never heard any shots so...I don't know.


Your Late

SW = Sucky Woman
Me = Well...me...

SW: You are so late, you should have been here a HOUR ago.
Me: Yea, second day on the route, haven't got my speed up yet. Hope to have it soon.
SW: Well what happened to being on time?
Me: I'll get there soon, maybe a week or so.
SW: That is not good enough. I pay your salery and I want my mail sooner.
Me: Mam, it will come when I get here. I'm new to the route and my speed isn't up to what the former carrier could do. I will get faster, just give me some time.
SW: I don't understand why the post office has to hire such slow and stupid carriers.
Me: *blinking* (The hell?) If you don't like it, call the post office.
SW: Oh I will and I will have your job.
Me: Oh will you? Hope to see you in the post office soon then. *grins* Have a good afternoon and good luck on the postal exam.
SW: *sputters* Wha...huh?


*whistles innocently*



I have more, two days I shouldn't have more but I do. Except this has gotten long enough and they don't all belong in the SC thread. *sighs* More later when I have food in me and I can type it all.

[Gurndigarn]

SW: You are so late, you should have been here a HOUR ago.
Me: Yea, second day on the route, haven't got my speed up yet. Hope to have it soon.
SW: Well what happened to being on time?
Me: I'll get there soon, maybe a week or so.
SW: That is not good enough. I pay your salery and I want my mail sooner.

How much control do you have over the actual path you take? IE, can you make her one of the 3:00-4:00 stops?

[Hyndis]

Err, you witnessed a criminal act, were threatened with a gun, and overheard yet another criminal act.

Report it to the police.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

[Aethian]

Thats not the point, really it isn't.

I have full control over the route and can put it into change I want to except that we have a new Postmaster of (city) and she is....controlling to say the least.

Except if I change the route I'm going to screw over my relief person who has been doing the routes day off for over ten years, not fair to change it on him. And I'm supposed to be getting off the route at 4:12, according to the MSP scan time sheet. I didn't get done till 6:01. Again my second time on the route and I'm quite a bit out of shape for this type of route. I will get faster, but again...it takes a bit of time.

[Aethian]

Err, you witnessed a criminal act, were threatened with a gun, and overheard yet another criminal act.

Report it to the police.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

I wasn't threatened by the gun, I was at the door, guys getting threatened were between me and gun. But by that logic I was on it's wrong end.


We had a carrier here not to long ago, five maybe to ten years ago who went to the police with all that he saw on his route. He got beaten up pretty bad and then was getting threatened by more then one person.

I was told by management to report such things. I was told by fellow carriers that to say safe, one stays quiet. If it was something to do with underagers yes I would report it but with something that involves open danger like that....self preservation is higher in my book.

[lupo pazzesco]

Wow...postal carriers get such a bad rap for being slow, I don't think people understand the sheer volume of work that has to be done for one route. That woman demanding you be on time needs to work a day in your shoes. Loved your comeback to her!

As for the drug deal...er...right. I'd report it anonymously from a pay phone if you're worried about self preservation, but something like that probably needs to be reported, if only for public safety. Just my opinion, though.

[Aethian]

I don't think it was so much as a deal as someone felt jipped somehow. I dunno, I mean I got to witness a drug bust and was even to told to go back to the office by the officers there. A couple carriers were sent back because it wasn't safe for anyone.

[Chromatix]

There's a fair chance that by providing a distraction, you possibly defused some of the tension in that argument. Doesn't sound like fun, but anyway.

[Evil Queen]

Oh, my poor countess.

*hugs and feeds cookies*

[BlackIronCrown]

I was told by management to report such things. I was told by fellow carriers that to say safe, one stays quiet. If it was something to do with underagers yes I would report it but with something that involves open danger like that....self preservation is higher in my book.

Much as I love law and order, anonymous tipping, and providing evidence of nefarious doings, your fellow carriers have the right of it. It's too easy to identify the snitch. It could get you permanently hurt. I'd say that unless you are directly threatened and/or it is a major crime (murder, child abuse, etc) you should just keep mum.

[Aethian]

UPDATE: On the stupid druggies when I went by to deliver their mail yesterday....ALL of them were sitting on the porch and laughing/joking about something that had happened. So yea, I don't understand people.


To the lady I "told" to take the test...she called and complained. My new supervisior told me to just ignore her after this and don't bite at her complaining.

[SuperB]

Makes me appreciate my small office and customers a lot more. Good luck on the new route. I've never had to deal with a route but even just putting the mail in their boxes they'll come in during the time when they should know I'm putting the mail up (not like the times have changed in all these years), get their business done, want to talk and after talking about nothing want to know why the mail isn't up yet.

Last Saturday the local complainer came in right at closing. Right at closing means I'd already handed the outgoing mail over to the mailman and I was closing up. She comes in, drops them in the slot and asks if they'll go out today. Again, times haven't changed in years.
Me: "He just left, sorry"
Complainer: "HE'S RIGHT OUTSIDE!"
Me: "If he hasn't driven off yet try to catch him but I can't see him and he's signed out and taken the outgoing from me" (she walked right past him!)
Complainer: "Well let me have them because he's NOT gone!"
Me: (handing the letters back) "Again, I can't see his vehicle and as far as this office is concerned, he's left with the outgoing mail".

And just now as I'm writing this (love my one person office)... When people come in they usually get their mail and leave so I don't immediately jump up at the sound of the door. The locals *usually* know to holler out to whomever is in the back but this guy... I think he had issues but he comes in with "hello, hello, it's important, hello, it's important..." So I get out there and there's no way I'm getting close to the counter with this guy. He then asks about the "liberty bell" and if I have any.
Yes, one left actually. Then he wants to know how much they are compared to the flag stamps then if they'll still be .42 in a few months (as if I have any advanced knowledge of postal increases) During this he asked me to "come here". Yeah, don't think so.
THEN rambling on about how many letters he has to send his mother he lets me know he actually has enough at home and will I throw away his trash.
Um, rumpled tissue, no. Use the garbage can right outside please.

Ugh.

As for the gun incident, you really are between a rock and a hard place with that one. You shouldn't have to deal with any possible violence but to report it would put you in danger as well. It would be nice if there was a way you could refuse delivery to them without involving the police but knowing what I know of the USPS, they won't be very inclined to be any help whatsoever. Best of luck with that house.