NationStates Jolt Archive

What do you think? I'm especially interested in hearing the opinions of libertarians.

If you consider that two private companies do a better job of shipping packages than the USPS, and if you consider that first class mail is becoming less and less of a real need (people either send express packages through the private companies or they email or fax), and the bulk of the USPS work is shipping bulk mail - essentially paid spam - then you might want to consider it.

After all, the USPS now uses FedEx to ship its Priority Mail, because after years of failure, they couldn't replicate the software and organization that FedEx already had in place.

If you have a bureaucracy that has no idea what competition means, and they've been sitting on their collective asses for decades, they're not going to suddenly get up and do things right, no matter what you say to them.

The USPS is a joke, always has been a joke, and always will be a joke.

What do you think? I'm especially interested in hearing the opinions of libertarians.

If you want regular home delivery, especially in rural areas, to cease, and the cost of shipping to jump drastically, sure. Not to mention that IIRC, a government postal service is constitutionally guarranteed, so we'd have to ammend that a bit.

If you consider that two private companies do a better job of shipping packages than the USPS,

If you consider that packages (or parcels, as they are called at the USPS) have never been the primary business of the USPS...

After all, the USPS now uses FedEx to ship its Priority Mail, because after years of failure, they couldn't replicate the software and organization that FedEx already had in place.

They have a deal to use FedEx planes, because commercial airlines regularly bump the mail (not that FedEx doesn't, but at least it is less often). They do not use the entire FedEx shipping process.

If you have a bureaucracy that has no idea what competition means,

They know what competition means. They also know that raising the price of a stamp, even by a single penny, brings in so many complaints and completely false claims of, "My taxes pay your salary," (Point: Not a single tax dollar goes to run the USPS and the only person getting salary out of taxes is the Postmaster General).

and they've been sitting on their collective asses for decades, they're not going to suddenly get up and do things right, no matter what you say to them.

What do you consider "doing things right?" The post office sends things further, and for much less money (even when the timing is the same) than any other company. Find me any other company in the world where I can send something from GA to WA, or even from GA overseas to a soldier, for only 37 cents.

No keep it public, and while your at it, nationalize everything.

I am a libertarian, and I also used to work for the USPS as a PTF city letter carrier. I also HATE the post office because they forced me to resign because I have Crohn's Disease and was out sick so much for surgery. There are so many issues I could go into here, but I'll try to focus on a few and keep it short.

Anyways. The problem with the post office is management, clear and simple. I have never in my life encountered a situation that could more accurately be described as a "hostile work environment." Low-Mid level managers do not get paid anywhere near what they would in the private sector. In fact, your everyday mailman probably makes more than his manager because of the NALC. (National Association of Letter Carriers, i.e. the mailman union) This, of course, does not make the managers happy- and they use every opportunity to take it out on the postal workers. Because of the strict union contract, there are very specific things a manager is allowed to do- but they are still the managers, and can bend the rules, such as having your route evaluated on a slow day (one where they curtail all third class mail, etc.), and then expect you to deliver every day at the same pace. When you can't, you get into trouble. You don't get adjustments for the mail coming in late, or for express mail you have to deliver, or if somebody that lives on the third floor of an apartment gets five 50 lb packages, or for traffic, or of you get chased down the street for a dog, etc etc. You are expected to complete your route on time, every time.

Parcels are a problem, since the post office was not designed to deliver them. However, in an attempt to make more money, (and thus get a bigger bonus) management tries to push parcel post, and the Priority Parcel service. Even though all it does is put a bigger strain on the mail handlers, clerks, and letter carriers.

The other biggest problem is bulk business mail. Things like, newspaper samplers (called bullseye), and political mail make it that much harder because it takes up a lot of space, goes to a lot of addresses, and slows you down. The worst, coupon flyers (called advo), go out EVERY week, to every address. These mass sendings are at WAY below the normal mail rate, because the businesses get massive discounts for sending to so many addresses. If they didn't get such a huge discount (for example, they might pay 3 cents to mail a Money magazine where you would have to pay 1.17 to mail something the same size) the post office would 1- have less junk mail, and 2- make money.

Anyways. The problem with the post office is management, clear and simple. I have never in my life encountered a situation that could more accurately be described as a "hostile work environment." Low-Mid level managers do not get paid anywhere near what they would in the private sector. In fact, your everyday mailman probably makes more than his manager because of the NALC. (National Association of Letter Carriers, i.e. the mailman union) This, of course, does not make the managers happy- and they use every opportunity to take it out on the postal workers. Because of the strict union contract, there are very specific things a manager is allowed to do- but they are still the managers, and can bend the rules, such as having your route evaluated on a slow day (one where they curtail all third class mail, etc.), and then expect you to deliver every day at the same pace. When you can't, you get into trouble. You don't get adjustments for the mail coming in late, or for express mail you have to deliver, or if somebody that lives on the third floor of an apartment gets five 50 lb packages, or for traffic, or of you get chased down the street for a dog, etc etc. You are expected to complete your route on time, every time. I do rural mail part time. The rural union is worse than nothing. The contract says we have to average 30mph on 35mph roads while making a stop every third of a mile. If there are any math people who can tell me how that's possible I would like to hear the calculations. My Post Master is the best boss I've ever worked for BUT he really has no authority to do anything. he bends rules to make things better for us but puts his neck on the line to do it. Delivery time is a problem. I'm to be back at the PO at 4:00, the outgoing truck will be there at 4:30. A flat tire, a bunch of certifieds, lots of big packages, sometimes means I'm running 70mph on 35mph gravel roads instead of my usual 40-50mph.

Parcels are a problem, since the post office was not designed to deliver them. However, in an attempt to make more money, (and thus get a bigger bonus) management tries to push parcel post, and the Priority Parcel service. Even though all it does is put a bigger strain on the mail handlers, clerks, and letter carriers.
One of the things most people don't know is the USPS handles lots of UPS packages. Don't ask me how they decide which ones we take and which ones we don't, sometimes I meet the UPS man on a road and we're both delivering a UPS package to the same place. So much for private business.

The other biggest problem is bulk business mail. Things like, newspaper samplers (called bullseye), and political mail make it that much harder because it takes up a lot of space, goes to a lot of addresses, and slows you down. The worst, coupon flyers (called advo), go out EVERY week, to every address. These mass sendings are at WAY below the normal mail rate, because the businesses get massive discounts for sending to so many addresses. If they didn't get such a huge discount (for example, they might pay 3 cents to mail a Money magazine where you would have to pay 1.17 to mail something the same size) the post office would 1- have less junk mail, and 2- make money.This shows what a good lobby in Washington can do. Walmart ads are the worst. Slick paper with lots of little cards, etc. falling out. But they get rates passed no one else can touch.

Try sending a first class letter anywhere else in the world that will cover the distance from Seattle to Miami for thirty-nine cents and see how hard you get laughed at. Plus, the USPS has provided solid, middle-class jobs for a lot of people who might not have had a shot at the middle-class otherwise--my father-in-law is one of them. Plus--and this is what everyone who talks about privatization doesn't want to mention--a big part of the reason the USPS is so cheap is because it doesn't have a profit incentive. All it has to do is break even every year, and most years it does pull a small profit, even with the very low rates it charges. Any supposed benefits from privatization would be offset by the demand by stockholders for dividends or higher stock prices.

I do rural mail part time. The rural union is worse than nothing.
I always wondered why the rural carriers never ditched the RCA and joined the NALC. I remember a few years ago a big controversy when the RCA put out flyers and stuff warning rural carriers against talking to reps of the NALC.

One of the things most people don't know is the USPS handles lots of UPS packages. Don't ask me how they decide which ones we take and which ones we don't, sometimes I meet the UPS man on a road and we're both delivering a UPS package to the same place. So much for private business.
Those are all those damn third class and book rate parcels, like checkbooks and such. UPS charges more than the USPS does- they pay the USPS just less than their markup on mass quantity mailings since UPS doesn't have the manpower to deliver them. UPS still makes money on the handling, and the USPS workers have MORE crap to deliver. For pennies on the package. But 100% of those pennies add up and go straight into- you guessed it, management bonuses.

This shows what a good lobby in Washington can do. Walmart ads are the worst. Slick paper with lots of little cards, etc. falling out. But they get rates passed no one else can touch.

All the coverages are bad. Wallmart is bad, but at least it only comes once a month. Bullseye is every week, advo is every week, Money magazine is once a month and depending where you are, you may also have Rooms to Go monthly, as well as business advo....etc etc.

USPS Priority Mail is a better way to ship small items than fedex or UPS.

This is one of the few things the Brits beat the Americans to privatising. :(

Try sending a first class letter anywhere else in the world that will cover the distance from Seattle to Miami for thirty-nine cents and see how hard you get laughed at. Plus, the USPS has provided solid, middle-class jobs for a lot of people who might not have had a shot at the middle-class otherwise--my father-in-law is one of them. Plus--and this is what everyone who talks about privatization doesn't want to mention--a big part of the reason the USPS is so cheap is because it doesn't have a profit incentive. All it has to do is break even every year, and most years it does pull a small profit, even with the very low rates it charges. Any supposed benefits from privatization would be offset by the demand by stockholders for dividends or higher stock prices.
And after all, the main function of government is to provide people with comfortable lives, right?

No, the need for government-subsidized postal service is gone. There is almost no reason to mail a one ounce, first class letter anymore. Email and other internet services have become the tools of choice for normal communications. The US Postal Service can't even compete with the other giants of package shipping.

Privatization would be a much wiser path than to continue the subsidies for a dying bureaucracy.

And after all, the main function of government is to provide people with comfortable lives, right?

No, the need for government-subsidized postal service is gone. There is almost no reason to mail a one ounce, first class letter anymore. Email and other internet services have become the tools of choice for normal communications. The US Postal Service can't even compete with the other giants of package shipping.

Privatization would be a much wiser path than to continue the subsidies for a dying bureaucracy.
The main function? No. An added benefit to providing a service that private enterprise would not? Sure. Because let's be realistic--without some form of government subsidy, no private company would deliver rural mail. We've seen it in internet service. We've seen it in cable tv. If there's not a sufficient population density to make it profitable, private businesses don't go there, and when it comes to mail delivery, that would certainly be the case. So we can either pay mail carriers a decent wage to deliver the mail, or we can pay a private company to do it and make a profit, but make no mistake--taxpayers would still pay for mail delivery in their taxes. I'd rather see the money go to workers than stockholders. But hey, I'm a socialist like that.

The main function? No. An added benefit to providing a service that private enterprise would not? Sure. Because let's be realistic--without some form of government subsidy, no private company would deliver rural mail. We've seen it in internet service. We've seen it in cable tv. If there's not a sufficient population density to make it profitable, private businesses don't go there, and when it comes to mail delivery, that would certainly be the case. So we can either pay mail carriers a decent wage to deliver the mail, or we can pay a private company to do it and make a profit, but make no mistake--taxpayers would still pay for mail delivery in their taxes. I'd rather see the money go to workers than stockholders. But hey, I'm a socialist like that.
So the folks out in the country, and I've been one, would have to go to town for mail. Big deal. We go to town for groceries, too. I wouldn't miss the junk mail that floods my mailbox.

Anyways. The problem with the post office is management, clear and simple. I have never in my life encountered a situation that could more accurately be described as a "hostile work environment."

Sounds to me like you just had a shitty manager. Meanwhile, guess what managers tend to see as the biggest problem? The union! It is damn near impossible to fire a postal worker, even if they don't ever do their jobs and use up all sick leave within the first two months on made-up maladies.

Because of the strict union contract, there are very specific things a manager is allowed to do- but they are still the managers, and can bend the rules, such as having your route evaluated on a slow day (one where they curtail all third class mail, etc.), and then expect you to deliver every day at the same pace. When you can't, you get into trouble.

This is laughable. My mother has been both a carrier manager and a postmaster for quite a while now and has never been able to get someone in trouble for not delivering every day at the same pace. If a carrier has a heavier than average day, she will sometimes go herself and deliver some of the mail separately. If you are regulary coming in extremely late, then sure, a carrier may get a warning or something, but that's about it.

I do rural mail part time. The rural union is worse than nothing. The contract says we have to average 30mph on 35mph roads while making a stop every third of a mile. If there are any math people who can tell me how that's possible I would like to hear the calculations. My Post Master is the best boss I've ever worked for BUT he really has no authority to do anything. he bends rules to make things better for us but puts his neck on the line to do it. Delivery time is a problem. I'm to be back at the PO at 4:00, the outgoing truck will be there at 4:30. A flat tire, a bunch of certifieds, lots of big packages, sometimes means I'm running 70mph on 35mph gravel roads instead of my usual 40-50mph.

Maybe this is all because you are part time (a sub, I take it?) rather than a full-time carrier and don't know the route as well. Every rural carrier I've ever known (and I've known quite a few, including my stepfather) regularly gets out of work and even home by 3 or 3:30. Why? Because they get paid for the rated time of their route no matter how much time they actually take on it. If the route is rated at 9 hours, but you can actually finish it by 3, great! You still get paid for 9 hours. Every rural carrier I've ever known has been able to do this on all but the heaviest of days - but the customers often complain on the days the subs are in.

No, the need for government-subsidized postal service is gone.

That's good, since there is no such thing. In fact, the government owes the post office money, having regularly "borrowed" from their surplus on the years that made one.

The *only* thing the government pays for having to do with the post office is the postmaster general - and he is largely ignored by those that actually run the place.

There is almost no reason to mail a one ounce, first class letter anymore.

I do it all the time.

Privatization would be a much wiser path than to continue the subsidies for a dying bureaucracy.

What subsidies? You mean the ones that don't exist? Tax dollars don't pay for a damn thing at the post office.

That's good, since there is no such thing. In fact, the government owes the post office money, having regularly "borrowed" from their surplus on the years that made one.

The *only* thing the government pays for having to do with the post office is the postmaster general - and he is largely ignored by those that actually run the place.

What subsidies? You mean the ones that don't exist? Tax dollars don't pay for a damn thing at the post office.
I'm glad you pointed this out as well. My father-in-law is a letter carrier (as his his brother) and so I know all this stuff, but few people who don't have a direct connection to the postal service know it.

I'm glad you pointed this out as well. My father-in-law is a letter carrier (as his his brother) and so I know all this stuff, but few people who don't have a direct connection to the postal service know it.

The question I have is the relevance of the current postal service.

First class mail is dying. The USPS sucks at delivering packages (compared to UPS and FedEx). Their overnight service also sucks by comparison.

Email and fax and overnight services are killing the first class letter - so all that's left for the USPS to make money from is bulk mail and bills - and how many of you love to get bulk mail addressed to "Occupant"?

Recently, some letter carriers had made private arrangements with their customers - and the customers asked, "could you please leave out the junk mail, thank you," so the letter carriers complied.

Then they were fired.

USPS Priority Mail is a better way to ship small items than fedex or UPS.

Its also considerably more expensive.

If I send a package via UPS, its going to arrive to you in less than three days, and probably cost me a couple of dollars.
If I use the USPS, its gonna take a week, and cost me at least 5 dollars.

As for letters....

Who sends letters anymore?

I havent mailed an actual letter in years.
I pay most of my bills with debit card, and cell phone, so no postage needed there.

If the USPS is going to stay afloat, they simply have to compete.
Im not going to use it, out of some silly notion of patriotism.
If they want my money, they have to be able to deliver my stuff, faster, and cheaper than the other guys.
Thats how business works.

The USPS is a joke, always has been a joke, and always will be a joke.
with all the people going postal, I thought it was the newest branch of the armed services.

my postman sucks. I only get my mail about 1/4 of the time, I have complained more times than I can count, there is still mail that I haven't recieved. It's getting worse, I live on a NW # street and I got the mail yesterday for someone with the same address but on SE # street ! that's too far for me to drive to drop off thier mail, so I wrote wrong address on it, and the next day it was gone but I recieved more mail for them :headbang:

maybe if it was a private owned company this guy would have been fired by now and I would have gotten someone who pays attention.

Who sends letters anymore?


I still send letters, get well cards, birthday cards, thank you notes, invitations, post cards, ect. There is still something special about getting something in the mail, it's much more special to get a birthday card in the mail, than getting a phone call or an email.

with all the people going postal, I thought it was the newest branch of the armed services.
That's a great idea.

We could withdraw the Army and Marines, and parachute our postal employees into Iraq. They would already have their own guns and ammunition, so we'll save a bunch.

All we have to do then is tell the postal employees (via form letter) that every Iraqi on the street is their new supervisor.

Announce that the union is dissolved, we're going to pay them 10 cents an hour, and they'll work 120 hours a week.

I bet that will cause some fireworks.

The US government needs to make FedEX and UPS draw lots at the end of each year to see which will be contracted to handle average, everyday mail. That way, mail will be delivered faster and at a higher percentage rate of success and people will be paid real money. And, making them fight for it once a year creates a competition instead of a Haliburtonesque monopoly.

I still send letters, get well cards, birthday cards, thank you notes, invitations, post cards, ect. There is still something special about getting something in the mail, it's much more special to get a birthday card in the mail, than getting a phone call or an email.

Telegrams were cute, too, especially the singing ones.

But telegrams are gone...

Its also considerably more expensive.

If I send a package via UPS, its going to arrive to you in less than three days, and probably cost me a couple of dollars.
If I use the USPS, its gonna take a week, and cost me at least 5 dollars.

As for letters....

Who sends letters anymore?

I havent mailed an actual letter in years.
I pay most of my bills with debit card, and cell phone, so no postage needed there.

If the USPS is going to stay afloat, they simply have to compete.
Im not going to use it, out of some silly notion of patriotism.
If they want my money, they have to be able to deliver my stuff, faster, and cheaper than the other guys.
Thats how business works.
When was the last time you actually compared apples to apples between the two? No way is UPS cheaper.

And the USPS is doing better than simply staying afloat--they're one of the few government agencies that runs a profit every year.

Suprisingly, I think the USPS is pretty decent. I mean, I can mail a letter here and it gets to california in a few days, and only costs a few cents. (Well not quite but 39c is pretty good).

Quite often, when I've mailed stuff in NYC, it's arrived the next day. Especially with the 'local' mailbox system.

I've never had a problem with lost letters. (That I know of).

I use it for international parcels too. Also excellent service for the price, when compared to the alternatives. (Though somewhat slower, still it's not like I am mailing sushi tuna).

When compared to the postal service in other countries, it really is excellent value for money. Of all the government appendages, the USPS is one of the few that actually gets the job done well. I am always surprised at the animosity it generates.

If you consider that two private companies do a better job of shipping packages than the USPS, and if you consider that first class mail is becoming less and less of a real need (people either send express packages through the private companies or they email or fax), and the bulk of the USPS work is shipping bulk mail - essentially paid spam - then you might want to consider it.

After all, the USPS now uses FedEx to ship its Priority Mail, because after years of failure, they couldn't replicate the software and organization that FedEx already had in place.

If you have a bureaucracy that has no idea what competition means, and they've been sitting on their collective asses for decades, they're not going to suddenly get up and do things right, no matter what you say to them.
First Class is still very much used and important. Also, not everyone can access or use a computer.

Telegrams were cute, too, especially the singing ones.

But telegrams are gone...
hey, you can still get singing telegrams! but, yeah I see what you are saying, I think you won't be able to entirely get rid of letters and such until the baby boomers die off (or get so senile that they don't know the difference) ;)

The question I have is the relevance of the current postal service.

First class mail is dying. The USPS sucks at delivering packages (compared to UPS and FedEx). Their overnight service also sucks by comparison.

Email and fax and overnight services are killing the first class letter - so all that's left for the USPS to make money from is bulk mail and bills - and how many of you love to get bulk mail addressed to "Occupant"?

Recently, some letter carriers had made private arrangements with their customers - and the customers asked, "could you please leave out the junk mail, thank you," so the letter carriers complied.

Then they were fired.

You say that like it's a horrible thing. Remember, the person getting the mail is simply getting a free service. They are not paying to have the mailman deliver the mail. On the other hand, the person who sends the mail has paid for it to be delivered. Thus, a carrier who decides what mail to deliver, and what mail not to deliver, has done no different than a florist who takes everyone's money, but only delivers the bouquets that have roses in them.

Its also considerably more expensive.

I can't think of a single service that actually costs more at the USPS than any other carrier service. The few times I've used UPS or FedEx, it has been much more expensive than using USPS.

If I send a package via UPS, its going to arrive to you in less than three days, and probably cost me a couple of dollars.
If I use the USPS, its gonna take a week, and cost me at least 5 dollars.

My experience has never been that the USPS takes any longer than any other carrier. They generally say to give it a week, and then it often gets there in two to three days.

Now, if we're talking about packages that are ordered from companies, the USPS price is often more expensive there because the company has a deal with UPS or some other carrier and thus ups the price on sending something USPS.

As for letters....

Who sends letters anymore?[/quoet]

I do, sometimes. And later this year when I start sending out wedding stuff, it'll be sent through the mail. I send out Christmas cards on the years when I get to it on time. I don't like direct deposit or using my credit card much, not to mention that I like to have a paper copy of the bill, so I still do my bills mostly through the mail.

[quote]If the USPS is going to stay afloat, they simply have to compete.
Im not going to use it, out of some silly notion of patriotism.
If they want my money, they have to be able to deliver my stuff, faster, and cheaper than the other guys.
Thats how business works.

They may not be faster, but they are definitely cheaper. I've never spent more than $12 sending anything USPS - and that was an overnight delivery. I've never spent less than that at any other carrier.

my postman sucks. I only get my mail about 1/4 of the time, I have complained more times than I can count, there is still mail that I haven't recieved. It's getting worse, I live on a NW # street and I got the mail yesterday for someone with the same address but on SE # street ! that's too far for me to drive to drop off thier mail, so I wrote wrong address on it, and the next day it was gone but I recieved more mail for them

maybe if it was a private owned company this guy would have been fired by now and I would have gotten someone who pays attention.

I don't think its a matter of privately owned/publicly owned, but more a matter of the control the union has in the postal service. I'm not anti-union, but the way the union guidelines work in the USPS, it is damn near impossible to fire someone, especially if they just happen to be a veteran. Generally, they just have warning after warning pile up in their file and keep on getting paychecks. My mother has had to deal with some of the worst employees in the world, and has never been able to fire anyone who wasn't committing a felony at the time.

hey, you can still get singing telegrams! but, yeah I see what you are saying, I think you won't be able to entirely get rid of letters and such until the baby boomers die off (or get so senile that they don't know the difference) ;)
The one place I've seen direct mail beat email is in advertising. I don't use many ads I get in the mail, but what little spam gets through my email filter gets ignored with extreme prejudice, and is likely to cause me to never use that company again.

My mother has been both a carrier manager and a postmaster for quite a while now and has never been able to get someone in trouble for not delivering every day at the same pace. If a carrier has a heavier than average day, she will sometimes go herself and deliver some of the mail separately. WOW! I though I had a great Post Master. Never had an offer to do part of the route.

Maybe this is all because you are part time (a sub, I take it?) rather than a full-time carrier and don't know the route as well. Every rural carrier I've ever known (and I've known quite a few, including my stepfather) regularly gets out of work and even home by 3 or 3:30. Why? Because they get paid for the rated time of their route no matter how much time they actually take on it. If the route is rated at 9 hours, but you can actually finish it by 3, great! You still get paid for 9 hours. Every rural carrier I've ever known has been able to do this on all but the heaviest of days - but the customers often complain on the days the subs are in. I've been doing the same route for 7 years for one summer full time. There are two ways to beat the system. 1. You can cut down on service. You get 20 seconds per box for service. Most boxes don't take that long, but a certified (or other signiture piece) or big package, or other door call eats up the extra. There are lots of ways to cut service. Don't deliver large packages to the door. Don't finger through to make sure things are sorted correctly. Knock once and run, before they get to the door. Skip boxes on dead end roads if they don't have a delivery. Throw Presorted if the address isn't exact. Skip delivering packages to anyone with any kind of dog. The list goes on.
2. Cut down on safety. Drive fast. Finger the mail while driving. Put boxholders in the pile while driving. Stack too much mail in the front seat. Don't shut off the car during deliveries. This list also goes on.

I've finished a 6 hour drive in three hours. No service. No safety. Some do it every day. None do it by the contracted service and driving formula.

WOW! I though I had a great Post Master. Never had an offer to do part of the route.

You want work ethic? You meet my mother, LOL. She also goes out on Christmas with her little Santa hat to deliver Express Mail.

I've been doing the same route for 7 years for one summer full time. There are two ways to beat the system. 1. You can cut down on service. You get 20 seconds per box for service. Most boxes don't take that long, but a certified (or other signiture piece) or big package, or other door call eats up the extra. There are lots of ways to cut service. Don't deliver large packages to the door. Don't finger through to make sure things are sorted correctly. Knock once and run, before they get to the door. Skip boxes on dead end roads if they don't have a delivery. Throw Presorted if the address isn't exact. Skip delivering packages to anyone with any kind of dog. The list goes on.
2. Cut down on safety. Drive fast. Finger the mail while driving. Put boxholders in the pile while driving. Stack too much mail in the front seat. Don't shut off the car during deliveries. This list also goes on.

I can tell you that the two people I've known best as rural carriers didn't do any of #1. My stepfather even has time to chat with some of his customers and has bought a car from one of them. He actually gets angry because his route is evaluated either on heavy days or when a sub does it, and so it has gotten unnecessarily cut for several years. In fact, interestingly enough, the rural carriers who finish the fastest always seem to get the most commendation for service from their customers.

As for #2, most of the people I know drive more quickly than the speed limit at least. I wouldnt be surprised if they handle mail while driving. It probably helps to have a vehicle with the steering wheel on the right side of the car too. One of the women I knew ended up with a hernia from trying to stretch across too much and bought a vehicle with the steering wheel there - it apparently helped quite a bit.