canada post rant

[Tdel]

Several years ago I went out to check the mail on a really cold day in February and couldn't open the lock on our community mail box. I thought the lock was frozen so I bought some lock de-icer and then tried to heated up the key and free the frozen lock. No luck what so ever. So I waited until the weather was a a little above 0C which was about a week later and still no luck. I waited for the "mailman" to arrive at the mailbox and asked him for my mail. He asked me if I was having a problem so I explained to him that I couldn't open my mail box and he said it must be frozen. He tried to open it and couldn't. He had to use his master key to get the mail out of my box. I asked him to change my lock and he said he couldn't. He said I would have to go to the Post Office and let them know why I wanted my lock changed.

 

I did that and the postmaster told me to just go to the mailbox and wait for the mailman to show each day and ask him to give me my mail until the weather heated up. I told the postmaster that was just nuts. I worked shift work and couldn't always be there waiting for the mailman to show up. The postmaster then told me that I had to contact the mailman and ask him to change the lock. So the next day I spoke to the mailman and explained what the postmaster said. He said he couldn't do it until the postmaster told him to do it. I asked him what kind of flunkies work down there.

 

Now I am really getting upset when the mailman told me this little nugget. He said I don't know why there is so many problems here with these mailboxes. He said a woman down the street was complaining too about her mailbox because she just moved in and wanted the locks changed on her mailbox. She said the keys weren't returned by the person who use to live at that address. He said I changed her lock and gave her the new key to it. She asked him when was the lock on her mailbox going to be changed because the key he gave her did not open the box. He told me he had already changed her lock and didn't know why she was complaining. When I heard this I told him you must have changed my lock and not hers. He swore up and down he didn't make a mistake. I had to go back to the postmaster and demand that my lock be changed. It was like talking to people that are housed up on the hill. Almost two or three weeks later my lock was changed after many trips to the post office, talking to the postmaster, being told that it would be changed and wasn't, etc. etc.etc. After all that, the postman still told me he did not make a mistake.

One of the times I was talking to the mailman about my lock he dropped some mail in the slush and picked them up and just threw them on the floor of his van. He didn't even put them in the box.

 

A couple of months later the mailman knocked on my door to ask me if I could give these multiple packages to my neighbour because he was not home at the time. I did it as a favour for my neigbour.

My neigbours are getting my mail and I am getting theirs. Thank God that is only two or three times a year.

My mailbox is only used now to receive mail and what I receive is only minimal. I no longer mail anything. Their last strike was the straw that did it for me.

 

Oh one other thing .........quite a while back my income tax cheque was stolen. The officer I spoke to said they were investigating the Post Office because there were several Government cheques that did not make it to the proper addressee in town.

 

 

Didn't mean to hijack this thread with this lengthy post but this is also a rant I have. I just thought I would share.

[Billy Bob]

Several years ago I went out to check the mail on a really cold day in February and couldn't open the lock on our community mail box. I thought the lock was frozen so I bought some lock de-icer and then tried to heated up the key and free the frozen lock. No luck what so ever. So I waited until the weather was a a little above 0C which was about a week later and still no luck. I waited for the "mailman" to arrive at the mailbox and asked him for my mail. He asked me if I was having a problem so I explained to him that I couldn't open my mail box and he said it must be frozen. He tried to open it and couldn't. He had to use his master key to get the mail out of my box. I asked him to change my lock and he said he couldn't. He said I would have to go to the Post Office and let them know why I wanted my lock changed.

 

I did that and the postmaster told me to just go to the mailbox and wait for the mailman to show each day and ask him to give me my mail until the weather heated up. I told the postmaster that was just nuts. I worked shift work and couldn't always be there waiting for the mailman to show up. The postmaster then told me that I had to contact the mailman and ask him to change the lock. So the next day I spoke to the mailman and explained what the postmaster said. He said he couldn't do it until the postmaster told him to do it. I asked him what kind of flunkies work down there.

 

Now I am really getting upset when the mailman told me this little nugget. He said I don't know why there is so many problems here with these mailboxes. He said a woman down the street was complaining too about her mailbox because she just moved in and wanted the locks changed on her mailbox. She said the keys weren't returned by the person who use to live at that address. He said I changed her lock and gave her the new key to it. She asked him when was the lock on her mailbox going to be changed because the key he gave her did not open the box. He told me he had already changed her lock and didn't know why she was complaining. When I heard this I told him you must have changed my lock and not hers. He swore up and down he didn't make a mistake. I had to go back to the postmaster and demand that my lock be changed. It was like talking to people that are housed up on the hill. Almost two or three weeks later my lock was changed after many trips to the post office, talking to the postmaster, being told that it would be changed and wasn't, etc. etc.etc. After all that, the postman still told me he did not make a mistake.

One of the times I was talking to the mailman about my lock he dropped some mail in the slush and picked them up and just threw them on the floor of his van. He didn't even put them in the box.

 

A couple of months later the mailman knocked on my door to ask me if I could give these multiple packages to my neighbour because he was not home at the time. I did it as a favour for my neigbour.

My neigbours are getting my mail and I am getting theirs. Thank God that is only two or three times a year.

My mailbox is only used now to receive mail and what I receive is only minimal. I no longer mail anything. Their last strike was the straw that did it for me.

 

Oh one other thing .........quite a while back my income tax cheque was stolen. The officer I spoke to said they were investigating the Post Office because there were several Government cheques that did not make it to the proper addressee in town.

 

 

Didn't mean to hijack this thread with this lengthy post but this is also a rant I have. I just thought I would share.

 

SO, other then a couple of these small concerns.....are you satisfied with your mail service....

 

(That's the kind of question they might ask you)

[fishing n autograph]

Ummm.. you might wanna look in that book again.. subsection 3 over $5000.. subsection 4 under $5000.

 

Yeah its called mischief under and mischief over.... Its never called "willfull damage" anymore

[irishfield]

Yeah its called mischief under and mischief over.... Its never called "willfull damage" anymore

 

Generally yes.. agreed.. but look up one section 429.. explains what Wilful damage is to cover what 430 says about wilful misconduct causing damage, etc. The RCMP still lay and prosecute as Wiful damage...as recent as 2012.

 

BTW.. it was an attempt at humour given your position..

Edited February 9, 2012 by irishfield

[Tdel]

SO, other then a couple of these small concerns.....are you satisfied with your mail service....

 

(That's the kind of question they might ask you)

 

They don't talk to me and I don't talk to them. I am happier that way.

I have lived here for 42 years and have never been asked "Am I satisfied with my mail service."

 

By the way the mailman causing all or most of my problems is no longer there.

Probably retired or could have been fired ........ who knows. I don't really care.

[Photoz]

As a 25 year letter carrier I could likely tell you (true) stories that would curl your hair about what is expected of us, when we deliver the mail. Right now I'm sitting at home except for 2 hours a day of physio for a knee replacement, caused by someone to dam cheap to fix their front stairs! We have lotsa stuff to walk around, climb over & under out there. First . . . . what would you consider an acceptible error rate (we ain't perfect) for delivering mail . . . 90%? Or maybe 95%? how about 99%? On and average day, I delivered roughly 1200 letters, 400 larger envelopes and maybe 10 small parcels about 1600 pieces of mail to 425 points of call . . . if I had a 1% error rate, that would be 16 wrongly delivered! I rarely had any . . . 2 . . maybe 3 per week. We are out there in -20 weather & +90 degree weather, raging blizzards . . . downpours where you couldn't see! People leave good ol' 'Rover' to run loose (I carried 'bribes' in my satchel) he wouldn't hurt a fly, yeah h h h. Oh yeah, I had 2.5 hours to sort, tie out, bag & get those 1600 pieces of mail on the delivery truck to take 'em out to my walk. As for wrong addresses, a lot of letters come from other countries . .. they either have a terrible time spelling street names, or even writing them in English! This is my favourite story though . . . . I once received a letter 'To My Nana, Mrs. Bernstein North York Canada and the CORRECT POSTAL CODE . . . . it automatically came to my walk, and Mrs. Bernstein always got me a lovely card at Christmas, I didn't matter there was no money in it, the card musta cost her $10.00 . . . . no problemo . ... SHE GOT HER BIRTHDAY CARD FROM HER L'IL GRANDAUGHTER in Latvia, and right on time! When I wrecked my knee I had to give up my letter-carrier's job & work inside, sorting mail on the midnight shift. Yes, there are a few REALLY bad apples out on the 'beat' but thousands who are good people, like yourselves, just trying to make a living! There must be THOUSANDS who read this board . . . . they have all had a chance to relate their postal horror stories in this thread . . . . how many did? I rest my case! And Big Cliff, your carrier represents far more people than some I'm hearing about!Lovely to hear about!

[irishfield]

At least he got you off your ass and up to the keyboard Steve!!

[Photoz]

Yeah h h h . . . . I DO check in and 'skim' most days. The knee is ALMOST as sore now as it was back in mid-November when it was done. I'm startin' to get just a wee bit worried . . . . the normal time for this is about 5 to 8 weeks?

[DRIFTER_016]

Yeah h h h . . . . I DO check in and 'skim' most days. The knee is ALMOST as sore now as it was back in mid-November when it was done. I'm startin' to get just a wee bit worried . . . . the normal time for this is about 5 to 8 weeks?

 

I would be going in to see the doc.

We have a lady here at work who had hers done not long ago and it's infected and she is going to need to be operated on again.

[nofish4me]

I love Canada Post. It's easy for me to get to and the Postmaster is a local person.

I'll give my best Canada Post story.

Well, it was coming up to Christmas time and the wife has family all across the country.

She decides to send everyone a particular, framed (glass in), picture.

Well, now I learned along time ago, not to ever criticize her (I've been making my own lunch for over 20 years).

Off they all go, there was only one out of five that arrived with broken glass. They were wrapped with only one layer of bubble wrap, and brown paper. I figure Canada post did a good job!

All the courrier companies have their particular boundries, etc..

There is a Purorlator Depot 30 min round trip from my house, but I fall into the zone that takes me 1.5 hour round trip.

So, I definetly prefer Canada Post.

I, just today, sent out a 1 lb package, that included some paperwork and some Beef Jerky from the Calgary area. I figure the $8.00 it cost me to send it, was money well spent. The feller that gets it won't have to drive 30 min's each way to pick it up at a depot of some sort (since he works away from home and can't answer the door bell).

 

Just my take on things.

Edited February 11, 2012 by nofish4me