I hate delivering the mail, and it's really bad for my health because I have severe eczema. I walk around all day, and I cannot do this job for 27 more years. I'm tired of all the junk mail that has to be delivered to every address on Monday and Tuesday, I'm tired of the weather and all of you customers with weapon animals you call, "Dogs".

With the help of my union steward, I will likely be able to transfer to an inside job sorting mail or parcels at the Michigan metroplex or inside of an actual post office. In the mean time, I will have a few weeks or months off. Freedom.

Um... okay?

This makes so, so much sense and provides an unspeakably amount of clarity into your posting behavior.

Good luck with anything you choose to do, I sincerely hope it makes you happy (or at least, less miserable). Enjoy the time off. I had 7 weeks (paid) between jobs once, it was the most glorious summer of my life.

Good for you, choose happiness and healthiness over money.

At the risk of inspiring cliches, I can't hear about a post office without thinking of Bukowski's novel "Post Office" that I read probably 27 years ago. Have you read it and if so, does any of it ring true?

and again, your job explains so much about your post history here on the forums

(NSFW language)

I used to work for USPS as a contractor in their IT department. Oh, and I've supported postal employees at a phone help desk back in the day. I used to support those MDCD scanners that track where you go.

If you go from a walking job to a sitting job be prepared to start some kind of regular exercise routine or be prepared to gain 40+ pounds pretty rapidly. Trust me, I'm there.

and again, your job explains so much about your post history here on the forums

I was catching Pokemon at that Edmond post office last night. True story.

and again, your job explains so much about your post history here on the forums

I was catching Pokemon at that Edmond post office last night. True story.

If you go from a walking job to a sitting job be prepared to start some kind of regular exercise routine or be prepared to gain 40+ pounds pretty rapidly. Trust me, I'm there.

When I got bit by a dog on my route, I told the nurse at the hospital, "At least I don't have to deliver the mail."

If you go from a walking job to a sitting job be prepared to start some kind of regular exercise routine or be prepared to gain 40+ pounds pretty rapidly. Trust me, I'm there.

I might get fat. At least I won't have to deliver the mail.

When I got bit by a dog on my route, I told the nurse at the hospital, "At least I don't have to deliver the mail."

This one's for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqBaoslROgg

But what will those poor weaponized animals eat now?

If you go from a walking job to a sitting job be prepared to start some kind of regular exercise routine or be prepared to gain 40+ pounds pretty rapidly. Trust me, I'm there.

I might get fat. At least I won't have to deliver the mail.

When I got bit by a dog on my route, I told the nurse at the hospital, "At least I don't have to deliver the mail."

I sit at a desk 8+ hours a day for 5 days a week. Getting outside and walking doesn't sound bad at all. Is it the isolation of delivering mail that's so bad? You are in society, but you really don't interact with people.

If you go from a walking job to a sitting job be prepared to start some kind of regular exercise routine or be prepared to gain 40+ pounds pretty rapidly. Trust me, I'm there.

I might get fat. At least I won't have to deliver the mail.

When I got bit by a dog on my route, I told the nurse at the hospital, "At least I don't have to deliver the mail."

I sit at a desk 8+ hours a day for 5 days a week. Getting outside and walking doesn't sound bad at all. Is it the isolation of delivering mail that's so bad? You are in society, but you really don't interact with people.

I didn't mind the isolation. I'm a ***** for podcasts so I liked that aspect actually. They don't want you to heave headphones in in order to be more aware of dogs, but whatever. I got bit while listening to a Hardcore History episode about world war 1, haha.

It's not walking around that's the problem. If it was always room temperature outside and my route was a reasonable length and I didn't have a set of 'occupants' (junk mail like those redplum sales papers or pizza coupons or whatever that go to every house) and mail was light and it isn't raining, then yeah, it's fine.

The job used to be fine in our office until we lost 9 routes and a bunch of the remaining ones got lengthened. I used to actually enjoy delivering to townhouse apartment complexes on certain routes, not many people had dogs and you could knock out a ton of deliveries in one carry while listening to classic Loveline with Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew. They never got much mail ir packages. My favorite route used to be composed entirely of those types of deliveries.

But when you have a route that is too long, it's not fun. Everything is a race against the clock, and postal management won't accept any reason for you falling behind so you have to deal with someone expecting way too much of you and being obstinate about it. When doing a walking route, you do them in 'loops', and typically they're ~15 minutes and that's the accepted estimate for them. So when you only have an hour left and more than 4 loops, that means you're going to go in to overtime and you need permission for that. You'll call the office and the supervisor will say something like, "You have 6 loops left? 7 minutes a loop that's 42 minutes."

At a certain point you just start nodding your head and saying, "Okay" until they stop talking. If you're a substitute mail carrier, the faster you finish your route and get back to the office, the more mail you'll be sent back out with. Like the blue shell in Mario Kart.

It's very easy to just stop caring and give up at the start of the day. You're going to fail anyways, might as well not stress out about it all day.

Also, offer your mail carrier the use of your garden hose even when you're not around and your bathroom. Insist upon it. That hose feels GREAT in this heat.

At the risk of inspiring cliches, I can't hear about a post office without thinking of Bukowski's novel "Post Office" that I read probably 27 years ago. Have you read it and if so, does any of it ring true?

I've read the first bit of it. I've never been propositioned sexually on my route before lol. I don't remember much else of the part that I read. I have it, but I just never got around to finishing it.

Carriers have fainted in the office and have gotten AWOL for it.

I had impetigo all over my legs and couldn't come to work, and my post master told me that I should have been prescribed antibiotics in advance.

Just a week ago I was having trouble breathing on my route and I was told that I'd be in a lot of trouble if I brought the mail back to the office and that I should deliver the mail because of customer service.

When people don't like unions, I have a hard time understanding why considering my experiences with postal management, and knowledge of working conditions ~at the turn of the century. The turn of the century before last, that is. 1900 was 116 years ago.

Maybe I'll drive my 1990 Daytona to the beach and send my union steward and post master a picture haha.

They still have post offices? What on earth for?

How else do you send the tax notices and junk mail?

EDIT: Oh, and political ads.

Also....shipping things bought/sold on ebay.

On a side note, I handed my old postman a $50 for being an awesome guy for the 3 or so years I knew him and safely delivering all my records and tabletop crap. Moving to New Orleans in Sept from Virginia.

They still have post offices? What on earth for?

To deliver all the crap you guys order off of Amazon.

"Blueprint for Armageddon" IS a really good episode of Hardcore History. I understand how the dog got you.

So, how are you doing now?

So, how are you doing now?

I've been barely looking for jobs.

Taking it easy.

So, how are you doing now?

I've been barely looking for jobs.

Taking it easy.

Feeling better though? Less stressed out? Not so many bite wounds?