I guess the dogs are unhappy with the service as well. Interesting anyway. Not all dog owners are responsible individuals.
http://www.npr.org/sections/th...s-on-letter-carriers

Lately, my cat has been learning Spanish to lure unsuspecting local Miami post office carriers into a false sense of security...

I wonder what the USPS does, if anything,to verify that a bite actually occurred. What's the protocol?

A report to supervisors is made immediately. The carrier stays on site and is met by said supervisors, who interview the carrier as well as any witnesses to the attack.

I noticed recently that when you do a pick-up request for USPS, they now ask if you own a dog. Don't know what they do with that info.

It's to give prior warning to the carriers in case there aren't any obvious clues upon approaching the home. A carrier in my annex was attacked two weeks ago when a dog lunged out of some bushes. She had to go to emergency and recovered at home for almost a week.

I just wish my carriers would learn to put mail in the correct box and stop giving my mail to my neighbors. You would think that the ability to deliver mail to the address on the parcel would be a job requirement but apparently that is not the case.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
I just wish my carriers would learn to put mail in the correct box and stop giving my mail to my neighbors. You would think that the ability to deliver mail to the address on the parcel would be a job requirement but apparently that is not the case.

In my neighborhood we call that our "exchange program!"..

I was bitten Friday on the back of my right leg by a Swiss Mountain dog. He was loose in his own yard, with his owner present. I asked the woman if it was safe to leave the vehicle, she said yes. I stepped out of the LLV, walked about fifteen feet and handed her a large box. I petted that dog, and two Westies that were on leashes, turned toward the truck and got bitten.

These people get a lot of parcels. Now they will have to make a 30 mile round trip to pick up packages, as we will not deliver out of the truck.

I have been bitten four times in thirty years, but attacked several times. Years ago, I was younger, lighter, and faster.

quote:

Originally posted by just1tym:

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
I just wish my carriers would learn to put mail in the correct box and stop giving my mail to my neighbors. You would think that the ability to deliver mail to the address on the parcel would be a job requirement but apparently that is not the case.

In my neighborhood we call that our "exchange program!"..

Their exchange program sent a handgun to my neighbor. The address on the package was correct and it had signature confirmation which was not done. The mail person dropped the handgun on the front porch and left. I filed a complaint but nothing was done, incompetence at its finest. I wish we would do away with USPS and contract it out.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:

quote:

Originally posted by just1tym:

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
I just wish my carriers would learn to put mail in the correct box and stop giving my mail to my neighbors. You would think that the ability to deliver mail to the address on the parcel would be a job requirement but apparently that is not the case.

In my neighborhood we call that our "exchange program!"..

Their exchange program sent a handgun to my neighbor. The address on the package was correct and it had signature confirmation which was not done. The mail person dropped the handgun on the front porch and left. I filed a complaint but nothing was done, incompetence at its finest. I wish we would do away with USPS and contract it out.

Not to derail this thread but, in the Ring doorbell thread here in the Lounge, in page 1 and 2, I replied about this kind of situation and a case has been filed with PO also, I feel your pain.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
Their exchange program sent a handgun to my neighbor. The address on the package was correct and it had signature confirmation which was not done. The mail person dropped the handgun on the front porch and left. I filed a complaint but nothing was done, incompetence at its finest. I wish we would do away with USPS and contract it out.

How a carrier gets away with this is beyond me.. but as far as it being a handgun, the carrier has no idea what is inside your parcel.
It is contracted out, it was in 1972, with the ending of the US Post Office Dept, and creation of the USPS. I think most people would say that customer service has not remained what it once was. The Post Office Dept. was run more like the military, down to having to have your shoes shined before you could start work. All that USPS cares about now are numbers, speed of delivery, which results in Sig com packages not getting a sig, and no one carrying, because they are more worried about hours on a clock for a given route than, and at the expense of, everything else.

Are carriers allowed to carry any type of spray?

Interesting that bites are up since home delivery is down--way down

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
Are carriers allowed to carry any type of spray?

It's more of a mist.

quote:

The mail person dropped the handgun on the front porch and left.

Who is mailing you a gun? Unless you're both FFLs?

Not a mail carrier but a service tech.

I have twice in the past month been nipped but could have been a bite without a bunch of effort. First one was a boxer. it was sweet as can be when I got there. Even petted it. While I was working on their dryer, it started growling at me. Kept my tool bag between me and the dog on the way out. Dog nipped me on the arm holding the bag. Other time was a pit. I love pit bulls, sweetest dogs I usually interact with in homes. Two of them outside. One was growly, but hackles not up. Came in from the side and got me on the back of the leg. Again a nip, not a bite.

I'm a dog person. I'm in and out of a bunch of houses. Been really truly bitten 3 times in a 35+ year career. Lots of nips, mostly from small dogs. I carry Fox Labs spray in my tool bag specifically for dogs. Got caught one time with my tool bag in the house and me on the way to the truck to get a part. Took a bite on the thigh from an aggressive white shepherd. Homeowner told me when I got there it was aggressive and put it up. Someone either let it back out or it got out. Really truly thought I was going to have to shoot that dog, only dog I've ever drawn my gun on.

All that said, I'm seeing more people with aggressive dogs. I give 1.5 hour appointment windows so people know when I'm coming to their house. And I'm telling people now that dogs that I've interacted with and show signs of being a biter must be kenneled when I arrive. Not getting out of my truck if the dog is out, not staying if I hear the dog on the other side of the door when I ring the bell, just going on to the next call.

One mail man can teach dogs how to bite by being jerks and all who follow get to enjoy his action.

The post office comes to their defense and all dongs are blamed.

How to get along with dogs and how to defend yourself when needed should be as important as their ability to read. I am not sure all who deliver mail have the ability to read complex stuff like street and people names and addresses.

UPS does very well in this regard, why can't the post office?

I try not to aggravate our local post office as much as I can, use UPS and Fed Ex as much as possible and quit writing letters.

We just got a new postmaster who is a complete jerk and is changing the way local mail has worked for 30 years, hope he chokes!!

quote:

Originally posted by Ed Fowler:
One mail man can teach dogs how to bite by being jerks and all who follow get to enjoy his action.

The post office comes to their defense and all dongs are blamed.

How to get along with dogs and how to defend yourself when needed should be as important as their ability to read. I am not sure all who deliver mail have the ability to read complex stuff like street and people names and addresses.

Your dog should have no interaction with the mailman, period. Your dog, is your responsibility. Dogs are territorial animals, why is this hard to understand.

This is hard to understand because the post office feeds this crap to their mailmen and to the public also.
Too bad I can remember when the mail man was my friend and my dogs liked him and anyone else in uniform, we all worked together. Sure there were a few jerks, but they did not last long.