USPS route carrier unworthy

[BarkingGhostar]

In October of this year, four times a letter from the state Division of Family and Child Services sent a letter to someone in another neighborhood about a half mile from me. That intended delivery address differs from mine by a single letter. The fact that the first three times I received their mail I took it to the local annex about a mile and a half from me, explaining their mistake, made no difference. It also made no difference the second, third and forth time it happened within as many weeks during the month of October. I finally had to debate the issue with the local annex's manager, who claimed he would begin an investigation with the carrier, and if need me present some sort of discretionary action. My usual carrier left about 4-5 months earlier and the rate of success has dropped to less than 50%. At the time I asked the manager how I should handle misdelivered mail and was told to put it back in my mailbox and put the flag up. The carrier is required to take it and deliver it to the correct address.

Following the debate with the local annex's manager, the mail started to get delivered--meaning I got no mail intended for someone else at another address. Then late last week it started again. On Monday afternoon I got a piece of my neighbor's mail. Their address has a different street name, but the same house number. I followed the instructions of the local annex's manager and put it back into my mailbox and put the flag up the very next morning, and surprisingly the carrier took it. Mind you i hand wrote the address printed on the mail, underlining the exact mistake, but alas this afternoon I got the very same piece of mail with my handwritten note on it. Seriously, how can one be so obtuse as to miss not just the printed address but also the handwritten FYI? I seriously want to make this carrier go away.

The fact the this current piece of mail keeps coming back to me with mail meant for me tells me it is a hand-sorting issue done at the annex before the carrier begins their route. Tomorrow I will pay another visit to the annex's manager and see what he wants to do. I guess government jobs aren't any better than working for Amazon and Walmart.

 

[MtnMan]

Does it have 9 digit zip?
Does the carrier have both streets on his route?

 

[SKORPI0]

Happens to me once in a while. I get the mail with the "place" address, while mine is "street" which is 1 block north of them.
Got a package for "place" today from FedEx and being a good neighbor walked it to their house and explained what happened.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Yes and yes. They are not using mechanized sorters, but hand sorting. This is a small facility and the same route carrier works all addresses involved. That is what makes it so frustrating.

 

[ctbaars]

1. Change your address.
2. Petition a street name change or a second name.

 

[ctbaars]

<snip> Tomorrow I will pay another visit to the annex's manager and see what he wants to do. I guess government jobs aren't any better than working for Amazon and Walmart.

So how did it all work out? Did you come up with a solution?

 

[VirtualLarry]

My mail-person was just here, and they handed me some letter-sized envelopes, when I went out in the hallway, and I was like, "Yes, THIS one is for ME, but THOSE are for my NEIGHBOR". He was like, "Huh"? I was like, YES, see the last name, that's the next box over. Sigh. I miss the previous mail carrier, I think that he blew out his knee. Not that I have anything against the current one, he's a great guy with a wonderful demeanor, and picks up my boxes for me and hands them to me, when I go out in the hallway after I hear the mail-person scanning packges for deliver. (As usually they're for me.) But I think that he has some slight problem discerning some of the names.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

My mail-person was just here, and they handed me some letter-sized envelopes, when I went out in the hallway, and I was like, "Yes, THIS one is for ME, but THOSE are for my NEIGHBOR". He was like, "Huh"? I was like, YES, see the last name, that's the next box over. Sigh. I miss the previous mail carrier, I think that he blew out his knee. Not that I have anything against the current one, he's a great guy with a wonderful demeanor, and picks up my boxes for me and hands them to me, when I go out in the hallway after I hear the mail-person scanning packges for deliver. (As usually they're for me.) But I think that he has some slight problem discerning some of the names.

I was surprised to learn that they actually do validate names, too. (When I first moved in, I didn't get my mail because my last name didn't match the one written in the box - my housemate's.)

IMO, it should be based on box number, not name. If you give a false name to Publisher's Clearinghouse, or your girlfriend has some mail delivered to you because she doesn't want her ex to know where she lives, that's none of the USPS's concern.