Originally Posted By wonderingalice My ex is a postal supervisor / former carrier. He used to get a variety of different tips - cash, candy, ornaments. One thing I do know, however, what the candy cane carrier did (and anyone else who puts things directly in a mailbox without going through the "system") was illegal - a violation of postal regulations. I learned that years ago when my mom was an Avon lady. She was told specifically to never put her brochures in people's mailboxes. That's why you'll see them (and other advertisements) rubberbanded to doorknobs, etc. You might want to rethink the CD delivery plan, TDG. If you have friends with a carrier who's all business, it could be a problem.
Originally Posted By beamerdog I get a card and a sob-story note from my newspaper delivery person every year. (disabled son, fuel charges, one person in the family out of work, now the paper is billing directly instead of us paying the carrier - don't know how that affects him?) He drives a big pickup and throws the papers out. His rate of hitting the driveway - 30%. His rate of getting it on my neighbors' wet lawn - 30%, lol. Last year I didn't tip him; I'll probably mail a little something this year. I also got a xeroxed card from my two trashmen. I try to leave them some cookies, as I don't know if the cash will get to them. Now that I know their first names and that they are actually expecting something, I'll give a tip gladly. They're very polite and never leave a mess on the lawns. I'll tip my hairdresser although I've never gotten a card from her. In business, we get gifts from others who we pay for services but in our personal lives we give to the people we're paying for services. <<not meant to sound grinch-like. I was just wondering.
Originally Posted By LuLu My tract is 45 years old, and we just have a mail person drive around in a mail truck and put mail into curbside mailboxes. It's not a job I'd want either, but I don't think it's that hard. Ex's friend did it for 30 years and then retired with great benefits. The benefits can be somewhat cushy. Yes, it is illegal to put unstamped mail in mailboxes, that didn't even occur to me! However, DD instigated this idea, we come up with an equally tacky scrap of paper (I mean literally about 1/8 sheet of paper cut very crooked) saying "Happy Holidays from your Deliveree" (couldn't think of a good word!) with a mini candy cane taped on. J/K!!! We once had a good mail person, and I'd leave goodies for him in the mailbox, with a card. (good thing he didn't turn me in for illegal use of a mailbox, LOL!) I have nothing against tipping for good service, but I'm getting tired of requests/suggestions for tips, which seem to be getting quite prevalent. beamer, I think the difference with mailman/paper deliverer is that we're not really paying *them* for their service, so I think a tip for good service is fine. Bad service is a different story! :-D Trashmen, huh? I haven't been solicited by them yet! :-D
Originally Posted By Minnie1955 I must be a terrible person... I've never once thought to tip my mailman or trashman. Perhaps I'll start tipping the trashmen... I doubt I'd ever tip my mailman though. We constantly get mail that's intended for a neighbor down the street. It must've happened at least 3 times this week alone. Once, a neighbor put a letter intended for Hawaii in his mailbox so the postman could pick it up and bring it to the post office... instead, it ended up in our mailbox. It makes me worry about how much of our mail is ending up with the neighbors...
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy wonderingalice, I decided to do the front stoop thing instead of the mailbox thing. Since I'm doing this anonymously I realized today that postal carriers may think this little wrapped up surprise in the mailbox is for them, lol.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice *LOL* TDG! Or they might just conveniently ASSUME it's for them! Good new plan!
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 Lulu, your daughter's idea is something my kids would have thought of too Very funny If I had no contact with a carrier I would assume it was a hint for a tip. Our paper person does the drive by toss, about as far away from our front door as possible. We usually tip him (he leaves a holiday greeting in a newspaper), but since I often just toss the paper into recycling I probably missed his note this year. I'll stick a tip amount in the bill next time. We have never tipped the postperson. Ours does the drive by and shove, different times each day and she is ALWAYS on her cell phone. We also get mail for crazy addresses, not just neighbors. We also often have a different carrier. It makes me think though that we should tip the carrier that comes into the office. Always the same guy and he comes in to check if we have outgoing mail whether he has mail for us or not.
Originally Posted By smeeeko ^my mom used to bring homemade cookies to the mailbox or diet soda on hot days with a note thanking them for all their work. The mail carrier would always know it was for them. I didn't know it was illegal to do that. She would have me run out with a big cup of lemonade too in the summer. The mail carrier was always the same guy though and I'm sure he appreciated it. I think times are different now & I can't see doing that living in an apartment or something now. We don't get the paper either cause our Sunday Chronicle would always get swiped.
Originally Posted By avromark Superboxes (The mailbox houses) are just another little "extra" we're losing. Regular postal carriers, regular garbage men (My city is contracted out, so our garbage men rotate routes). Heck even my garbage day rotates, we have a 4 can - 70kg limit, garbage must be placed in a green or black bag inside a can with lid, no limit on amount of recycling for the blue boxes (my city has yet to adopt green and grey boxes, we're so behind). My garbage day is every 6 business days... BTW you're lucky you guys have saturday post, we have M-F.
Originally Posted By hopemax When my parents lived in WA, they had a trash compactor and would only need trash pickup every 2 weeks. They were shocked to find out that in their new neighborhood in FL, trash comes twice a week!
Originally Posted By avromark ^^^ that was my city 8 years ago, and until last year no limit on amount of cans put out. I wish I had door to door delivery.
