13 Responses to “Missing mail on M Street”

1. posted by t... at October 25, 2009 2:30 pm [#]:
   

   I’m so sorry. This happened to me not that long ago. Maybe 6 months. They stole two packages and left the ripped bag on the porch.

2. posted by Jaime at October 25, 2009 3:04 pm [#]:
   

   Seems like a neighborhood problem. My friend sent me a package 3 weeks ago, and confirmed it was indeed delivered, yet I never got it. We have had mail opened in the past and now packages, GIFTS, stolen right off of our porch. Some people have no shame.

3. posted by snow bunny at October 25, 2009 6:43 pm [#]:
   

   Luckily there was nothing valuable in the box, just food. Maybe the thief was hungrier than I was. =) They probably felt stupid for risking a federal offense to steal food. Then again if you have nothing to lose, what does it matter?

4. posted by t... at October 25, 2009 8:30 pm [#]:
   

   All of my mail is now delivered to my mother’s house in the west end. We drop our kids off their on Tuesday and Friday, so those are pick-up days.

   I know it isn’t an option for all.

   Plus, I asked the post office to return all packages to the station for pick-up and they never do.

   So, I had to make alternate arrangements.

   Seems crime in general is becoming a bigger neighborhood problem.

5. posted by Katherine J at October 26, 2009 2:06 pm [#]:
   

   Thanks for the reminder. When I order online, I always have the package sent to my work address. But with the upcoming holidays, unexpected packages from family could be delivered…this post will remind me to tell them not to send it to the house.

6. posted by Bullwinkle at October 26, 2009 4:32 pm [#]:
   

   This is maybe going off on a bit of a tangent, but in my entire life I have almost NEVER had an item of mail go missing or even turn up late. The USPS ROCKS – I don’t care what anyone says.

   BUT – over the last few years I have noticed that my mail delivery seems spotty. Will go 2-3-4 days with no mail at all, then suddenly get a huge mountain of stuff all at once. I also routinely receive coupons / time sensitive items weeks after they’ve expired.

   If I’m not mistaken, portions of the Richmond postal system were investigated a couple of years ago for holding mail and / or simply throwing mail away. I’m wondering if we’re back to that again??? Anyone else having issues like this?

   (I will add that the postal “clerks” working at the 25th St office are SUPER professional, efficient, nice, etc….. but I’m not so sure about our delivery person…..

7. posted by t... at October 26, 2009 7:48 pm [#]:
   

   I think it is the cut backs. The 25th St PO is closed on Saturdays now and I’m guessing they are short staffed as well.

   I drop my outgoing packages at the Main PO off Brook Rd and noticed that they went from pick-ups of their outside drop boxes every hour up until 8pm to now only having two a day, at 1pm and 5:30.

   I’m guessing we are seeing this as a result of the budget shortfalls.

8. posted by View at October 27, 2009 7:37 am [#]:
   

   #8, Don’t feel bad, I go days without mail..and then suddenly I’ll get a lot of mail. I used to have the best postal carrier anyone could ever want, but they moved him. I’ve seen the postal carrier not even come to my house if he doesn’t have anything to deliver. However, I had something to go out, and it was clearly on my box stamped.
   My route is still on the temporary list, and it’s been this way for a year now.
   I have a home business where I send out a lot of packages, but I never leave them out anymore. They never get picked up, my old carrier used to make a special effort to pick everything up for me.
   My old carrier also used to get a very nice Christmas gift from me every year.
   There’s no-way I can give a carrier a gift now b/c I never know who it’s going to be from day to day.
   There’s no excuse for your mail not being delivered, or your box being checked for outgoing mail. I don’t care if the post office is short staffed.
   They’re paid well for a job that only requires a high school diploma, and they work for us anyway.

9. posted by Bullwinkle at October 27, 2009 7:44 am [#]:
   

   Ay, the USPS has taken a financial drubbing in recent years.

   Would be interesting to know if these problems are on a general / national scale and extend on out to the ‘burbs, etc. – or are they specific to the city (or even specific to certain neighborhoods within the city). Seems I never had these probs at all until the past couple of years since I moved up into Union Hill from another city neighborhood (but that could be related to the budget rather than the neighborhood). Still, I suspect (but am not sure) that a lot of it may have to do with our mail carrier.

   We’ve had other probs like when we went out of town and put a stop request in, mail continued to come while we were gone (defeating the purpose) but then was held for a couple of days when we got back!

   Also, every day the carrier walks across the lawns to get from house to house rather than going all the way down to the sidewalk – so has worn a nice path through the otherwise well kept landscaping. And there are the above mentioned issues with (seemingly) erratic / late mail delivery.

   Are people in the burbs seeing these same kinds of things due to the budget cuts?

10. posted by View at October 27, 2009 2:11 pm [#]:
    

    Bullwinkle,
    I have a friends who live in the west end, close to U/R, and they “DO NOT” have this problem.
    It was never a problem for me in the fan, but here in church hill it seems to be the traditional way for mail.
    I still hear people seem to be defending them due to budget cuts. If you’re hired to do a job, you do it. People are making budget cuts everywhere these days, do u think corporations are putting up w/ slackers.
    My dad taught me to do my best on any job, no matter how low or high the pay.
    Some of the carriers just don’t care, and some do.

11. posted by t... at October 27, 2009 9:10 pm [#]:
    

    I don’t think it is a matter of your carrier just being lazy. I think it probably has more to do with not having enough carriers.

    Can we PLEASE stop with the bashing of everyone and everything in Church Hill….

    My gawd. I have to be honest here. This blog is probably not read by the community that originally LIVED in Church Hill before this whole gentrification process began. I can only imagine the demographic of this blog’s posters and readers is pretty homogeneous. Some of the things that get posted on this blog STINK of being classist and racist. I’m sorry. Tell me I’m wrong. But some of the posts sound a little too….biased.

12. posted by just sayin' at October 27, 2009 10:07 pm [#]:
    

    and some of the posts sound a little too… self-righteous

13. posted by t... at October 30, 2009 4:38 pm [#]:
    

    call it what you will. I’ve moved into this neighborhood and become part of the community. I don’t think I can say the same for most of my “white” neighbors who don’t speak to anyone else on the block and have never taken the time to get to know the community that was here long before them.

    you call it “making it better” i call it something else.

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