Gates and Grass

cj_1985 · Post by **cj_1985** » 02 May 2008, 18:14

After reading a reply in another topic i was wondering: what is your opinion about walking across grass/gardens

Do you do it... or does it depend on the house/grass/garden...

what about gates... iv had it this week with women coming out and having a right old moan because their gate hasnt been shut right...

ok now if it is shut when you get to it maybe you should close it...
but personal experience this week has shown me that half the gates dont surt right and would require you to manually lift then shut the catch... far from easy if you have a hand full of mail...

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 02 May 2008, 18:21

My rule of thumbs are:

1. Leave the gate it in the same situation as when you got there except if a dog lives there then I close it.

2. Walking over grass - look at the condition of the lawn. If its well tended then do the official thing and don't walk on it. If however its got a fridge or furniture on it - walk over it. Some on my walk have told me to walk over their front lawns

Officially you are not meant to walk on grass and you are meant to leave the gate as it was when you arrived, do these if you are ever being walk tested.

axeman · Post by **axeman** » 02 May 2008, 18:22

If a gate does not close without the need of you lifting a catch etc.. it's not your problem as you have only one free hand with which to do it. Inform your lino (the guy in the office drinking tea and sitting down) it should have been risk assesed and these little problems would have or should have been sorted prior to you taking over the duty

unionjack0 · Post by **unionjack0** » 02 May 2008, 18:33

i always try to leave a gate as i find it ie if its shut on the way in then ill shut it on the way out, as for grass ill walk across until asked not to. some people can can get very funny about there lawns.

marie · Post by **marie** » 02 May 2008, 19:12

if the gate's open when I get there - I leave it open when I leave.

I don't ever cut across lawns, but if there's a path leading through to next door, I'd use that.

Post by **Lounge Lizard** » 02 May 2008, 19:54

TrueBlueTerrier wrote:My rule of thumbs are:

1. Leave the gate it in the same situation as when you got there except if a dog lives there then I close it.

2. Walking over grass - look at the condition of the lawn. If its well tended then do the official thing and don't walk on it. If however its got a fridge or furniture on it - walk over it. Some on my walk have told me to walk over their front lawns

But be careful not to trip up over the fridge or furniture.

Digger1975 · Post by **Digger1975** » 02 May 2008, 20:01

I always leave the gate as i found it and very rarely walk on the grass unless i have to!!

leiwolf · Post by **leiwolf** » 02 May 2008, 20:23

I try not to walk on the grass, because knowing my luck i will slip, but speaking as someone who just put in for health and safety rep I would advise anyone to walk on the on the proper path unless u can not do so.

Up Hill Down Hill · Post by **Up Hill Down Hill** » 02 May 2008, 21:45

I shut all gates - open or not

As for grass... No complaints as of yet. Still keep walking across them. Didn't use to however was told I could if I wanted to by one customer who said the old postie used to.

carsnooty · Post by **carsnooty** » 02 May 2008, 23:19

I leave the gate the way i found it and Dont really walk over the grass unless the person has said that I can because it is quicker.

BELIAL · Post by **BELIAL** » 03 May 2008, 00:46

Grass is for walking on ,and gates is bollocks,don't fence me in

pinstripe · Post by **pinstripe** » 03 May 2008, 13:36

I leave the gates as I find them. Don't walk on the grass unless the path is covered in dog s*** (not uncommon on parts of my walk).

Himaggen · Post by **Himaggen** » 03 May 2008, 15:11

I will never walk accross someone elses lawn, and would see it as very cheeky to cut accross in front of a non terraced customers window. If the gate is closed and opens okay then I'll attempt to close it with the same ease on the way out, if any additional effort is needed to close the gate it becomes a health and safety issue. If the gate is difficult to open, then leave it, once again based on health and safety, the same goes with cars/obstacles preventing safe and comfortable access to the letterbox. Low letterboxes, slippery paths, dogs, openings stuffed with clothing/tape or fitted with 'gun' springs or difficult to open due to not putting your fingers inside them etc. They are all reasons for A.Is and should be entered into the walk log at your earliest convenience.

I know that most of you are now thinking that they'll have probably less than half a round, but that's not your problem. Your employer should contact each of those parties, god only knows how if they cannot receive post, and inform them that mail will not be delivered until the problem is rectified.

As for walking over grass etc., the walk should have been assessed for 'doing it right', cutting corners in this manner is part of the reason for the radical change we're going through now. Lazy arsed postmen 'stealing time' from the Royal Mail, those who turn in early every morning for free, use their own cars, leave more than their share behind for their float/cover, doorstep items and either self-sign or remove signed for labels are more to blame for our current predicament than the Royal Mail Management.

cj_1985 · Post by **cj_1985** » 03 May 2008, 16:56

dont get me wrong...
ill close a gate if i can safely...
but half the time the catch either requires you to lift it by hand... or more often that not on metal gates.. slide the rod along.

but i object to getting grief from some old battle axe because i dont close her gate...especially when the gate wasnt shut or wasnt correctly shut in the first place

Darren Bent · Post by **Darren Bent** » 03 May 2008, 20:00

I don't mind shutting gate, but I don't want to work hard to do this crap.

IF I have the power I would like to remove every single gate :)