Postman 'refuses to deliver to cobbled street'

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... treet.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sally Bellamy, 53, complained that deliveries to her street – the last cobbled road in Bideford, north Devon – had been erratic for three years.

She claimed that her regular postman refuses to walk less than 20 yards along the path to her home even in good weather, and instead dumps mail with a neighbour at the top of the road.

She described the situation as ridiculous and said although she suffered from arthritis in her ankles and other joints, she had no problem crossing the cobbles.

She said: "I've been told it's my path that's dangerous, but the slates have been there for 280 years without a problem.

"Courier parcels get delivered and fruit and veg gets delivered. "They don't have problems – I don't believe my postman is endangering his life."

Michael Dalton, of Royal Mail, said the company was making deliveries to the terrace, except when it was considered unsafe.

He said: "The road is in a poor state of repair and when wet or icy it can become dangerous. There are occasions when we have not been able to make deliveries and alternative arrangements have been made.

"We are in contact with residents and continue to seek a solution with them."

[opgpat]

All you can say to that is it's one thing to jump out of a van into a driveway with a small parcel or veg box but another to walk the length of a badly cobbled street with a heavy mail bag over one shoulder and a bundle of mail in one hand. This old dear says she ends up delivering her neighbours mail herself when it's dropped at her house so why can't the postie do it. Give her a bag of mail for her shoulder for the 'easy' delivery she makes and it's not so easy.

Lets remember this postie is contractually obliged and expected to walk at 5mph (or whatever it is now) while he is in this cobbled street. I bet it's a lot harder for him to take the mail back and tell his boss he's not delivering it than it would be for him to say stuff the risk I'll do it.

[baldrick]

Lets remember this postie is contractually obliged and expected to walk at 5mph (or whatever it is now) while he is in this cobbled street.

And while wearing Magnums.

[bigsharkboy]

im the union rep from this office and the facts of this story which the press and royal mail has not reported are

1) nearly 2 years ago the previous holder of this delivery had a serious ankle injury which resulted in simpson and millar (cwu solictors) getting a compensation payment for him
2) the postman does deliver to her house when its safe to do so as recently instructed to do so by management but this decision has been reversed by senior management due to all the press coverage
3) according to her neighbours she was seen tidying up her path before the cameras and press turned up the day before
4) the original article states that only one postman refuses to deliver to her property this is totally untrue as its risk assessed on a day 2 day basis by his floater and reserves too
5) after speaking to my member the concern with her path is not the cobbles but the wet moss on cobbles and her slate path which made both surfaces like a ice rink on wet days which has now been cleaned up

the original front page article from our local paper plus comments from our lovely caring customers

http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/ ... rtComments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

more articles on this story
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8499000.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

im replying to this topic in defence of my collegue and friend whos been a postie for over 25 yrs and he dosent deserve all this unwarranted bad press

[TrueBlueTerrier]

bigsharkboy - good on you and hope that thepostie is not getting too stressed about it. He has support on here I think.

[bigsharkboy]

thanks TBT for that just to add that the editor comments in the paper was for royal mail to tell the postie to get on his bike and start delivering mrs bellamy mail and just to update everyone ive have been on the phone to my branch sec who i have filled in on the facts of this story and he is contacting the editor tomorrow by phone and writing a letter to him outlining the details and the history of this story on behalf of the bideford workforce who feel that the press and media has not reported all the facts in this story correctly

cheers and will pass on your support to the postie in question

[opgpat]

He gets the thumbs up from me.

Wet moss with slimey water is far more slippery than ice. With uneven ice your treads will grip a bit because the ice is fixed to the ground. Moss and leaves on the other hand slip and slide on top of a slimey watery surface and slate or tile paths if not kept clean of slime are an accident waiting to happen. This old dear is making a fuss when she should be making sure her postman is safe!!!! If it wasn't dangerous would he really be refusing to deliver?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!