Worst Strapping Stories

[RetroJunkie]

Ive never really asked this question to fellow workers, so thought id put it on here n see what happens.

my question would be if ppl are prepared to admit to it that is haha, what would be some if any horrific times strapping, im pretty sure some ppl must have gotten lost, or totally cocked up on tying up or miss delivered etc

the reason i ask is for the first time in 6 months im on a new walk due to my walk being tested next week, it amazes me how ive actually seen ppl do 3 different walks in the same week, i know the hardest part is getting the first day over with , but surely if u have never ever been on the walk before it feels like starting over for most if not all ppl ?

i dunno if im coming across very well, its just i feel very lucky to have been on the same duty for 6 months, the stress levels of the job would be to much for me if i was constantly on a new walk rite threw the office.

so whats some of your stories once out there , did it all just turn to s**t , did u finish way past your time, or was you just able to take it in your stride, id just like to know it just seems abit daunting that's all

[Marston]

No specific examples, but yeah it happens to me when papped out on a strange run.

Walking past houses, taking wrong P739 cards, not knowing where the killer Jack Russells are, I`ve had it all.

Thing is, after a couple of days you can just switch autopilot back on.

[gb93]

Come on then curiosity has got the better of me what is "strapping"

[RetroJunkie]

strapping is when your a floater or a strapper as it where , just someone who isn't a duty holder n doesn't know where they are from week to week.

alot of ppl do it intill they are able to have a duty of there own, which might never be due to seniority.

[gb93]

strapping is when your a floater or a strapper as it where , just someone who isn't a duty holder n doesn't know where they are from week to week.

alot of ppl do it intill they are able to have a duty of there own, which might never be due to seniority.

Oh a Reserve in RM speak (never heard it called a strapper)
The assumption is after 6 months you should be a pretty experienced postie and going on a different walk shoudnt be too daunting.
If the frame all follows on as it should you should be ok in general(actually easier on a busy day going to every house rather than a day when lots of houses missed)
But of course frames don't allways follow on, so a little tip ask the duty holder or experienced "strapper" to write down how to pull out and deliver round(1st bag 2nd bag etc).
You may get lost a couple of times and it will take you a little longer but you shoudnt loose any sleep over the thought of it.

[dados]

past caring now TBH i just get the feck out of the office & crack on,can't be arsed losing the bap everytime i get lost or the house numbers are up the left,kinda expect it

[Straight4ward]

Tied up.jpg

Whoops! Wrong subject, sorry.

[Stormproof]

You know whos going to see this thread title and get the wrong idea?

Never heard of that phrase being used for a reserve
Strapping is what is holds the D2D's/Mags in bundles.

[RetroJunkie]

perhaps its just in my office then, its not like a proper term obv, but its something that ppl are known as amongst fellow posties.

i just assumed it was nationwide, obv not.

every time the term is used someone usually says strap on anyway

[goldy]

I have alot of experience of this at first you go on a round for approx 6 months then reserve but its usually ok because you are usually on the week and the mondays tend to be lighter but after a while you can go on what we call spare that can be a real trial up to 5 different rounds a week in the worst case ,blind rounds on a thursday, and they will probably give you the light tuesday off if your lucks really down, i dont usually have a problem with blind rounds nothing to difficult but its becos i can do it they put you through it if you blindly refused i dont know if they could force you to do it ill try it next time and see what happens i dont think they could force you to do it if you havnt recieved proper training . All you have to do if you are worried is try and speak to a lino first and say you require assist to get you through the prep its in their interest for you to be ready on time and not book overtime or cut off so dont lose sleep over it just put the ball back in their court..i know thats easier said than done .

[gofi]

I'm touched by gb93 faith in human nature!. Try working in an office where changes to walks are still not intergrated into walks 7 years after they were implemented, whole parts of the frame unlabelled or mislabelled and the reserve/strapper/floater who covers the walk left the building 45 minutes before and a lack of keys for boxes.
Anyway that apart , the worst experience took place when I was a callow youth a couple of winters ago on a walk which was notorious, whilst having such things as flat positions or houses actually on the frame. many of them had no numbers, so by the time I had put up the frame everyone had left the office a least an hour previously. Out I trudged into the ice and snow, bag on shoulder, with vague instructions as to where to get off the bus, no map and no real idea of where the place wws and took SIX hours to complete what of the walk I could find ( lack of street signs didn't help). I managed to find one drop box but it lock was frozen so I had to defrost it with my lighter to get the mail out, I only stopped delivering when I could no longer see the house numbers in the dark!.
Since then as I have been on reserve for the last for the majority of the four years and always try to find out where I'm going, if there are any keys for boxes , who the driver is at least the day before, as well as having an A to Z or using goggle map's or via michelin prinouts to at least provide me with an idea of where I'm going. If the area is particulary complex i.e. a new housing scheme with no street signs, or an old housing scheme with buildings demolished over the but not removed from the frame I try and get out and walk round it, just so I'm not standing like a lemon the next day trying to find places and see how accurate the frame is.

[taurus88]

We live in a different world nowadays. The moment I start on a new walk, I pull out my phone, find the first street on Google Maps, and memorise the general route in my head as well as where it is relative to the office. My phone has saved my life on walks at least half a dozen times already. If a street's unmarked, I can check in half a minute whether it's the right one.

[pyphon]

i've worked in three other offices on overtime, if you find the first house then it just all follows on!

[dwainedibbly]

8 years and I am still "strapping" lucky me
Does my head in......the posties whos round I cover always leaves pages of instructions of all the "favours" they do for their customers i.e put the post up the dogs arse whilst standing on one leg. I never do the favours....why should i help get the regular postie their christmas tips when i get none...baaaa humbug

[AlbertoGranado]

Come on then curiosity has got the better of me what is "strapping"

Aye, that's a new 1 on me too.

strapping is when your a floater or a strapper as it where , just someone who isn't a duty holder n doesn't know where they are from week to week.

alot of ppl do it intill they are able to have a duty of there own, which might never be due to seniority.

Cheers, never heard them called that before.


As for the OP, where do ye start?????