How hard is the job

JAMESMARSH1980 · Post by **JAMESMARSH1980** » 14 Aug 2007, 20:10

I have had 3 comments today saying how easy it is being a postman, O.K I was in the pub at 12.00 but I was ringing wet, tired,back was sore after doing docket for the past week and all they thought was that we just carried a bag around and lifted up a few letter boxes. I think the public have the wrong idea of what we have to do. I remember a few weeks ago when we had the worst rain we have seen in years, and we were walking about posting letters and not 1 person said to me that I am crazy to do the job, We go out in all weathers, walk upto 8 miles a day with big heavy bags on are back, get all the grief from DOM's in the world and always put a smile on our faces to the people we deliver to. I like my job because i'm out in the open air and not sat on my arse behind a desk but people who think we have it easy should think again, instead of a certain newspaper commenting on how us posties have been larking about when the strike was on they should put pictures of the job we actually have to do and maybe people would think different. Comments please.

kinmad4it · Post by **kinmad4it** » 14 Aug 2007, 20:22

A lot of people have the exact same preconceptions as you encountered today. They seem to think we turn up at the office pick up our one prepacked bag and head on out to deliver. Short of showing them a entire days shift we aint gonna change most peoples ideas about our alleged easy job.
I'm sure we're guilty of doing the same with other jobs we don't really know. Just a natural human thing to base opinions on little or no information or genuine knowledge. I would imagine footballers work a lot harder than we generally think they do. I know most people think that playing 2 matches a week and saying you're tired is a bit pathetic. But we don't really know how hard they train, how much the travelling takes out of them and the enormous mental pressure of having to perform at 100% every game. We all have off days, sometimes we can finish half an hour earlier than we normally do for no apparent reason other than we felt good, and the same goes for when we're feeling like shite.

shelanda · Post by **shelanda** » 14 Aug 2007, 20:28

must admit thought the same when I started all those years ago..was a bit shocked to find how much we did do............as for footballers well just give me their wage packets!!!!!!

shelly · Post by **shelly** » 14 Aug 2007, 20:30

Why have you got a big heavy bag on your back. Listen to what we are saying, do the job correctly for goodness sake.

JAMESMARSH1980 · Post by **JAMESMARSH1980** » 14 Aug 2007, 20:34

I am doing it correctly, I've been weighing my bag for the past few weeks but I think they think we just have 1 bag to take out with us, I think they have the postman pat story in there heads where that tiny van of his only has letters for a village the size of a cul-de-sac, it really winds me up because of the storys painted by newspapers that we are greedy and just want more money for a job thats a piece of cake !

Post by **baldrick** » 14 Aug 2007, 20:35

I don't think that BBC drama series 'Sorted' helped,
showing posties going out with a handful of mail. Nor that C4 programme
which depicted postal workers as thieves.
I think that the majority of the public still understand that
it is not an easy job, and most people would not want to get up
in the middle of the night to carry heavy bags of mail in all weathers.

JAMESMARSH1980 · Post by **JAMESMARSH1980** » 14 Aug 2007, 20:44

Seniorman wrote:I don't think that BBC drama series 'Sorted' helped,
showing posties going out with a handful of mail. Nor that C4 programme
which depicted postal workers as thieves.
I think that the majority of the public still understand that
it is not an easy job, and most people would not want to get up
in the middle of the night to carry heavy bags of mail in all weathers.

Yes I have to agree with that, the other week I found a Â£20 pund not on the floor near some delivery boxes in a block of oap flats I deliver to, I pushed a 739 through all of the 40 boxes that are in there saying I found it and if it was anyone of theres, 1 woman was waiting for me the next morning and said she dropped it whilst getting the key out of her purse for her box so gave it to her, She tried to give me Â£10 but I refused, she then gave me a bottle of pop as it was a warm day.

bedfordrl · Post by **bedfordrl** » 14 Aug 2007, 20:56

A while ago a woman handed back a letter which i had misdelivered and when i aplogised she replied "thats ok , i suppose it was whoever sorted the mail for you"
Maybe ignorance is bliss.
4 years ago my son came into the office on work experience and three other nippers followed him, then the DOM decided they were not worth having around and so we lost a useful insight on just how hard we work.
On another topic do many of you get grief from customers about missing/doorstepped and wet packets etc which turn out to be from the rivals ?

pinstripe · Post by **pinstripe** » 14 Aug 2007, 21:34

bedfordrl wrote:A while ago a woman handed back a letter which i had misdelivered and when i aplogised she replied "thats ok , i suppose it was whoever sorted the mail for you"
Maybe ignorance is bliss.
4 years ago my son came into the office on work experience and three other nippers followed him, then the DOM decided they were not worth having around and so we lost a useful insight on just how hard we work.
On another topic do many of you get grief from customers about missing/doorstepped and wet packets etc which turn out to be from the rivals ?

Constantly. Now if I come across a doorstepped parcel, I ring the customers bell and let them know one of our rivals has left it. Depending on the customer I sometimes take it up to their flat and again make a point of telling them to complain to the delivery company.
Regarding the original post, so many people think we only deliver to their street. I've delivered to someone and seen them 3 hours later when I've almost finished and they think I'm on overtime. They're shocked when I tell them I'm not. I've tried explaining to them, but they look at me as if I'm speaking Greek.

JAMESMARSH1980 · Post by **JAMESMARSH1980** » 14 Aug 2007, 21:41

I had 1 lady who was really looking for a letter she was desperate for, her mother was going into a home and she needed the paperwork going through a.s.a.p, she asked if there was a second post and I said no and that we were on strike the next day, she looked so upset so when I got back to the office I checked in the missorts and there was a letter for her there so I walked 2 miles to the house knocked on and gave her the letter, she was so happy as it was the one she was waiting for. She told me she had faith in mankind again, I will always go that extra mile for the people on my round who , I am so happy in my work when I get the positive comments about the job, but get so downbeat when I get the negatives when it is no fault of my own. Especially when its just people who are in there vans taking the mick that we have it easy.

Spedley · Post by **Spedley** » 14 Aug 2007, 21:49

I often get asked by people on the other side of the street if they can have their mail. Obviously the answer is no but when I tell them it is in another bag they don't understand.

I also worked in the locker for a week and one woman came in asking if I her letter had come, "it was in a brown envelope". The total lack of quantity is amazing and it's no wonder people think we do an easy job.

But, on the other hand I think it is an easy job. That doesn't mean it only deserves Â£1 per hour but that you can teach someone most of it in a day. They would make many mistakes and take twice as long but to define, it is a 'simple' job. I find the hardest bit is keeping concentration between houses and not delivering mail into an address you should have missed out.

axeman · Post by **axeman** » 15 Aug 2007, 00:28

dare say you do have a problem spedley !! i think we can tell from your posts that your not the brightest light in the sky

Post by **POSTMAN** » 15 Aug 2007, 01:51

My neighbour at one time thought i was PART TIME

In all fairness there are easy jobs/rounds in RM and i've had them before.
When i 1st moved to my current DO nearly 4 years ago i got a serious shock,i've never worked so hard and i was shagged every day.
My sick went up and just managed to scrape a stage 3,and that is with me useing my car!
For a year or so i would make 1hr to 1-30hrs out of the job,on exceptional days maybe 2!!
I was never a serious racer and chaser,but moved a bit (and the car) to get done early.

Things changed a bit when i couldn't be arsed to own a car anymore,although i still didn't like cutting off as i was usually the only one cutting off,and it was always grief.
My office had some serious racers and chaser and was hard work for me then.

And then THE BIG BANG CAME and RM in their wisdom decided to put exec action in.
And now it's like a holiday camp and the best job in the world.
Now we pray to get hammered with work instead of cutting our wrists on a heavy day.
Some days i'm only out for 2-30hrs cause we get out so late.

Bar 2 strike breakers we're all on the vans and do the job properly.
Yes we finish late every day,but it's not the end of the world,yes we still work hard,but not as hard as before.

I think as said the public think we're just glorified paper boys,in all fairness I DID.
Automation will change us a bit,but only the bit in the office,which is boring but not hard.(once you've got into it)
The hard s**t outside still needs to be done,and tbh we're darned f***ing good at it,and we don't get the credit we deserve for doing it.

erm and i've just clocked spedleys post

Spedley · Post by **Spedley** » 15 Aug 2007, 16:27

axeman wrote:dare say you do have a problem spedley !! i think we can tell from your posts that your not the brightest light in the sky

It would appear you also have to explain that comment to me

L Tommo · Post by **L Tommo** » 15 Aug 2007, 17:39

Spedley... I have had bother understanding some of your jists myself.. Ive taken some time to get to grips with your style of typing... As no doubt most have with me... As POSTMAN named me Nutta... I dont mind it as we have spoken.... So me n you have had our tifs shall we say but on this site we should all stand up and be counted and stand by our convictions... I dont wanna make points on if i think you posts are crap... Not my way.. I will take the piss tho as i dont mind it back at me... And i will disagree if i feel your wrong. Morally or factswise... Axemans opinions is his and his right.. Ok it attacks you.. And u deserve a explaination.... But we all post and hold out our opinions to be shot down... Some do it JUST to cause a stir... I dont... Mine comes from the heart.... The head???? Well you make ur mind up on that???? I hate propaganda and opinions based on it... I hate bullshite and whined ups... If not ment as fun.... It is then bad for all posting on here and it gives POSTMAN and the Mods a hard time as well... NOT GOOD...

If you and axeman have a beef.... TAKE IT OUTSIDE.... PUB STYLE.....

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