Handing mail to a postie

[Terryk]

I recently approached a collection postman as he was walking the few feet back to his van from a street postbox. I had a handful of stamped mail and asked if he could take it for me. He informed me that he could not as he had “already scanned the box”.

He had a handful of letters from the box in his hand at the time. As I understand it the scan of the box merely indicates the time it was cleared, not the number of letters collected so I am mystified why he could not take my letters. I would fully understand if taking them would cause him a delay, but they were all stamped and ready to go.

So is this a new policy, or was he just having a bad day?

[Pinky 1]

He was having a bad day

[fishtank]

We're not technically supposed to take mail from people in the street but.....i think he was being "over officious".
There's no real reason why he couldn't have.

[Lounge Lizard]

We're not technically supposed to take mail from people in the street but.....i think he was being "over officious".
There's no real reason why he couldn't have.

I know that we were allowed to take mail from people on rural duties but not in towns, so has this changed ?

[Brainache]

I used to know a senior postie who wouldnt take mail off a customer while he was emptying a box - if the box door was open he would tell them to pass the letters through the slot and his hand would be on the other side to receive them ! Stick to the rules - its more fun.

[MGB]

I frequently have packets that are marginally too big for the local box, so I end up waiting for the postie at least once a week. All have taken it, some grumpily, some happily. One even told me to go and put them in the van myself as he had just started unlocking the box.

[feduppostie]

we have always been told we are not allowed to take mail from a customer

the reason we have been given is should the mail 'go missing' and the customer state that they 'handed it to the postman at the collection point' it then becomes a conduct issue for that individual

I always make the customer post the item through the postbox ( even if it means reopening the box if it is last collection) as then if anything were to go missing the customer correctly states I posted it into x post box and is it therefore part of the collection - and the trial starts from there not my hand

[TeeferTiger]

If I was emptying the box, I asked them to put it in there and I emptied it with everything else. If I'd already emptied the box, I'd get them to put it into the sack. I never accepted anything by hand because I was told not to.

[Terryk]

That might explain it - he wasn't using a sack.

[NWpostie]

If I was emptying the box, I asked them to put it in there and I emptied it with everything else. If I'd already emptied the box, I'd get them to put it into the sack. I never accepted anything by hand because I was told not to.

I do the same, I said put it in the sack and I will shake the bag after in front of them, if they ask why I usually explain that its to cover myself and them, they are usually ok with that, if its somebody that I don't or has given me a hard time on delivery I tell them to put it in the box instead preferably after I have emptied them