Working in the dark...

[awesomepenguin]

I keep hearing people voicing their concerns about having to work in the dark should Royal Mail get their way and change working times to 9-5pm. Correct me if I am wrong here but didn't we work in the dark early mornings when we used to start at 4:30am and be out delivering on the streets in winter at 7am?

I for one certainly would not want to be working until 5pm, but surely using the "working in the dark" argument to attempt to fend off working time changes is pretty flawed?

Or when we switched from 4:30am starts did Royal Mail use the "working in the dark" as one of their arguments against keeping the early starts??

[comeracing]

Been in delivery 22 years I never delivered in the dark in the morning,would often put my first letter in when light was breaking through,there is a bit of difference

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I keep hearing people voicing their concerns about having to work in the dark should Royal Mail get their way and change working times to 9-5pm. Correct me if I am wrong here but didn't we work in the dark early mornings when we used to start at 4:30am and be out delivering on the streets in winter at 7am?

I for one certainly would not want to be working until 5pm, but surely using the "working in the dark" argument to attempt to fend off working time changes is pretty flawed?

Or when we switched from 4:30am starts did Royal Mail use the "working in the dark" as one of their arguments against keeping the early starts??

Working in the dark when your fresh and it's going to get light, and the streets are quite is okay.

Working in the dark at the end of a 5 or 6-hour shift when fatigue is setting in, when its only going to get darker, and when the "more colourful" residents (Drunks, druggies, pushers and general Ne'er-do-well) are on the prowl.

Its like chalk and cheese.

[clashcityrocker]

I believe somewhere Dingo says RM have moved their position to a 4pm finish so it's all good on the light front now.

[borgpicard]

I believe somewhere Dingo says RM have moved their position to a 4pm finish so it's all good on the light front now.

Like RM are truthful about anything !.

[DirtyHarry]

I keep hearing people voicing their concerns about having to work in the dark should Royal Mail get their way and change working times to 9-5pm. Correct me if I am wrong here but didn't we work in the dark early mornings when we used to start at 4:30am and be out delivering on the streets in winter at 7am?

I for one certainly would not want to be working until 5pm, but surely using the "working in the dark" argument to attempt to fend off working time changes is pretty flawed?

Or when we switched from 4:30am starts did Royal Mail use the "working in the dark" as one of their arguments against keeping the early starts??

When I started working for these bastards, the earliest I was able to get out on delivery was 8.00am.
That would be more than fine with me again,
Soon it will be dark from 4.00pm, and those bastards want us out on the streets until 5.00pm and beyond.
That is definitely not on.

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

I believe somewhere Dingo says RM have moved their position to a 4pm finish so it's all good on the light front now.

But 1600 is still going to mean delivering in the dark in the few weeks either side of of the shortest day around 21st December, at the busiest time of year, while potentially fumbling around with multiple mail bundles if RM get their way.

[DirtyHarry]

Postmen/women shouldn't be out as late as they are now.
Any move to make deliveries go out even later still, should be vigorously resisted.
As long as we see films and TV programmes from the last century showing people receiving their Mail at breakfast time before going to work, postmen delivering in the afternoon will always be viewed as being tawdry at best, incompetent at worst, and the service poor, by the general public.

[worktotime]

I keep hearing people voicing their concerns about having to work in the dark should Royal Mail get their way and change working times to 9-5pm. Correct me if I am wrong here but didn't we work in the dark early mornings when we used to start at 4:30am and be out delivering on the streets in winter at 7am?

I for one certainly would not want to be working until 5pm, but surely using the "working in the dark" argument to attempt to fend off working time changes is pretty flawed?

Or when we switched from 4:30am starts did Royal Mail use the "working in the dark" as one of their arguments against keeping the early starts??

it got lighter on delivery not darker , and so some might have issues in the area they deliver in the dark , so there is an argument .

[Brandy]

I believe somewhere Dingo says RM have moved their position to a 4pm finish so it's all good on the light front now.

Like RM are truthful about anything !.

True,they dont know or understand the meaning of truth.

[cloherty1976]

Postmen/women shouldn't be out as late as they are now.
Any move to make deliveries go out even later still, should be vigorously resisted.
As long as we see films and TV programmes from the last century showing people receiving their Mail at breakfast time before going to work, postmen delivering in the afternoon will always be viewed as being tawdry at best, incompetent at worst, and the service poor, by the general public.

Does that mean we shouldn't be driving as well?

[wannabeek]

For those who can't see the difference, try this - get out of bed tomorrow at 5am. Get dressed, have breakfast, etc, do everything you need to and leave the house for work - without having turned a light on!

You'll probably find it easier than you expect.

Try doing the same thing at 10pm when you're tired and you'll most likely find you just end up with cornflakes all over the floor!

Maybe that's just me tho - I am a morning person. That is after all one of the main reasons I took the job!

[GT750rider]

Postmen/women shouldn't be out as late as they are now.
Any move to make deliveries go out even later still, should be vigorously resisted.
As long as we see films and TV programmes from the last century showing people receiving their Mail at breakfast time before going to work, postmen delivering in the afternoon will always be viewed as being tawdry at best, incompetent at worst, and the service poor, by the general public.

Coronation Street have quite a few times recently shown a postie delivering as the knicker factory lasses are starting work. Out of touch or what ?

[awesomepenguin]

Like I said, I wouldn't want to be working until 5pm. I was just playing devils advocate.

When I first started in 1995 when it came to Saturday morning on a home match day the delivery office was like the Mary Celeste by 7:00 am . So no one back then cared about spending 30-45 mins working in the dark regardless of whether or not it was getting lighter.

[banner]

I keep hearing people voicing their concerns about having to work in the dark should Royal Mail get their way and change working times to 9-5pm. Correct me if I am wrong here but didn't we work in the dark early mornings when we used to start at 4:30am and be out delivering on the streets in winter at 7am?

I for one certainly would not want to be working until 5pm, but surely using the "working in the dark" argument to attempt to fend off working time changes is pretty flawed?

Or when we switched from 4:30am starts did Royal Mail use the "working in the dark" as one of their arguments against keeping the early starts??

The working methods that RM want to introduce will make delivery in general much harder so lord knows how hard it will be in the dark?
Delivering at 7-8 in the morning when it is getting lighter and the streets are quiet is totally different at teatime when it is getting darker and god knows who is on the streets as well as kids out with their dogs in the gardens in the dark.
The job is harder and more intensive than back then, deliveries are nearly twice as long and fatigue at the end of a shift coupled with darkness will be a recipe for disaster.
There would also be a question of poor efficiency due to travelling around in rush hour traffic at the end of a shift.