2,000 plus letters while dodging danger pets

[TrueBlueTerrier]

2,000 plus letters while dodging danger pets ... it's all in a day's work for this postman

http://www.4-traders.com/ROYAL-MAIL-PLC ... -19600839/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

SPEED-WALKING the streets at average speeds of 4mph with 16kg on his back, Lindsey Beckingham could be a sportsman in training.

But it's all in a day's work for the Cardiff postman at the busiest time of year when his deliveries can double in size and take an hour or more longer than usual.

After eight years in the job Lindsey, 52, knows all the best tricks to be as quick as possible - where to park his van without getting a ticket, how to wake sleeping students for parcel deliveries and avoid getting bitten by dogs and even cats.

Small animals, as he's learned, can be aggressive and he's no time to waste getting attacked when he's on a tight timetable with festive mail to deliver.

"Dogs are very much a problem. You have to be aware which properties they're at," he said.

"I have been attacked once, walking down Gordon Road doing a delivery, so I am careful.

"A labrador eyed me so I stepped aside but it was on a retractable lead and it lunged forward and bit my hand.

"It was only a nick but it was nasty and the owner was very apologetic.

"There was also a property where the cat flap was in the front door and the cat would lash out from it."

Small mammals aside, the main risk to Lindsey's health is tramping the streets in all weathers.

"You need to be fit in this job and it can be tough on your feet," he said.

"I get through about three pairs of standard issue Royal Mail trainers a year."

After an eight-hour shift starting at 6.12am - all of which is spent on his feet, first sorting and then delivering mail - Lindsey is ready to sit down.

"Your feet do get a pounding and need to be looked after. I give mine a bit of pampering and a massage," he said.

As a trained alternative therapist Lindsey knows how to care for his feet.

"The best thing is a hot mustard foot bath with a tablespoon of English mustard paste. I soak my feet for 20 minutes in that and it relieves all the tension."

He also does stretches and yoga to stop backache from hauling sacks of mail and parcels up and down stairs and streets.

With 16 blocks of flats on his patch he has to keep fit and strong and ensures he's in top form for Christmas when his load swells to 2,000 letters and parcels a day.

"It gets busy from around the start of December and carries on into January because of the sales so it can be as busy after Christmas as before."

Although the internet means people send fewer Christmas cards there is an obvious pile of red and festive envelopes in Lindsey's delivery pile while half of the load is parcels.

Online shopping means the Royal Mail is delivering ever more parcels - especially in the days after Black Friday and Cyber Monday when people go online for festive sales offers.

"I'm delivering 2,000-plus letters today and that will carry on going up now and after Christmas," Lindsey said as he hauled his load into the back of his red post van.

Working out of Cardiff Central sorting office in Penarth Road, one of Royal Mail's six sorting offices in the city, he delivers to a patch in central Cardiff including The Parade, Richmond Road, Gordon Road and St Peter's Street.

It's a diverse area, including a big student population with multioccupancy housing and fast-moving population as well as businesses and residences, and it can be hard to park.

Royal Mail vans can't park on yellow lines or in residents-only parking slots and sometimes Lindsey has to park far from his delivery area.

After twice being booked by traffic wardens over the years he's not keen to pay parking fines - even though that means "dead walking time" added to his shift.

Jogging back from successfully hammering on the door to rouse a sleeping student to take delivery of a parcel Lindsey shakes his head.

"People don't always want to get out of bed to answer the door. Students are notorious for that. I knock or ring two or three times before going away and always take cards to say I've taken the delivery back for them to collect."

After a few years on this round Lindsey has got to know who lives where, which helps when post is addressed incorrectly.

He said: "It happens all the time. People miss off someone's name or the street number or post code - you'd be amazed.

"We're seen as another public service.

"We're often stopped by people asking the way and you do get to know people and who lives where. Some of them are lonely and want to chat."

One of Lindsey's more unusual calls for help came from an elderly lady he was delivering to recently.

"She asked me to check her mouse trap. She's scared of mice so she didn't want to do it herself so I went in to have a look. There was no mouse there. You have to use your own judgement whether it's safe to go in. This was a fairly elderly lady and she was on her own.

"You do have to be aware of security. Sometimes I have come across drug addicts in the stairwells of flats but they didn't threaten me."

Most people, after all, like to see the postman - unless he's delivering bills.

"I do get the odd fiver from people at Christmas and I know all the people at the university and businesses I deliver to so it is friendly," he said.

By 2.15pm Lindsey is ready to clock off and rarely has time to take the 40 minute break he's entitled to.

"You have to be much quicker at this time of year to deliver all your load and sometimes I'm jogging by the end.

"I'm usually out for about three hours but it's more like three- and-ahalf to four hours at Christmas time.

"I keep a few bars of chocolate to keep me going but that's okay because you do keep fit in this job. It's one of the perks of the job."

[daveyeff]

he's normally out for about 3 hours? (4 at Christmas)? obviously he's not on park and loop yet then.,,,we are out 4.45. almost 6 at Christmas.....piss easy round that.

[Deadly]

So he jogs and doesn't take his break, well done

[enskied]

Bet that they are not all his words... Once had one of ours interviewed over the trial of HCT's............ Nothing like what was said. Apparently she loved them.

[redneck]

Yes, usually the case with the media, don't use the truth it gets in the way of a good story

And just like you have lazy post persons, there are lazy journalists.

[Dorset Plodder]

Glad he's fit so he can go even faster at Christmas! Good job he's working through his Meal break and Jogging back to the van then eh?