Big Brother
How many times have we heard the phrase Big Brother? Well Big Brother has also hit the post office. We all know about the scanners and how they can track your every move so management can keep track of your whereabouts on a minute by minute basis.
But something that we might not remember or think about is that now there is also red light cameras, speeding cameras and home security cameras that take pictures or videos of everything you do.
When the red light cameras first came out a few years back we were seeing a lot of discipline being issued. When the speeding cameras came out again we were seeing a lot of discipline for those types of infractions.
Now we have security cameras, ring bell cameras and of course we have cell phone cameras that can capture your every move. We are seeing a rash of incidents that have been captured by this type of surveillance. And now we are seeing discipline being issued for these types of infractions that management is being informed of or they see on social media.
With that said we must be very vigilant and professional in the manner in which we drive the vehicle, deliver the mail and over all the way we conduct ourselves in the public’s eye. Surveillance cameras are everywhere to capture our every move. It is very important that we drive the postal vehicle professionally and within the NYS driving codes. This means that we don’t park at a fire hydrant, bus stop, no standing zone, in front of a driveway or too close to the end of the street. We obey the speed limit on the road we are on. We don’t talk on the cell phone or text while we are driving either. All one has to do is take a picture of that and send it to the District and you will suffer the consequences.
Recently there has been a rash of incidents that have been put on social media from driving over garbage cans to hitting and taking out mailboxes, hit and runs, leaving the vehicle unattended, driving on customer’s lawn, throwing parcels, kicking parcels, throwing the mail between the door instead of placing it inside the door slot etc. . These are some of the incidents that have been caught on camera by ordinary citizens. Technology has evolved to the degree that the public image of the USPS may be polarized and scrutinized against the canvass of social media at any time during mail delivery. Remember it is getting harder for the union to represent you in these types of infractions because as CBS sports broadcaster Warner Wolf would say “Let’s go to the video”. And videos and pictures don’t lie videos and pictures tell the truth you can’t say you didn’t understand the instructions given to you or say it was miscommunication etc.
So when you are delivering the mail to an address make sure that you are delivering the mail correctly by putting the mail in the mailbox or door slot as per the M-41 manual. Do not throw the mail between the storm door and the entrance door, do not drop the mail on the floor of the porch, do not throw the mail on the porch from the walkway; do not put the mail anywhere that you are not supposed to put the mail. Do not throw parcels on the ground place them in the mailbox if they fit or on the floor if they don’t fit in the mailbox but remember parcels shall not be left unprotected. According to the M-41 (City Delivery Carriers Duties and Responsibilities) Section 322.311: When the Carrier Is Authorized to Leave Ordinary Parcels, parcels must not be left in an unprotected location such as a porch unless the mailer participates in the carrier release program by endorsing the package “Carrier-Leave If No Response” or the addressee has given written directions for an alternate delivery location. Examples of protected locations are a locked vestibule, locked hallway, or with the doorman of an apartment building, inside a storm door of a residence, etc. Form 3849, Delivery Notice/Reminder/Receipt, with the “It is located: ________” block completed must be left in the mail receptacle notifying the addressee of the mail left in the authorized alternate location. Parcels must not be left where adverse weather can affect them.
So please be vigilant when you are in the public’s eye because you never know who will be watching you, it doesn’t have to be management it can be an ordinary customer!
