The Demo Site

As the Postal Service continues to adjust carrier routes to balance the budget, it's not just the carriers that are seeing the difference. The customers are as well. Due to the route changes, customers who rely on a 'set time when the mail arrives' are getting a shock.

In post offices around the country, the 5 PM return rule is in place. Meaning that carriers should be in office by 5 PM. In some places the rule is 4PM. As many carriers know delivering past five is becoming less and less. Even so route changes on the street aren't going over so well with the customers.

The following is taken from an article in ajc.com

"Longtime Decatur resident Larry Vann, 81, said mail used to land in his box between noon and 2 p.m. until a year ago. His mail carrier said his route had changed, and he likely would receive letters around 3:30 or 4 p.m.

“It never happened,” Vann contends. Mail started showing up at 6 or 7 p.m., he said. Lately, however, he said he’s received mail in the mid afternoon.

Miles said carriers usually wrap up their travel between 3 and 4 p.m., but the goal is to deliver all mail by 5 p.m., but there are exceptions. “There’s no set time, but they have a set line of travel,” Miles said. “They are delivering in a pattern.”

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June 15, 2009