To Help Letter and Newspaper Carriers:
Control your pets. Even if you think your dog is about as fierce
as Snoopy, keep him on a leash or behind a closed door, suggests Andy Petersen, a Washington, D.C., letter carrier who started out in Boulder, Colorado, 22 years ago. You don’t know if a particular carrier is averse to animals.Clear away piles of toys and bikes from the front stoop. Getting past them is “like picking your way through a minefield,” says Mark Sims, who delivered mail for 21 years in Springfield, Missouri.Don’t block your newspaper tube or mailbox with garbage bags on trash-collection day.Offer your carrier a beverage to warm up or cool off, depending on the weather, recommends Sims. Baked goods and thank-you notes are also appreciated.Learn your carrier’s name and use it. He or she knows yours.
