The US postal service is currently undergoing a crisis with state officials cutting down on its funding—in a time when voting season is right around the corner and the pandemic isn’t showing signs of going away any time soon. All the while, given the context, it is a must to prepare properly for the influx of voter ballots alongside all of the regular mail that may come in through this vital state channel for communication.

So, in response to this, Reddit user u/carrot_maniac posted a question on r/AskReddit: Postal Workers of Reddit: What do you need right now? How can we brighten your day when we see you on our routes?

Needless to say, it was a question of benevolent intent that would hopefully reach a wider audience so as to not only inform people of the situation at hand, but to also encourage them to help USPS employees who bust their behinds to make sure you get your Christmas cards and Amazon packages delivered to your home, on time, and without harm.

Bored Panda has collected some of the best advice from Reddit on how we can all do our part to help USPS employees get past the US postal crisis and to show support to people working within a key governmental service. And while you’re scrolling through all of the advice provided below, why not vote on the ones you like the most and leave a comment on what you thought about this!

#1

I am a carrier. I have a running tic tac toe game going with some kids on my route. They have a paper hanging off of box and we just do one x or o a day. I’m not sure who looks more forward to it, me or them.

Image credits: sashwake

#2

Stop blocking the mailbox when you park on the street.

Image credits: PrayForMojo88

#3

Stop putting your garbage in front of your mailbox.

Image credits: penguinpower2835

As soon as the Reddit post hit the boards, many people came out to give advice on how each and every one of us can help. While postal workers are said to love every bit of support and help they can get, whether moral or practical, there is some key advice worth emphasizing.

First of all, mail carriers do not have air conditioning in their vehicles, so working on hot days can be quite a challenge. Leaving some water for them on your porch or raising some funds with your neighbors for a car fan would be something you could do to help mitigate this. Some mail carriers are known to have water vests, so that’s also an option.

#4

Carrier here! All I ask is for the love of God PLEASE WEAR PANTS WHEN ANSWERING THE DOOR!…ive had straight up naked dudes sign for there package without batting a eye…oh the stories of awkwardness I could tell you guys…oh also smiles and friendliness is appreciated ? ..but with clothes on…..

Image credits: SetsukoSnow

#5

Former carrier here. Had one house that always left me a bottle of ice cold water. Highlight of that route!

Image credits: f309rod

#6

Keep in mind the mail carriers don’t have air conditioning in their vehicles. There was one that got baked alive in California last year. The collection drivers don’t have A/C as well, but they don’t hit the residential areas for the most part.

Image credits: ProFriendZoner

Another way you could help is by keeping your dogs inside when you’re expecting mail. Sure, some dogs just want to greet them with kisses and cuddles, but there are cases when owners don’t put enough effort in stopping their more aggressive dogs from attacking the mail personnel.

Last, but certainly not least, having a bigger mailbox would benefit all, as the mail couriers would have a place to store some of your bigger packages safely and you’d be sure that your package is not in sight of porch pirates. Also, don’t block mailboxes with cars when parking on the street. It just leads to much bigger traffic congestion.

#7

Former mail carrier here, #1 get a bigger mail box lol. Water and treats are nice, but a box they don’t have to get out at to deliver things is the gift that keeps on giving.

Image credits: Mummifiedchili

#8

Cold water on a hot day, being patient with us if there are delays, somebody actually being home to take the next day 1pm delivery parcel you ordered, agree on a safe place for any parcels you get so your postie doesn’t have to spend extra time writing out a card

Image credits: visceralbutterfly

#9

Keep your dogs inside. If they’re outside, make sure I can access your mailbox without them getting anywhere near me. If your dog is sitting outside and I think there’s a risk, you’re just not going to get your mail. Also, if you’re going to meet me at the door, keep your dogs under control. I’ve had two dogs burst through the door because the owner didn’t put enough physical effort into restraining their dogs. One of them was friendly and I got plenty of kisses, but the other one would have at least hospitalised me if there hadn’t been a gate I could get behind and close. Keep. Your. Dogs. Inside.

Image credits: SeaofBloodRedRoses

Above all, be friendly and kind to people who make sure you don’t have to go anywhere to get your mail and important packages, this way avoiding any potential contact with those suffering from COVID-19. Be understanding if a package is coming in late—it’s not their fault logistics isn’t perfect. Thank them for their service, offer them cold water or a snack on their route, and show them you appreciate their service.

The Reddit post soon went viral, not only receiving over 5,200 comments with helpful advice, but also garnering nearly 80,000 upvotes and being given over 140 various Reddit awards.

Keep scrolling for more unique insights into how you can help your mail courier on a daily basis, and why not let us know what you thought about this. Perhaps you have your own mailing stories? Let us know in the comment section below!

#10

Husband delivers mail and he loves just about anything people do. From pictures drawn from kids along the route to thank you letters to cold water and ding dongs. He is appreciative of it all!!

Image credits: kbhaden

#11

“Can confirm [that the transport doesn’t have AC]. You could buy them a battery-powered mini fan that clips to something in their truck. Some wear water vests to keep cool.”

Image credits: bobtheturd

#12

Put numbers on your damn mailbox/house. Send cards/legit letters to people. Tear down your POS lockbox that nothing fits into and get an actual mailbox.

Image credits: h00gieboss

#13

ICE COLD BOTTLE OF WATER. Don’t ask them if they want it, just give it to them ?

Image credits: EGKallday

#14

I’m a carrier and I can tell you the cutest thing I see with the men in my office is the pure joy on their face when they reveal all the drinks/snacks they were given on their routes. They are so excited to take their treasures home to show the family. They even take pictures and post them on Facebook. As for me I love being squirted with a hose. A garden hose that is!

Image credits: carionthen44

#15

My father has been a postal worker for decades. What makes him smile the most is when people just reach out and be nice and friendly. He would always tell us stories about the people who would put a smile on his face. Notes/cards go a long way. But also just say hi and ask them how their day is going.

Image credits: L_Jackson23

#16

Honesty anything helps and please be friendly and understanding if something is late or missing. As of right now a lot of this stuff is out of our control. It’s coming straight down from up top and there isn’t a lot we can do about it ourselves.

Image credits: SkullGearMC

#17

STOP YELLING AT ME WHEN I CAN NOT FIND YOUR PACKAGE!!!! We get mail from UPS AND Fedex and sometimes it’s already comes all f***** up or they lost it…but we are last to touch it, then customers hate us for thinking we damaged the package or lost it.

Image credits: Chermzz

#18

When the quarantine was just getting started, a few of my customers left me a note in their mailbox. Just a friendly thanks and reminder that I am appreciated being out there during these hard times, making sure people get their mail and packages. I’d say this small kindness would be much appreciated again with all of this political nonsense interfering with my career. ✌?

Image credits: Akumoro

#19

Postal clerk here. Honestly, just support. I have a family of 4 and all this b******* around the postal service going under has got my anxiety through the roof. I know it’s easier said than done, but any chance to support us is awesome. I honestly love my job and I love what I do. I would hate to have to start over. Thanks for supporting us kind strangers

Image credits: M1keKuszewski

#20

Former letter carrier for nine years on a walking route. I know winter hasn’t arrived yet, but when it snows, please make sure you shovel your stairs. Most people did, of course.

Image credits: lamkin11

#21

Stop coming out side to grab the mail from them in person. They have a risky job already. With covid there are a lot more concerns and rules in place and he can’t do his job safely if he can’t keep a safe distance awake. He’d love to chat if you want to chat from a safe distance, but just let him do his job and put your mail in the box.

#22

Listen to current events.. The election is coming and Trump has essentially declared war on the post office and is systematically trying to cripple the post office so it can be privatised. Do your research and vote wisely.

#23

I’m a lily-white carrier that delivers in Bed Stuy. If I could go one week without being called a b****, being spit on, or being shoved out of buildings, that’d really mean a lot.

#24

Educate yourselves about how much of a f****** disaster the USPS is internally, educate yourselves about how we’re losing money despite fully defaulting on the prefund mandate. Educate yourselves about how our current fleet of 30 year old vehicles costs more in annual repairs than a new fleet would cost.

#25

Please don’t ask us what’s going on with the post office. We really don’t know either. We have no control over anything other than that. It’s so sad because I love my job, my route and my customers. I’ve been on the same route for almost four years. That’s my focus and that’s what I care about right now. I hope to be able to continue doing my job for another twenty years. Sorry for rambling, but this whole thing hurts…we’re taking it day by day and hoping we have enough people on our side.

#26

My Mom has worked for USPS since she was 18. She’s 64 now. I just asked her, “Hey Ma, what do you need right now as a USPS employee?” and she yelled back, “GO OUT AND F****** VOTE”. So that’s Kathy’s answer. She DID say the best thing you can do for carriers (she’s a clerk) is sanitize your mailbox with a wipe if isn’t too much of an ask. The mail carrier touches every. single. mailbox. in their route. Cold bottles of water are also super appreciated.

#27

If we receive a lot of parcels from someone – It’s nice when they leave snacks on porch with a little sign like “Thank you mail carrier. Help yourself”. Small bags of chips, candy bars, etc. we love those people and take good care of their parcel.

#28

Former post carrier, not from USA tho, but still applies: saying hello/good morning, it’s surprising the amount of times I smiled and said good morning to have the other person looking me if I was an alien from another galaxy.
It’s free and trust me, that alone helps more than you think.

#29

Stop letting your dogs s*** in the front yard..or pick it up. For crying out loud.

#30

Wait patiently for your mail…at your home. Don’t coming hunting them down so you can get your junk mail and packages faster. If you have an immediate need for something, don’t order it online or request expedited shipping if you do

#31

Buy stamps! Seriously its how they are funded it can literally save the post office.

#32

It’s extremely hot in my city right now. So some ice water would be amazing. Some people put up signs to take cherries, pears, or apples from their trees – that’s super helpful, since I don’t carry food with me and the sugar helps especially on hot days.

#33

This goes for Canada, but I’m not sure about other countries. If you don’t want flyers, put a little notice saying “no flyers” or “no junk mail” or something like that. They’re all the same thing, so synonyms cover everything – no need to put “no flyers or junk or unaddressed mail” or whatever. Here’s the big thing though: some people like to put it under the lid of the mailbox, and that not only makes it difficult to see when I’m delivering, but I can’t see it until I lift the lid. Making it visible from the road is really useful.

#34

Crossing the grass just makes our lives infinitely easier in so many ways. It does depend on your lawn and what kind of house you live in, but just in general, three steps instead of forty. Super helpful. So if you don’t want us crossing the grass, which I do get, what about a stepping stone or two? One or two steps a day won’t kill your grass, but even if heavy traffic does, you’ll have more interesting plants growing there eventually anyway.

#35

As a postal worker all I ask is for us to be free from that insane bill that forces USPS to pay benefits 75 years into the future. And to allow the USPS to thrive in innovation once again (see air mail beacons,Pneumatic Tubes, etc..) It would also be nice to not have to use a competitor to ensure timely delivery of some of our time sensitive services (Priority Mail Express).

#36

A USPS truck broke down right in front of my driveway. I couldn’t pull in. So I just parked in the neighbors driveway. Apparently she had been waiting there for over an hour for a replacement in the heat. I invited her into the air conditioning, gave her some snacks and water, helped her unload the packages when the truck arrived. I felt so bad for this poor lady. She was so thankful the whole time. Be kind to the USPS drivers they have it pretty bad.

#37

I’m a carrier. Honestly leave me alone. I’m trying to just go about my day and listen to music. It’s my time to enjoy myself. I have managers and their managers breathing down my neck. I don’t need a “I don’t want it if it’s a bill” joke from you. Just a “Thank you” or “have a good day.”

#38

Also don’t move your damn box without at a minimum asking me. If your box is damaged or so small I have to fold s*** replace it. If your box door is hard for you to open with 2 or 3 fingers replace it. Usually my hands are so full I have 1 or 2 fingers to lift the lid or open it and place the mail.

#39

Get rid of your damn mail slot! Nothing annoys me more than a mail slot. Nobody wants to steal your Subway fliers. It just makes our job unnecessarily harder. A box at the bottom of stairs is a miracle. Or along the sidewalk. Imagine how many stairs I climb a day. If you save me 5 I’ll love you forever.

#40

By now you should have an idea roughly what time we come to your house. Turn your d*** sprinklers off if they are on our walking path. Yes it feels good for about 15 seconds. And then it makes me feel even more muggy.

#41

Tips. Rules say $20 max. But they think I’m going to favor you if you tip me. I’m not. I treat everyone’s mail and parcels like my own. Even if you have a mail slot. ? So tip us whatever amount you want. Or don’t tip us. I’ll still treat your stuff with respect. But man do tips feel awesome. We work 60+ hours a week. It’s nice to take the family out and not worry about how many hours of work that meal cost.

#42

I run a small business out of my home. My mailman does a home pickup about twice per week. I’ve been giving him gift cards about twice per month to places he likes. The guy is so appreciative and goes out of his way to help me. I couldn’t do my business without him. If you’re out there Jesse, you’re the man!

#43

I’m a postal clerk that works in the back; complain about dog food packaging to Amazon. Dog food comes in big boxes with uneven weight distribution that becomes dangerous and heavy when picking up. Amazon will only start packaging the dog food better if people complain . Make sure you complain to AMAZON not the USPS.

#44

Get rid of your door slot. Trying to shove in your thick magazines and our wonderful ads is a nightmare.

#45

If you see me asleep in my vehicle, plz understand that I’m on break and I’ll be awake shortly lol.

#46

Berlin courier – I’ve got only one thing. When You’re customer, waiting for delivery of a package – make a postman better day, just walk down the stairs a bit, instead of waiting with anger cause postman is going too long upstairs. You’re not king of the floor, You don’t need so hard protect the your floor – just make a favor to Postman, go downstairs a bit, I hope it won’t hurt 😉

#47

Have a house number on your house. For the love of God please put some indicator of a house number on your sodding house. Interesting fact, affluent areas and houses are the worst offenders. Nice big 4×4 or mercedes, no house number, every, single, time. Honestly you could write on it on a piece of toilet paper and stick it on a window, it would help. Also people who put plants and s*** Infront of their letter boxes… Stop that s***

#48

My dad is a postman. On several occasions my dad has recieved hand drawn pictures from families saying thank you, he has recieved bottles of water, offered cups of tea or coffee, and occasionally been given beers as a gift for his birthday or for christmas. Even offering postal workers to stand in a porch or under shelter during the rain is a massive help. But a simple thank you goes a long way, and really makes his day.

#49

Be patient. If you are missing an important parcel, medication, etc, we want to know so we know what is happening on our route. But keep in mind that you get what we get on a daily basis. Don’t bother us about petty things like a bill you saw in informed delivery but didn’t receive. You’ll get it when you get it. Informed delivery is an estimate not a guarantee. Don’t invade our space during a pandemic to ask about something like this.

#50

Don’t comment on what time the mail arrives. Sometimes you have a different carrier that has other work to do than the route they carry. Sometimes the carrier is under tremendous pressure to hurry from management. There is no set delivery time.

#51

Students and other transient populations – know your address and place a forward when you move! So many don’t do this and it’s a daily hassle to the carrier who is left to figure it out for you. If you live in a duplex or apartment, your apartment number is essential.

#52

Maintain your property. Tick season is closing out. If your grass is a foot high and we have to walk through it, we will have tons of oak mite bites for sure.

#53

Keep an eye out for theft and vandalism. Especially those multi unit boxes (CBUs). My wife is a carrier and when those get broken into it adds extra time for both the carrier and recipients waiting for them to get fixed

#54

I once gave my mailman a tin can looking thing shaped like a mailbox (little red arrow thingy and all) and filled it up with chocolates for Christmas. Think he liked that.

#55

Stop complaining about a lost letter 8 years ago

#56

If you have anything on your mind, a question or a complaint. Be upfront and quick about it. Delivery drivers are tracked and have a set schedule when they need to be done. Don’t make them lose more time than they have to.

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