Article Contributed on: 2/17/2009 4:36:57 PM
Ferocious dogs, icy sidewalks and snowdrifts are a few of the occupational hazards
Pat Gregory may face on a daily basis, but he does so with a cheerful smile.
Gregory is a letter carrier in Arvada, assuring that residents receive their letters, bills, magazines and packages. He has been with the United State Postal Service for eight years and works out of the post office at 5885 Allison St.
"Arvada is a good place to carry mail," he said.
An Arvada resident himself for 26 years and Arvada West High School grad, Gregory has come to know his way around the city.
"I've learned the little side streets, in and outs, which is especially helpful on snowy days," he said.
Gregory works a "park and loop" route by first parking his mail truck then making a swift trip around each neighborhood on foot.
With a stack of mail in one hand and a satchel over his shoulder, Gregory covers his route quickly, taking the shortest route between houses. Carriers have to be aware of hazards such as ice, tree roots, branches and the occasional less-than-welcoming canine.
"We all carry dog spray," he said, motioning to a small tube on his belt. "But I've never had to use it. I've had success just using a stern voice and telling them to go home."
Letter carriers also have to watch out for bees and wasps, who love to make a home in mailboxes come early summer, Gregory said.
"You'll open a mailbox and they'll just come flying out at you," he said ruefully, recalling being strung on the hand once.
Carriers typically work an eight-hour shift from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a half-hour lunch. They arrive at the post office to pick up their mail -- sorted by route number -- and then they have to sort it by address, Gregory said. He is usually out delivering by 10 a.m.
"On those cold, snowy days, it can feel like you're outside for quite awhile," he said.
Overall, however, Gregory said he enjoys working outside and said the job is good exercise. He got into letter carrying after working for King Soopers for 20 years and deciding he wanted to do something different.
"The neatest part is the opportunity to interact with people on the route," he said.
Gregory said it is especially rewarding to deliver to places such as retirement homes, where mail delivery is a highlight of the day. After the blizzard in 2006 that delayed many holiday packages, he volunteered to deliver mail on Christmas Day.
"I felt just like Santa Claus," he said.
Postal Facts
--The United States Postal Service processes and delivers more than 212 billion pieces of mail every year, which equates to 700 million pieces per day, 29 million pieces per hour, 486,000 pieces per minute and 8,000 pieces per second.
--USPS is the second-largest employer in the United States with nearly 685,000 career employees.
--USPS move mail using planes, trains, trucks, cars, boats, ferries, helicopters, bicycles, hovercrafts, subways and even mules.
-- Each year, the postal service sponsors National Dog Bite Prevention Week - a public safety campaign - to build community awareness concerning animal attacks.
-- The post office at the highest elevation is in Leadville, CO.
--The postal service delivers to more than 300 million people at 148 million homes, businesses and PO Boxes in every state, city and town, and in Puerto Rico, Guam, the American Virgin Islands and American Samoa.
-- USPS adds 1.8 million new addresses each year to our delivery network - equivalent to the number of addresses in a city the size of Chicago.
SOURCE:
www.usps.com