No mail delivery for a week? Elf 'n Safety innit!

[neilrr]

Having had no mail for a week or so I called my local sorting office to find out why.

Naturally, their geographic '01' phone number was disconnected with no referral so using SAYNOTO0870.COM - Non-Geographical Alternative Telephone Numbers I found a geog # for 'Customer Services' (sic).


"Hello, I haven't had any mail delivered for a week or so."

Post code check ensues.

"Ah, is there any snow on the pavements in your road, sir?"

"Yeeeeeeeeees. It's been snowing recently," says I.

"That would be the problem then, sir. We have duty of care to our delivery personnel & we cannot allow them to make deliveries if the pavements in your area have snow on them."

"The 13 year old paperboy makes it to my front door every morning before it's properly light, the gas meter reader bothered me yesterday, the binmen came 6.30 Tuesday morning & my 83 year old neighbour walks down the hill to the village every day. Why can't your guy make it?"

"Health & Safety regulations, sir. We have a duty of care"

"Do you therefore instruct them not to leave their own houses when they are off duty?"

"Excuse me sir?"

Big sigh from me - "Can I go to the sorting office & collect my mail?"

"No sir, unfortunately we are not set up to handle that."

So, when will I get my mail? It's been a week now."

"When the pavements are clear of snow & ice."

"Great."

"Is there anything else I can help you with sir?"

Click. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[wemorgan]

Big sigh from me - "Can I go to the sorting office & collect my mail?"

"No sir, unfortunately we are not set up to handle that."

So, when will I get my mail? It's been a week now."

That's poor service from your local dept. My parents in Pembrokeshire have been collecting their mail and neighbours from their local post office for a week or so now. I guess some managers are more flexible than others.

 

[flango]

Exactly the same with us no mail for over a week, dustbins have not been emptied for 3 weeks . If they miss tomorrow it will be 4 weeks. 2 flakes of snow and this Country falls apart, there was 12ft of the stuff when I was in Kazakhstan and temperatures of well below - 20. everything ran as normal no late flights, trains on time. All this Health and Safety and environmental Bullsh*t is crippling this once great Country of ours.

 

[trapperjohn]

DHL and TNT have all made it to my door. Sign here Sir - and away they go, no delays and no worries.

 

[wemorgan]

DHL and TNT have all made it to my door. Sign here Sir - and away they go, no delays and no worries.

Indeed. Public vs. private sector! 'Nuff said.

Another seasonal comparison I've seen at work, is staff sick leave.
Contractors 1% vs. Permanent staff 4%

Contractors must spend more on winter tyres surely

 

[lynall]

Local postie has been as good as gold where i am and the hill is still covered in snow, moved my car onto drive a few minutes ago and nearly didnt make it, but the post was still delivered, but the bins havent been emptied for 3 weeks no maybe 4.



Lynall

 

[eGuru]

Our post has been delivered everyday without fail. Postman still wearing his summer shorts but with a woolly hat to keep his head warm

 

[x332race]

Covered with snow round here....apart from a couple of days over Christmas Postie has been delivering (to be honest, I think regular postie was off over Christmas) He has been driving down our road which is always last one for the snow to go from...

No grey bin collection since 14 Dec though

 

[BTB 500]

Hmm ... we still have snow and ice and the post is being delivered.

Bins not emptied for 10 days though.

 

[Mr E]

Likewise - we missed 3 days of post last week but if you'd seen it round here you'd understand. However, they have been working in pairs which, according to our postie, is to do with safety (and they're getting overtime as they are out later).

However - bins. We have "roadside collection". We don't live by the side of the road - in fact can't even see the road. So we had no idea they were coming today and. of course, the didn't tell anyone. You has the choice of leaving your bins out in the road for 3 weeks, or missing it until all returns to normal next week.

 

[Druk]

Hmm ... we still have snow and ice and the post is being delivered.

Bins not emptied for 10 days though.

Same for us. a foot of snow and ice everywhere. No probs for our postie. H&S can't be a national issue. Bin men made it as well, six wheeler slipping and sliding on the hill.

 

[BTB 500]

Likewise - we missed 3 days of post last week but if you'd seen it round here you'd understand. However, they have been working in pairs which, according to our postie, is to do with safety (and they're getting overtime as they are out later).

However - bins. We have "roadside collection". We don't live by the side of the road - in fact can't even see the road. So we had no idea they were coming today and. of course, the didn't tell anyone. You has the choice of leaving your bins out in the road for 3 weeks, or missing it until all returns to normal next week.

We are the same in that our house doesn't front onto a road, and we have to take the bin down the night before. The advice until today has been to leave your bin in the front garden and it will be emptied when possible (or not, in our case).

However the council website has been updated with a revised schedule today, and it looks like our bin will finally be done tomorrow.

The council tip has been closed too, so you couldn't even take your own waste for disposal.

 

[gina2201]

You would be better off speaking to your local del office as a customer care centre will have a more generalised response. I realise you tried this.

In Plymouth and surrounding areas some of the vans were slipping and sliding all over the place, as were some postman, hence no post deliveries. All back on now. I for one am pleased this snow is disappearing! However you should be able to go to your delivery office and collect....

 

[renault12ts]

You would be better off speaking to your local del office as a customer care centre will have a more generalised response. I realise you tried this.

In Plymouth and surrounding areas some of the vans were slipping and sliding all over the place, as were some postman, hence no post deliveries. All back on now. I for one am pleased this snow is disappearing! However you should be able to go to your delivery office and collect....

When did you say it? Just need to know what to ignore.

Where did that come from??

 

[verytalldave]

Had a bundle of post delivered tonight................


AT 9PM ! ! ! ! ! ! !

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Had a bundle of post delivered tonight................


AT 9PM ! ! ! ! ! ! !

12 Hours early, or 12 Hours late?

 

[davethemus]

my post man has been top-notch, it must be a regional thing.

 

[Rory]

DHL and TNT have all made it to my door. Sign here Sir - and away they go, no delays and no worries.

I saw a post in another forum saying that in most places DHL have suspended all residential deliveries - they're so far behind they're stuggling to store parcels as they're not geared to keep hold of them.

I live a farily rural area and our post has been fine. We've had post pretty well every day.

As other, bins not been emptied for weeks - I wouldn't like to be pulling wheelie bins (which are going to be rammed full) around if it was slippery though.

 

[CE230]

No problems with post or DHL etc. Black bags collected, bottles collected but paper recyling missed but I'm not bothered about that.

 

[camerafodder]

Our postlady had snow chains....on her boots!:bannana: