JJ13
Well-known member
Hello,
I'm an USPS Letter Carrier and management is always talking about safety yet when we bring up legitimate issues they are almost always ignored. For example, I have a rental property with two steps up to the box where FOUR steps on the first level have broken out from underneath me over the last year. They don't drop down far (3.5") but I already have an ankle injury from two years ago that doesn't seem like it'll ever again be 100%. Thankfully it is currently vacant after evicting the previous residents but I contacted a city inspector since management cannot be bothered to send a simple letter asking the property owner to move the box over near the garage so we can avoid the bad steps. They keep trying to patch them but they are so cracked and rotted that they need to be replaced,
Another safety example where management was useless...last Fall at another house a board on a wide walkway broke loose and popped up. I almost fell and as I picked up the board, I noticed there was no supporting joist on street side. All the decking boards had screws into the end grain through the edge trim board. I placed the loose board near the mailbox only to find out the next day that the idiot homeowner lady had simply dropped it loosely back in place! Management and the union were useless when the proper reaction would have been to keep the mail on hold and contact the city inspector forcing the repair or again, moving the mailbox to the garage. If your immediate safety isn't at risk, we run the risk of discipline for failure to follow orders (to deliver). Doesn't matter that you know a board is about to fail obviously flexing and cracked 1/2 way through, until it breaks they don't deem it an immediate safety issue and then you are blamed for your injury as you weren't working safely.

On to the electrical issue...today I finally took a picture of one house that concerns me. Tomorrow I'm calling the state electrical inspectors to see if they can do anything because management will ignore me and honestly they aren't smart enough to figure out who to contact or what to do.
Last Fall this guy installed a motion sensor light on the corner of his house. I should have known he would hack it together because he's had that power strip underneath the mailbox for the last decade. I think he uses it for Christmas lights but it is always on (red light on the switch) even with nothing plugged in. I used to be the replacement carrier once a week, now I'm the regular carrier.
The wiring looks to be interior 14-2 with a plug attached to the end. He stapled it to the house running it up over the door and over to the corner. I'd be surprised if he used silicone inside the plug to keep water out and water could still get between the plug and the outlet onto the blades.
I see a square, interior outlet cover but can't tell if the outlet is a GFCI. I'd also bet the breaker panel is an ancient Federal Pacific which are known for the breakers not tripping open when they should.
So I'm left dealing with this myself hoping he doesn't figure out who reported him but everybody that has seen the picture agrees it is NOT safe. BTW, the mailbox is aluminum and this area gets wet despite it being on the east side of the house and slightly under the roof overhang.
Thoughts? Am I over-reacting and only dangerous in heavy rain?
I'm an USPS Letter Carrier and management is always talking about safety yet when we bring up legitimate issues they are almost always ignored. For example, I have a rental property with two steps up to the box where FOUR steps on the first level have broken out from underneath me over the last year. They don't drop down far (3.5") but I already have an ankle injury from two years ago that doesn't seem like it'll ever again be 100%. Thankfully it is currently vacant after evicting the previous residents but I contacted a city inspector since management cannot be bothered to send a simple letter asking the property owner to move the box over near the garage so we can avoid the bad steps. They keep trying to patch them but they are so cracked and rotted that they need to be replaced,
Another safety example where management was useless...last Fall at another house a board on a wide walkway broke loose and popped up. I almost fell and as I picked up the board, I noticed there was no supporting joist on street side. All the decking boards had screws into the end grain through the edge trim board. I placed the loose board near the mailbox only to find out the next day that the idiot homeowner lady had simply dropped it loosely back in place! Management and the union were useless when the proper reaction would have been to keep the mail on hold and contact the city inspector forcing the repair or again, moving the mailbox to the garage. If your immediate safety isn't at risk, we run the risk of discipline for failure to follow orders (to deliver). Doesn't matter that you know a board is about to fail obviously flexing and cracked 1/2 way through, until it breaks they don't deem it an immediate safety issue and then you are blamed for your injury as you weren't working safely.

On to the electrical issue...today I finally took a picture of one house that concerns me. Tomorrow I'm calling the state electrical inspectors to see if they can do anything because management will ignore me and honestly they aren't smart enough to figure out who to contact or what to do.
Last Fall this guy installed a motion sensor light on the corner of his house. I should have known he would hack it together because he's had that power strip underneath the mailbox for the last decade. I think he uses it for Christmas lights but it is always on (red light on the switch) even with nothing plugged in. I used to be the replacement carrier once a week, now I'm the regular carrier.
The wiring looks to be interior 14-2 with a plug attached to the end. He stapled it to the house running it up over the door and over to the corner. I'd be surprised if he used silicone inside the plug to keep water out and water could still get between the plug and the outlet onto the blades.
I see a square, interior outlet cover but can't tell if the outlet is a GFCI. I'd also bet the breaker panel is an ancient Federal Pacific which are known for the breakers not tripping open when they should.
So I'm left dealing with this myself hoping he doesn't figure out who reported him but everybody that has seen the picture agrees it is NOT safe. BTW, the mailbox is aluminum and this area gets wet despite it being on the east side of the house and slightly under the roof overhang.
Thoughts? Am I over-reacting and only dangerous in heavy rain?


