#Postal Worker

[mimi-0007]

Mary Fields (c. 1832 – December 5, 1914), also known as Stagecoach Mary and Black Mary, was an American mail carrier who was the first Black woman to be employed as a star route postwoman in the United States. Fields had the star route contract for the delivery of U.S. mail from Cascade, Montana, to Saint Peter's Mission. She drove the route for two four-year contracts, from 1895 to 1899 and from 1899 to 1903. Author Miantae Metcalf McConnell provided documentation discovered during her research about Mary Fields to the United States Postal Service Archives Historian in 2006. This enabled the USPS to establish Mary Fields' contribution as the first African-American female star route mail carrier in the United States

[theworldatwar]

British postal workers take part in a anti-gas exercise - London 1939. Due to widespread news that Italian forces had used chemical weapons in Ethiopia in 1935, when war broke out there was a real fear in Britain that Germany would do the same

[ratatoskryggdrasil]

Rory Midhani

[sunny-possum-pal]

Support the boys in blue (postal workers)

[floridaboiler]

[thegoodmorningman]

I told you it was important!!!

[lifeofaupsstoreworker]

my coworker who always works weekends with me blasts kendrick lamar or kanye or something from our bluetooth speaker after we close (btw, SO grateful we don't have overhead speakers playing the same 5 songs on a radio station!) and today he told me this past new years' he got high and since it was his first time and he didn't know his limits, he had too much and was freaking out and the only thing they could do to calm him down was blare DNA by kendrick on his airpods for the next few hours until he came back down.

this is related to the theme of my blog because if you ever find yourself thinking highly about UPS because it just seems so prestigous compared to the post office or like it's not the blue collar job that it definitely is, i want yall to know that we dont get drug tested!!! at least not at my location LOL. i also had a coworker here who just quit after about 3 years who would drink nyquil to get a buzz throughout the day. maybe we should be drug tested. not me tho I'm a good egg

[cansofbeans]

"See ya, Mr. Postman!"

Some exploratory illustrations from my latest comic idea. The cute guy waving his hand is Raul, while the postal worker is Vincent. Been really excited about this one, it's felt the most 'me' since, well, Cans of Beans!

I may end up making a new Tumblr for drawings from this new idea, but we'll see--especially for the more spicy drawings.

[alpojones]

Our over-worked postal workers.

[papermoonloveslucy]

PLAYING POST OFFICE

Lucille Ball and the Mail

Lucille Ball gets the mail at the end of the driveway to her Chatsworth home, Desilu Ranch, circa 1940s.

“Lady, we don’t mind the rain, or the snow, or the sleet. It’s kooks like you that drive us nuts!” ~ Postmaster, “Lucy & The Missing Stamp” (1964)

In 1943, Lucille Ball performed on the radio program “Mail Call,” a show only available to the troops overseas and not broadcast stateside.The term mail call was used when soldiers would get letters from home. 

“My Favorite Husband” (1948-1951)

Jay Novello played Mr. Negley the mailman on several episodes of Lucille Ball’s radio series. 

In “The Sleigh Ride” (1949) Mr. Negley uses his mail delivery motorcycle to pull the holiday sleigh, but the load proves to much and the milkman’s old horse is pressed into service instead. 

In “Liz The Matchmaker” (1949) Katie the maid decides that after three years of dating Mr. Negley that their relationship is not going anywhere, so she enlists Liz’s help.

In “Mother-in-Law” (1949), Liz (Lucille Ball) correctly assumes that Katie the maid (Ruth Perrot) is so happy because Mr. Negley the mailman has flirted with her. Katie says they were “playing post office.”

KATIE: “He’s so creative. He said my mouth was like a postage stamp. Then he canceled me!”

Katie hands her the mail and Liz finds a letter from her mother-in-law.

LIZ: “No one else addresses a letter ‘To George Cooper Only’ marked personal all over and then seals it with Scotch tape!”

“George Attends a Teenage Dance” (1948) ~ George and Liz chaperone a high school dance and we learn that ‘playing post office’ is a game, not just an institution. Post Office is a kissing party game played at teenage parties. It has been referred to in popular culture since at least the 1880s. The group playing is divided into two groups. One group goes into another room which is called "the post office”. To play, each person from the outer group individually visits “the post office”. Once there, they get a kiss from everyone in the room. They then return to the original room. 

The game of Post Office is mentioned again in “George Needs A Raise” (1949). In "The Charm School" (1954), Ethel mentions that Fred suggested they play Post Office the previous night when a beautiful guest arrived at their dinner party. In “Kiddie Parties Inc.” (1963) Vivian says she played Post Office when she was younger.

JIMMY: “Do you know how to play Post Office, Mrs. Cugat?” LIZ: “Know how? When I was your age they used to call me Jim Farley.”

James Farley was the the 53rd US Postmaster General from 1933 to 1940.  

Hans Conried played a weary mailman in “Valentine’s Day” (1949).

LIZ: “Are you picking up the mail?”

MAILMAN (sarcastically): “No, I’m a Confederate soldier and these are messages for General Lee.”

In 1949, General Robert E. Lee’s face was on a postage stamp commemorating the 200th anniversary of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

"I Love Lucy” (1951-1960)

“Drafted” (1951) ~ A letter from Fort Dix makes Lucy and Ethel think that Fred and Ricky have been drafted. The flap of the envelope is open, so Lucy reasons it is okay to read Ricky’s mail. Re-sealing Ricky’s letter from Fort Dix, Ethel says “I’ve had lots of practice at this.” 

Early in the episode, Lucy gets a postcard from the Bishers, who are on vacation in Florida. The comedy trope of the landlord / landlady (Ethel) reading the tenants’ mail to keep up on gossip is used here! 

The premise of a letter from the Draft Board will be used again on “The Lucy Show” in 1966, when Lou C. Carmichael is mistakenly called up. 

Unmailed and unfinished love letters to a former boyfriend haunt Lucy in “Lucy Changes Her Mind” (1953). When Ricky insists she finish everything she starts, she finishes the love letter to Tom Henderson and it mistakenly gets mailed! 

The “I Love Lucy” Comics created a similar storyline for an issue in 1954. 

Mailed postcards once again cause trouble in “Fan Magazine Interview” (1954) when a publicity scheme for the Tropicana maquerades as a ‘date’ with Ricky Ricardo. When Lucy finds one of the postcards, she naturally thinks Ricky is cheating!  She tracks down the woman: Minnie Finch (Kathryn Card). 

Turns out Minnie’s neighbors (Elvia Allman and Sunny Boyne) got similar invitations for ‘dates’ in the mail. 

“The Passports” (1955) ~ Lucy has trouble proving where and when she was born. At the end, Lucy gets a letter from her mother enclosing her birth certificate and saving the day. 

“Tennessee Ernie Visits” (1954) ~ Lucy gets a very wordy letter from her mother to explain the presence of Ernie Ford. Naturally the letter comes after Ernie has arrived. 

“Tennessee Ernie Hangs On” (1954) ~ Lucy discovers an unmailed letter from Ernie to his Ma in Bent Fork, causing Lucy and Ricky to feel guilty for scheming to get rid of him. 

“Lucy Gets into Pictures” (1955) ~ Ricky discovers a postcard Lucy’s written to  Lillian Appleby, fibbing about having a part in a picture. In a rare blooper, Ricky calls Mrs. Appleby Lillian instead of Carolyn. She was only named Lillian in her very first appearance.  

To apply the stamp, Lucy borrows Ricky’s tongue. 

LUCY: “I've stamped so many cards, I'm all out of lick. Now, remember, don't read them.” RICKY: “Why not?” LUCY: “Because it's not nice to read other people's postcards.” RICKY: “Well, you and Ethel do it at home all the time.” LUCY: “Not until after they're mailed. It's illegal to read them before they're postmarked.”

“Don Juan is Shelved” (1955) ~ To save Ricky’s picture, Lucy decides to flood the studio with fan mail. She organizes an assembly line in her hotel room to churn out 500 handwritten and stamped fan letters.

“Paris at Last!” (1956) ~ Lucy goes to the American Express Office to change some money into Francs. Fred is in charge of collecting the mail, which has been forwarded to the American Express Offices along their tour route. 

Although primarily known for their credit cards today, in the 1950s American Express was an international banking company that issued travelers checks and was a trusted source of currency exchange. Their international offices were equipped with reading and writing rooms which offered the latest American newspapers and magazines. They also maintained a post office where clients’ letters could be forwarded. 

“Return Home from Europe” (1956) ~ Packing to sail home, a surprise in the mail changes their plans. 

RICKY: “Hey, did they have any mail for us at American 'Spress?” LUCY: “Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Oh, a letter from Mother! Here's a telegram for you.” RICKY: “How do you like that? A telegram and she forwards it in the regular mail. It takes three weeks to get here!”

It turns out to be very important - an offer to play at the Roxy in New York - staring immediately! 

“Lucy Raises Chickens” (1957) ~ After placing an ad for someone to help with the egg business, Ricky finds a reply in the mailbox - from Fred!. He put the letter in the box himself, saving the cost of a stamp and replacing it with an Easter Seal! 

“Lucy Meets the Mustache” (1959) ~ Lucy opens a letter from Ricky’s Uncle Alberto in Cuba, then must figure out a way to get it back into the envelope before Ricky comes home!  She employs a knitting needle using a technique she saw on television. 

STAMPS

MAILBOXES

“The Lucy Show” (1962-1968)

“Lucy and the Missing Stamp” (1964) ~ Lucy mistakenly uses a collectible stamp on an envelope she’s mailed then realizes its value.

She tracks it to the post office where she does everything she can to retrieve it. 

Herb Vigran plays the postman. Robert S. Carson plays the postmaster. 

“Lucy Goes Into Politics” (1964) ~ As volunteers working on Mr. Mooney’s campaign for Danfield Comptroller, Lucy and Viv are in charge of stamping hundreds of envelopes!

“Lucy Gets Caught Up in the Draft” (1966) ~ The mail that contains her draft notice is delievered by Joe the Postman (Sid Gould). 

Also in the mail is a letter from Lucy’s son, who is away at Military School. In probably the largest blooper in the history of “The Lucy Show,” the letter is signed “Jimmy Carmichael” instead of “Jerry Carmichael”.  It was Lucille Ball who insisted to the production people that it was Jimmy, remembering the actor’s name (Jimmy Garrett) and not the character’s!  

“Lucy the Bean Queen” (1966) ~ At the office, Mr. Mooney notes that it costs five cents postage to send a letter. This rate went into effect in 1963, rising a penny, and went up again another penny in 1968.

“Here’s Lucy” (1968-1974)

“Lucy’s Working Daughter” (1968) ~ When Kim must have her social security number to get a job at a boutique, Lucy confuses it for the Zip Code!  The US Post Office introduced Zip Codes on July 1, 1963.  

“Lucy Protects Her Job” (1969) ~ Kim disguises herself as new secretary -  gum-chewing Shirley Shoppenhauer. She returns from the post office with 500 postage stamps. Unfortunately for Harry, they are all balled up in a bunch and jammed into her purse. 

“Lucy and Lawrence Welk” (1970) ~ Lucy gets a letter from her old friend Viv, saying that she’s coming to visit. Naturally, the letter arrives moments before Viv walks through the door! 

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“Facteur accusé de vol,” La Presse. March 10, 1933. Page 3. ---- Alphonse Racette, facteur, 5242, 5e avenue, boulevard Rosemont, a comparu, ce matin, devant le juge Maurice Tétreau sous l'accusation de vols de lettres au détriment du ministère des postes. Son procès a été fixé au 15 du courant. La Cour a exigé un cautionnement de $3,000 pour sa mise en liberté provisoire. aze

[mailmanminnow]

When you have to deliver a package to the villain's lair...

[79zz]

"Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow can stop me! HollyJolly: Marine!"

A plucky young delivery worker, she is the most recent addition to the HollyJollygers, bringing a spunky and unstoppable force to the team!

[bubbsnugg]

(via Postal Worker Mail Carrier Art USA by Lacy Chenault | Clear stickers | Sticker Mule)

[lifeofaupsstoreworker]

felt sooooooooooooo productive yesterday. a couple hours after open, we had enough staff that i could escape to my boss's office and work on the project USPS has every UPS store doing right now where we have to digitize all of our mailbox records. me and another coworker had made great progress knocking out everything we presently had before December (not wanting to leave the rest of the staff drowning in the peak rush too long), but a Good Percent of our 300ish mailboxes had expired/missing info and took forever getting us updated stuff despite countless notices and calls. Then a ton of stuff got destroyed in the flood. but our deadline is March 1st so we got to HUSTLE.

So i spent an hour and a half focusing strictly on that then the next few hours after bouncing between contacting people and helping at the counter and putting up packages and completing paperwork for the project and cleaning up the chaotic store. our manager bought pizza. it helped my motivation.

If i had to do it all over again, here's how I would have done the project. Once all the information we already had that wasnt expired was uploaded, I would have either:

"terminated" all the boxes needing to update their stuff (like we are doing now bc we are being audited and don't have a choice). really their mailbox is suspended because we will open them back up using the same number once we get the info we need and give them back the remaining months, so they wont be out money. and we are holding their mail still, they just have a blocker in their box and there is a note on our end telling staff that their box is suspended. but getting that email would be enough to get them moving and not dawdle so we can cross our legal t's and dot our legal i's.

Have all the notices we distributed to mailbox customers needing their IDs updated checked in as packages rather than sticking the papers in their boxes. this kinda serves as "certifying" for us that they did infact recieve it and when, and once again pushes people to move faster because they'll get a text or email about it whereas they dont for normal letters. plus they'd have to get it during store hours so an associate could be there to explain to them what's up and hopefully get it from them then and there. this is a less scary way of doing it, but probably less effective than termination cause theres less of a fire incentivizing people into action

both of these ways wouldve also made it easier to keep track of all the, again, 300+ and growing mailbox customers and whose records we did or didnt have. BUT REGARDLESS we got it done and I'm super proud of us. even if my boss takes it for granted. this is about us :)!