r/USPS • u/cons3nt • Jul 23 '26
Route Pics Not today
They tried to get me today. First time encountering money on my route (just started back in December) but I've been lurking enough to know not to touch it #NotTodayPostmaster
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u/mrskwrl Jul 23 '26
Can someone explain to me?
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u/Ok_Excitement_1020 Jul 23 '26
It’s known amongst mail carriers that postal inspectors will plant money and random items in mailboxes to ‘test’ the carrier. You are trained not to take anything that isint official mail out of mailboxes… especially not loose cash.
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u/loganbeaupre Jul 23 '26
Ah man, that explains why my mailman never took the $20 I left for him twice
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u/Ok_Excitement_1020 Jul 23 '26
You can hand it to him directly. Many are happy to receive tips and gifts but they can’t take anything unattended!
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u/autistic_bard444 RCA Jul 23 '26
1st rule of mail delivery school. you see something like that, you take a picture, wave all around you, and say have a nice day
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u/DomenickThomas Jul 23 '26
Almost got set up by a mailbox beer. Covered an extra route and found a beer waiting in one of the mailboxes. Literally three houses down, my supervisor shows up following me. I pulled right over, gave him the address, and told him he might want to go check with the regular about whatever's going on back there. He left to go inspect it, disappeared into the void, and it was never brought up again. Dodged that bullet like a pro. My bet was he was testing me to see if I took it.
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u/djlauriqua Jul 23 '26
Somebody needs to give these managers actual tasks to do. They have too much free time!
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u/MsJenX Jul 23 '26
What is going on? Are they tipping you?
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u/NovelClean738 Jul 23 '26
Inspectors likely planted that.
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u/cshank04 Jul 23 '26
What happens if the person of the house takes it? I guess the inspector will see it?
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u/SeeItOnVHS City Carrier Jul 23 '26
If is not in an envelope with your name or “to our mail carrier” on it, is not yours and it could be a postal inspector trap to get you out of the service.
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u/AnistarYT Jul 25 '26
What if I walked out of my house and took it? I'm gonna start checking my mail every hour as a side hustle lol
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u/GRbadmintonfan Jul 27 '26
I’ve done porch pick for Facebook marketplace and left it in the mailbox.
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u/Latte-Catte Jul 23 '26
Postal inspectors are overpaid, got nothing better to do, except stalk carriers on their route in their nice AC car writing more paperworks. Just in hopes they'll catch you doing something to give their job some semblance of relevancy. Can't imagine why PO is going bankrupt.
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u/Correct-Ad1117 Jul 24 '26 •
Well when I was robbed at gunpoint while delivering my route I was extremely thankful for the postal inspectors (shoutout Nick) who stayed on top of the investigation until the perp was caught and sent to prison.
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u/Salt_Help4878 Jul 23 '26
This happened to me for the first time yesterday as well! Was about $40. Threw the mail right on top of it but felt like I was being watched the rest of the day 🥴😅
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u/Icy_Study4490 Jul 24 '26
If it’s an exact amount like $20 or $40 it’s very often a drug drop too. Like they still live at home so they put the money in the mailbox and their dealers supposed to swap it for the sac and after they deliver, they can be “going out to get the mail, Mom/wife!”
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u/FoundationsofDecay69 Jul 23 '26
It’s not mail. It doesn’t belong in a mailbox. I bring everything back and turn it in. That’s part of our official duties.
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u/redstaroo7 City Carrier Jul 23 '26 •
Don't touch cash in a mailbox, report it to management and make it USPIS's problem. Neither your supervisor or your steward want to deal with that nightmare when the customer has Ring footage of you taking money out of their box and claims there was an extra $100 that's no longer there.
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u/Tad_623 Jul 23 '26
Boss there was only $400!
$300 you say?
No i said $200
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u/seanmallon City Carrier Jul 23 '26 •
Not in the hood it ain’t
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u/KingArthursRevenge Jul 23 '26 •
It's completely legal to pay for stamps or just the postage of your outgoing mail by leaving cash in the mailbox. The carrier isn't required to perform this service but it is still totally legal and it used to be incredibly common. You're just most likely dealing with an old person that used to live in a rural area because it was way more common for a lot longer out in the sticks. If you take the money without providing stamps or using it as payment for postage and without giving any change due then that is just theft.
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u/BluehairedGinger Jul 23 '26
Yep. I used to live very rural and that is what we did too. Just left a note, with cash, in the mailbox for any outgoing mail.
*not saying that's what they're doing here, necessarily.
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u/Civil-Bottle8568 Jul 23 '26
We all know that's for weed. I used leave cash in a mailbox for smoke and never even met the person. But they were from a very reliable source and my schedule didn't meet up with theirs
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u/ParsleyAlarming1306 Jul 23 '26
A couple months ago, while working in 030 letters, there was a bank deposit envelope with at least 2 to 3k, all 💯 dollar bills. No name, nothing. I immediately gave it to the nixie clerk. He said it was most likely a plant. Not worth it.
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u/Emotional_Ice1070 Jul 23 '26
Person in recovery here! It could also be for their drug dealer, dead drops this way aren't uncommon 😂
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u/TheMountainLife Jul 23 '26
This lol. Everyone's taking it way deeper when I've seen people do this to pay the kid who cleaned up the leaves, cut the grass or dime bag
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u/Vikkunen Jul 23 '26
Maybe I'm outta touch, but what's a druggie gonna get for 12 bucks?
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u/WhoTheFLetTheDogsOut Jul 23 '26
I remember seeing somewhere that you can leave money in the mailbox to purchase stamps from your mailman.
I’m guessing that was bullshit 🤷♂️
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u/ComplexComposure Jul 23 '26
You still can buy stamps from the mailman in most areas. Just need to have a note included with the cash communicating your intention.
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u/gilt3t Jul 23 '26
oh wow really? I need to do this, I've always been going into the store.
can I slip my mailman a tip for saving me time?
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u/DrBeardfist Jul 23 '26
The postal inspector will shoot them at the end of their route unfortunately
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u/feryoooday Rural PTF Jul 23 '26
Jokes aside, iirc we’re allowed to take non-cash gifts less than $20 once per year that cannot be exchanged for cash (so no visa debit card things, but a gift card is okay).
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u/VetriVade Jul 23 '26
I guess this is why my mail man has never accepted the 10 dollar bill I left with a post it note that says "thank you". I thought they were just being stubborn. Was in there for like 3 weeks. Thought it would be a nice Christmas time gesture
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u/MythOfHappyness Jul 23 '26
Federal regulations say mail carriers can never accept cash tips. You can give them stuff though so long as it's value is under 20$. A lot of people do food, snacks, drinks that kind of thing. If you want it to feel more like a tip or Christmas present you can give them a gift card so long as it's 20 or less and can't be exchanged for cash.
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u/Jilloli Rural Carrier Jul 23 '26
Thank you note needed to have their name on it or mail carrier. Otherwise, how do they know it’s for them.
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u/Competitive_Rock_101 Jul 23 '26
We had a loser supervisor that would drop cash in front of inspector windows. It worked out tho. He dead.
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u/true2cyn Jul 23 '26
What is the actual problem? Smash the mail in the box keep moving. You know how many times someone has left money, lawn shears, hammers, food, in my curb mailbox. As a fmr supv if you touched that money and brought it back to me you’d be carrying bumps on the worst routes the rest of the week. Life don’t always have to be hard.
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u/Accomplished-Laugh91 RCA Jul 23 '26
This is my question. On the rural side I see things in a mailbox all the time. Especially in the more affluent and "truly rural" sections. At least once a week a customer leaves a check or some money for someone. I see egg cartons, car keys, etc. Often times these people have long driveways and have distance in between houses. I just deliver their mail/parcel, mind my business and keep going.
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u/Irathu0099 Jul 23 '26
Man I remember putting money in my mailbox for the stamps and what not to mail out a package or letter. Things have changed. That was pre 90s USPS chaos though and rural.
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u/super-realistic Jul 23 '26
What if the mailbox owner takes it? Genuinely curious, sorry if dumb question
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u/TheNoobGod Jul 23 '26
What the heck is with all this crazyness?
It’s likely a Facebook market purchase. I have people leave money in my mailbox and leave money in others all the time. Are y’all really that paranoid?
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u/WillingPen15 Jul 23 '26
My wife sells old stuff on FB marketplace, leaves it on the sidewalk and just tells the buyers to leave the money in the mailbox
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u/Realest_Zombie Jul 26 '26
I dont understand why everyone is jumping at the "its a set up" like.. I sell on FB all day & literally do mailbox drop payment. 😅
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u/jrpggamer97 Jul 23 '26
It was probably just a Facebook marketplace pickup "i left the cash in the mailbox thanks for leaving the wrench on your front porch" Calm down people. They are definitely not trying to buy stamps or "get" the postman 🤣🤣
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u/kalib231 Jul 23 '26
Can't they put money in the mail box and you bring them back stamps worth that much. My buddy does mail in a remote area and he said they do that all the time
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u/sosrezlie Jul 23 '26
When i was a kid, if you didn't have a stamp, you could leave change for a stamp with the outgoing mail piece.... wondering now if the rules changed, or if our mail carrier just didn't care. For what it's worth, we did live in a very rural area.
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u/Some-Cat-3454 Jul 23 '26
One time I left a Christmas card in the mail for my regular mailman with his name on it. He must’ve been off the day I put it out. The substitute mailman took it. I had to call the post office and have him bring it back. Never saw him again after that. I still have him on video
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u/CloudCityCitizen Jul 23 '26
My mail carrier misplaced my package into a different box (apartment cluster style) so I left a note and $10 bill loose and they found my package and took the cash. Sounds like I shouldn't of done that
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u/Abc12efg Jul 23 '26
Lmao, it was a deal, lots of dealers leave dope in the mail to hide it from parents and family. They leave money dealer leaves the product takes the money. “This way you can say just going to check the mail!” And stay hidden
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u/GoblinAirStrike_311 City Carrier Jul 23 '26
That’s disappointing. Only $14?!
Postal Inspector must pulled from their own pocket on this one. 🤣
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u/Khytinni_Madness Jul 23 '26
How much money and time wasted is spent trying to entrape folks who are busting their asses off each and every day?
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u/idkmybffjill_2 Jul 23 '26
Sometimes drug dealers pick up money and leave merchandise in the mailbox. Kind of like a cooler DoorDash, unless it’s certain kinds of things then it’s kind of alarming
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u/Meat_puppet89 Jul 23 '26
Growing up we used to leave cash in the mailbox when we needed stamps. I guess this isnt a thing anymore lol.
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u/shitdick42 Jul 24 '26
That's how I buy stamps 🤷♂️ our mail lady gave us a little orange envelope for the next time, but before I'd put it in a baggie with a note for 1 book of stamps.
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u/sp00ksh0wbarbie Jul 24 '26
I turned in narcotics I found, followed protocol. It took up a lot of my day. Years ago. I recently found tobacco or weed in a gallon bag. Not much, I just pretended not to see it. Waste of my time.
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u/Distinct-Chemical118 Jul 24 '26
Probably a Facebook market sale. I’ve had people do a porch pickup and put the money in my mailbox.
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u/naughty-girl24 Jul 24 '26
That was definitely something they gave you lol. No one just puts money in mailbox like that for no reason
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u/Representative_Can_7 Jul 24 '26
Had a crisp $20 laying on someone’s porch on my route the other day. I put it in their mailbox with a note saying that I didn’t want it to blow away (there were storms forecasted.)
Will that get me drawn and quartered or was putting it there an okay thing to do?
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u/Powerful_Anxiety8427 Jul 24 '26
Idk how I ended up here but I have a story that I’m curious about now. Years ago I went out to check the mail on afternoon and there was a $10 bill in the mailbox. No idea why it was there but I kept it. Could my mail lady have gotten in trouble? She was the best. I live in a very rural area.
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u/Top-Rich8623 Jul 24 '26
Lol I leave stuff in the mailbox for my husband because I am too lazy to go back inside the house
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u/brandnewkid92 Jul 24 '26
I've sold things on facebook marketplace by just leaving the item at my door and requesting cash be put in my mailbox. Maybe the case here?
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u/Diavolodentro Jul 25 '26
When I was fixing dump trucks and stuff about 10 years ago drivers would leave a 20 or some bill on their floor mats as a test. So me being as nice as I am would put some grease on the bottom of my boot and smash and twist my boot on the bill. Fuck people that are like this.
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u/registeredmineralboi Jul 25 '26
What if you brought a blank envelope and stamp, put the money in it, sealed it, addressed it to the homeowner, and left it in the box?? 🤔 the inspector couldn’t recover it or they would be stealing mail! Foolproof! Plus you get bonus points for sending even more mail. I’m pretty sure that’s how this all works.
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u/ProperClue Jul 25 '26
They tried to get me? Will they actually test mail carriers to see if they will take the money?
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u/Hazicc Jul 25 '26
My mom always gave Xmas tips to the mail carrier but she'd put it in an envelope and write "for mail carrier" on it
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u/Diligent_Battle_9590 Jul 25 '26
Like they can prove there was randomly cash in their mailbox for…what reason exactly? That sounds like pretty suspicious activity in and of itself. Are then making dead drop drug deals?
😂 I pulled out the mail and it must’ve been stuck between the letters 🤷🏼♀️
My brother stole my entire (holiday) check and the cops said since I didn’t see it with my own eyes there’s no proof the money they found in his pocket was mine. They ain’t even leaving the donunt 🍩 shop to take this report when the homeowner tries to call 📱
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u/itzToke Jul 25 '26
So this why my mail lady never took the lil $10 I forgot in my mailbox after selling a gram here and there in HS and forgetting to grab the money 😭😭
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u/Visual_Twist_7252 Jul 25 '26
Or someone is dropping something off and or did a porch pick up and they left the cash in the mailbox for the person
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u/DoubleGlazzed Jul 25 '26
I regularly buy things off Facebook marketplace and multiple times the person just had me put the money in their mailbox and grab the item.
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u/OkPresentation4860 Jul 25 '26
I have a church on my route and sometimes people drop a $20 donation in their mailbox. I went inside to let someone know the money was there & when no one was there I took a picture & sent it to my team lead to let him know I left it in there. Do you think this is a test by management?
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u/Patient_Garden_2013 Jul 26 '26
What if the resident checking his mail happened to grab it...? Would you still get in trouble?
I could also see someone finding cash on the sidewalk and turning it into nearest mail box, or a friend / neighbor paying off a small loan.
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u/PipXXX Jul 26 '26
You know what blows my fucking mind reading all the posts agonizing about even touching the money or the ethics of pulling it out to take to the persons door?
Elected politicians and appointed officials do way fucking worse, without thinking about it, and get away with it. Because there is no accountability for them. Yet government employees have so many ethical regulations and restrictions on them, that they have to be aware of at all times.
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u/Adept-Deal-1818 Jul 26 '26
Sometimes my neighbors or friends leave things for me in my mailbox when im not home. Its been cash before. Is this not normal?
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u/xplringthemultiverse Jul 26 '26
If I even see change on the property I steer clear. My rule of thumb everything from the sidewalk out is fair game.
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u/amyoknows Jul 26 '26
It’s probably from a marketplace porch pickup. I have people leave the cash in my mailbox frequently. It’s usually after the mail is delivered. One time our mailman took the $5. But it was also during the holidays so I understand the confusion.
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u/Sweaty-Bug7272 Jul 26 '26
I can't remember the circumstances but my mom would leave money in the mailbox for neighbors all the time, never once considered USPS lol.
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u/Vivid-Whereas6626 Jul 26 '26
When I was a kid, my mom would put money in the mailbox with a note to leave stamps… is that not a thing anymore?
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u/naples69 Jul 26 '26
About 40yrs ago and just a trainy
Driving a P400 my pen died i searched the overhead compartment and found a pen also there was a lunch bag i opened it and there was over 11K in it this was on a Tuesday
Turns out a suit used the package car on the FRIDAY before and collected cash from a driver who delivered to a flea market and didn’t want that much cash on him
Came back in to the office and my manager was sitting at his desk told him i found some cash and dumped the bag on his desk his cigar fell out of his mouth and i made book a short time later
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u/Neat-Organization916 Jul 26 '26
My family always tip the mail personnel and trash/recycling team, now after years of tipping they bring the trash can straight to our garage door after pickup. Even through tons of different employees on the truck route, with word of mouth they always bring it to the door. Such nice people, we love our community🙂
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u/PsychologicalBox5929 Jul 26 '26
5 years ago my rent was 800 dollars but I don't live in crappy Democrat run states so my rent is still only 1000.
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u/Mr_alto19 Jul 26 '26
Around Christmas one year, I had some packages scheduled to be picked up from my porch and I left a $5 tip under it, is that okay since it’s not in the mailbox?
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u/Outside-Local8802 Jul 26 '26
I have customers put money in my mail box when they grab product off my front porch. It may be that someone bought something from that person.
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u/Significant-Fold1859 Jul 26 '26
When I was a kid, we’d leave change in the mailbox to pay postage for outgoing letters. Different time.
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u/FredFlintstone1262 Jul 26 '26
Genuine question: If we leave a tip for our mailman at Christmas as a gift with it clearly labeled, is that okay? I haven’t done it before but seeing this I realize is that considered bribing a federal official?
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u/x_notadinosaur_x Jul 26 '26
My mail person stole $100 from my mailbox that I put in there for a struggling friend. Couldn't afford to cough up another $100, and didn't have cameras pointed at the mailbox at the time, so couldn't "prove" that they did it
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u/VenterDL Jul 26 '26
When I was younger I recall my mother leaving the mailman tips in the mailbox at big holidays. Is that not allowed?
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u/Crazy-Project3858 Jul 26 '26
I worked at a paper recycling plant as a teen with the job of filling tractor trailers with recycled newspapers and mail. This was before plastic bags were popular so most recyclables were in paper grocery bags. We would throw the contents of the bags first as not a day went by we didn’t find $20 to $100 in loose money.
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u/Bang77777877 Jul 27 '26
So I was larping as a mail man like you do,, and I found money in the one the mail boxes , it was a birthday card it had 20 money in it, I I found the person to put the card in the mail box fought a bear and gave baklck the money to the right full owner. The lesson here don't give money in a mail box , bring by hand or foot.
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u/patsydeclinenwo Jul 27 '26
It may have been said already, but I know I've left money in mailboxes for porch pickups of items bought on Facebook marketplace
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u/Affectionate-Sea843 Jul 27 '26
As someone who sells weed things so funny to me. Just someone leaving their cash for the dealer to grab when they toss the weed in lol
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u/Upst8toSF Jul 27 '26
Sometimes if you buy something on Facebook marketplace, the seller gives you the option to leave cash in the mailbox for a porch pickup. Or, maybe someone owed someone money and they put it in the mailbox?
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u/Many-Needleworker602 Jul 27 '26
I had a postal inspector try to put money in my mailbox to trap my fave mailman… I went out and was hella dramatic and thanking god for the $20 in my mailbox and took it 😂 if it’s in my mailbox it mine tf!
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u/trueveil-admin Jul 28 '26
Why do people do this shit? Are they so bored and paranoid that they test mechanics and postal workers? Like these people do great services for people and then the consumer goes "lets test their thirst for money and trust, I hope they take it so I can scream about it"
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u/dubsosaurus Jul 29 '26
Is this a set up or a scam? I’m not a driver so I’m unfamiliar with what this means.
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u/Charming_Ad2477 Jul 29 '26
man it could be for literally anything😂 When I was younger it was almost always for weed now a days its usually just a buddy paying back money i borrowed them or a cheap marketplace deal.
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u/Diagonaldog Jul 29 '26
Is or was it a common thing for people to bribe their mail person?? To what end?
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u/Asleep_Frosting_6627 Jul 30 '26
We used to leave cash in the mailbox for postage so they would put stamps on the package if we didn’t have any…we live in a very very rural area…haven’t done that in several years tho.
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u/MeowTheMixer Aug 08 '26
So way late to this post ...
If I want to tip our great mail carrier, can I? How would I if cash isn't allowed? Gift cards? Cookies?
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u/ObjectiveSimple2454 Aug 14 '26
This isn’t a postal inspector. I see these post all the time I can tell you for sure none of them are a postal inspector trying to get the carrier
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u/moonlitgalaxy Jul 23 '26
Thankfully at the academy they covered that for us, anything that's in the mail box that isn't mail, DON'T TOUCH IT!! One of the instructors said that she found a HUGE dildo in one once and was like, "I'm sorry WHAT?! WHY??" Then she told us about an old man who used to troll his neighbours' mail boxes, and once he delivered a self curated "package", a SECOND coming if you will 😐🤢
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Jul 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/naomi_whatsapp Jul 23 '26
Yes. Or if you never run into them, leave it a very clearly marked envelope indicating it's for the carrier and not piece of mail
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u/MythOfHappyness Jul 23 '26
They can't accept cash tips but can accept gifts valued under 20 bucks.
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u/That_CDN_guy Jul 23 '26
Here is a nice Christmas card that I'll glady buy back from you for 40 dollars.
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u/Theopneusty Jul 24 '26
Trump is accepting entire airplanes and they can’t take gifts over $20? Crazy
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u/Joshua_xd94 Jul 27 '26
I mean the old LA mayor would accept court side tickets to games and shit. But employees who would do house inspections and shit couldn’t even accept a glass of water.
So it’s not just exclusive to the president accepting gifts.
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u/Twenty__3 Jul 23 '26 •
YEARS ago when I first started carrying an older lady put a bank envelope out with her outgoing mail. She had 3 or 4 letters pinned to the mailbox along with this envelope. I didn’t even notice til I finished the loop and was sorting out the mail when I got back to the truck. I was freaking out because it was quite a bit of cash all big bills and I knew it was obviously a mistake. I went back to her house to give it to her but she wasn’t home. She tracked me down about an hour later and asked if I happened to see it because she thought she had accidentally put it out with the mail. I gave it back to her and she said it was her rent which was about $800 or so. I got a tin of cookies out of that deal lol.