Hi, there.
One of the things I miss in the process of sent / receive a postcard is the interaction with my current mail carrier. Right now, I just go to my nearest mailbox to send, or to the Post office if I need to add more stamps. And the mail carrier come in a motorcycle, door by door, put the mail on the box and bye-bye. Not sure even if is a lady or a gentleman.
But in my Postcrosser life, before the pandemic, I used to have so much joy talking to my mail carriers, and this hobby is weird even for them who works in the area. So, with years, Iâve collected a few anecdotes with them.
For example, when I used to live in another city, I had this postman who told he had commented with his granddaughter about my postcards. Telling her how lovely were the back of the cards, full of stickers and beautiful stamps. (A part of me thought it was weird too, because that probably meant he was reading the messages on the backside of the postcard hahaha).
And after that, he was changed to another route in the city and my mail started to being delivered by a postwoman, very talkative and extremely funny. One day, I think it was the time I was Winner of the Month, so I received lots of postcards for several days, she told me they were talking about me at the Post Office of the town, wondering why did I had such a âromanticâ hobby when everyone else send emails. And the conclusion of the mail carriers there was I had this mail hobby because I have a weird name. She told me âif you were call MariCarmen, maybe you would have had a different hobbyâ.
Of course, I laught a lot, but didnât try to correct her in her thoughts. We are so many people interested in regular / traditional mail around the world. But seems to be, in that town, I was the only one.
We live in a block of 50 flats, but postcards delivered to our address are usually all for me. Our postman got so used to this, that often he just drops all postcards into my mail box, without actually reading the flat number or name of the adressee. Usually that makes no difference, but sometimes I have to deliver mail to our neighbours
Sometimes I even have to deliver postcards for people living further down the street - which is no longer in the âterritoryâ of our postman. So someone at the post office sorting the mail also seems not to look at postcard addresses too closely. However, this also has advantages - because mail that is actually meant for me but has some mistakes in the address also reaches me. Once got a card from my aunt (from abroad) who completely mangled the street name. She got about 2 letters right, 3 letters wrong, and totally omitted 5 others, and I think she forgot about the flat number, too. But no problem!
I just started postcrossing/ snail mailing last October. But ever since Iâve started receiving cards, I see my postman all excited to deliver cards to me and asks me which country the cards are from.
Yesterday when he saw me, he asked why I havenât received any cards lately(I reached my 6 cards travelling limit).
So it is safe to say that he likes this hobby and looks forward to hear about the cards I receive
That happened to me too! It was basically my name and zip-code, and they still deliver! They still remember me at my first post office after moving three times with all bizarre handmades I sent (we used to wrap it sometimes for safer postal process with head of delivery). Every time my mail redirects to them by mistake, they hold it and wait for me to come (they recognise me even with mask on and all!). And mind that their territory is about 100 buildings, 150 flats each, big.
At current post office - there is a young postcrosser, who approached me while I was sending after buying stamp, I shared some tips with her, and stamp collectors - so Iâm being asked âbut you bought exactly the same stamps two weeks ago, why do you need more?â
I havenât met my postwoman yet. The rumours are she uses a bike (yes, during snow and ice times too), also delivers after lunch not in the morning like most postmen do here
Some time ago I got a text from a very old friend who was in elementary school with me, he is a postman now and asked me how did I get so many postcards from all around the world. I told him about Postcrossing, he said he was going to try it out
I rarely get to talk with mail carriers, because I am away at work when they come by and talking with random people is not really common here anyway, especially when they are at work. But once I was getting a packet home delivered while I was having my summer holiday, and my dogs sneaked out to meet the mail carrier when he came at our door (usually he would just drop the post in the box along the road). Luckily he turned out to be a dog person and was very happy to meet my dogs.
After that he has few times given me my post from the car when he drives by and I am out at that moment. So far that I know there is at least 3 different persons delivering mail to my area, but it has been long time since I was at home during delivery times so I have no idea who it is now.
Oh and once I saw one of them after they had just drove the mail car off the road (it was different guy, not the one who met dogs), so I stopped to ask if he is ok. He didnât need any help.
I remember one meeting with the postman in summer now.
He had a packet for my mom and so he ringed the doorbell. But nobody heard him, we where all in the garden. My mom was gardening and I daydreamed in the deckchair. So the postman decided to dropp off the packet in the garden, luckily for him, my dog is very friendly, but he made me scream with his sudden âHello!â
Through postcrossing I got to know my maillady. She is really nice. Sometimes she rings because there is a bigger envelope for me as well (from online shopping) but I think sometimes she rings because I get so many cards at once. She is always friendly and we exchange a few words. But no funny anekdotes yet.
Now I am working and not here anymore which is a bit sad. It is nice to connect with these wonderful humans that bring me all these card treasures.
Today my postman brought two small parcels (and three postcards) and when I opened the door and said: âOh - two at once,â he answered that it was one yesterday and one today. Usually when you are not at home they drop a card in your mailbox and you have to go to the post office and get your parcel there. He said he was sure that he would see me the next day anyway and just left the parcel in car to deliver it today. I am so grateful, I hate going to that certain office to fetch my stuff, so he did me a great favour.
My mailman always seemed very nice, but I had no idea what he might be thinking about postcards until about six weeks ago when I was outside shoveling snow when he happened to be making his rounds. He walked up to me, arm outstretched with my mail, safe distance, and said, âIâm shocked!â
I was confused and asked him what he was shocked about.
âYou didnât get any postcards today - but better luck tomorrow!â
Then we both laughed and he went on his way through the snow.
A few weeks back I got a card that wasnât for me in my mail box, so I took it to the post office for them to deliver it correctly. Two days later I checked my mail box and⌠there it was, the same card again! Ended up looking for the address and taking it there myself, with my dog. I guess Iâm pretty much the only person getting postcards around hereâŚ
I met my first mailcarrier in 2016 when I began to work from home. He was so nice and so funny ! I was almost sad to leave him when I moved.
The day I moved I could met him a last time and he gave me a hug. I hope he is doing well !
The second one was also very nice and considerate ! Last year, he was assigned to another route so I canât met him anymore. But he dropped a postcard for Christmas !
When I lived in a more rural area my postwoman was friends with my landlady and always stayed for a coffee when she delivered our mail. I always imagined the two of them sitting at the coffee table reading my postcards (my landlady doesnât speak English but I donât know for the postwoman)
I work as a veterinarian and we also treated the postwomanâs horses. One Saturday night I was on call and she called because one of them was sick. When I got there she said: âI am sorry to disturb you tonight when your boyfriend is there. I saw his car when I delivered the mail this morning .â (I was in a long-distance relationship at the time) Everyone knows everything in the countryside!
I once was asked by an interim mail man about my postcards. He said, that he would give me a postcard some time. He never did but about a year leater, when I delivered parcels to my home (sometimes mail and parcels come together here sometimes they come sperately) he said: I wanted to give you a postcard. Still he never did.
It often happens that I receive mail from everywhere. On Friday I have received an offical card from Russia that wasnât for me but for another postcrosser who has the same zip code but lives about 10km away. I put the card in an envelope for her and sent it out. She should receive it today. It happened a few times that I got postcards from holidays that were not for me and not even for people from my viillage. I usually just put them back in the public mailbox so they can get to their original destination. If I receive postcards from my village I just deliver them myself. Once I cought the mailwonman who appologzised. My mailwoman is always very polite and friendly and always in a good mood but never talked about my postcards to me.
My boyfriend is ashamed to open the door for the postman because of all the postcards I get haha. I think no mailman ever made a comment to him but still.
It happend two times, that postcards addressed to me did not get directly to me and were forwarded to me. One from another city not too far away here in Germany and one from the US
It happened to me once, and is a great story behindâŚ
Because I used to live in a city that was very very close to another city. In fact, I just needed to cross the avenue I lived, and I was already in the other city.
So, my address existed both sides of the same avenue, but with a different city name (and I suppose a different postal code too).
However, one day a woman called by the interphone to my door and she asked for me, using my name. And she told me she had a postcard addressed to me and she apologized because looks like it have been quite some time on her mailbox and she didnât visited the apartment in several months.
I donât know the story behind why her apartment was empty so many months (the postcardâs date was from at least 6 months earlier) but I was so grateful to get the postcard. I can remember it as if it was yesterday, even if it was 8 years ago. It was a Hello Kitty postcard sent from Japan.
years ago I had a regular mail carrier who I really likedâŚsometimes Iâd see her looking at my postcards. Of course i didnât mind at all since they travel naked and are visible to anyone
Had a chat with my mailwoman today- she said, she has just one other âpostcard personâ in her district. I told her, that I know about him, because she put one of his cards in my box one day, and I delivered it myself
As I told her, there a quite a few post people at postcrossing (at least here at the forum), she said, she could really imagine it, as delivering postcards is what every post-person likes most. She loves to look at my postcards and stamps, she saidđ
And, surprisingly, I get a lot of uncancelled cards, both from Germany and abroad. Never ever with ugly handcancelling by her (think she officially would have to, if she sees itâŚ)
Maybe another mail delivery woman will join us here soon!
Last Friday my mailman delivered my stamp order by registered mail, plus two postcards.
He said âYou are the one who always puts the beautiful cards in the mailbox!â. Ugh, secretâs out
And then he kindly advised me to not put them in the mailbox when itâs rainy as the is not waterproof and it would be such a pity. Plus I got to know that he is also emptying it.
On Monday it was raining and I was already prepared to drive to the postoffice during lunchbreak, when the bell rang (mailmanâs car parked outside). I ran outside, mail in my hand - and after asking nicely he took it (and I got the small parcel delivery he actually rang for).Yay
for my mailman
âŚnow I just have to find a waterproof mailbox for rainy days or check the weather report before writing postcards
Ended up looking for the address and taking it there myself, with my dog. I guess Iâm pretty much the only person getting postcards around here⌠
(my landlady doesnât speak English but I donât know for the postwoman)
is not waterproof and it would be such a pity. Plus I got to know that he is also emptying it.
for my mailman