Most Dearborn Residents Received Mail This Week, Despite Delays

U.S. Postal Service letter carriers have been heading out every day in Dearborn despite the severe cold and negative wind-chills.

However, many people across Metro Detroit, and a few people in Dearborn, have reported mail delivery delays since Saturday.

When Dearborn Patch readers were asked about the delays on Facebook, most praised their mail carriers for going out in the cold at all.

"Only missed one day, but really it didn't matter," said Facebook user Julie Rose. "I can't imagine how hard it is this week for anyone to work outside."

In fact, most people seemed even a little bit happy to not be receiving mail this week.

"Yesterday was the first day [receiving mail] since Saturday," Facebook user Barbara Fox-hajj Houssien said. "I'm glad though, I wouldn't want the mail carriers to be out in this stuff."

Some residents, like Cindy Nemcok Schreiber, were even kind enough to offer their mail carriers hot chocolate to keep them warm while on the job.

"We have a great carrier on S. York," Schreiber commented. "She hasn't missed [a day] yet!"

According to Ed Moore, U.S. Postal Service spokesperson for Metro Detroit, the main reason for some residents not receiving mail is because their driveways or paths to their mailboxes are not plowed or de-iced for the letter carriers.

"They're carrying an extra 50 pound bag on their shoulders and trying to balance that while holding mail in their hands," he told Patch. 

Carriers would prefer not to bring the mail back because that adds to their deliveries for the next day, he said. However, if there is no improvement to the conditions, delivery delays will continue. 

"The safety of the letter carrier is the most important thing," he said. "They are not to risk injury."

So what's the solution for those in Dearborn with delivery delays? Grab a shovel, Moore said.

"I would even encourage our customers to be neighborly," he said. "If you have an elderly neighbor or know someone who is disabled, shovel a path to their mail."

It's a community effort, he said, because sometimes a homeowner will properly clear a path but mail will still be delayed if the rest of the street is impassable. 

"We recognize that customers want their mail and need their mail and we want to provide that service to them," he said.  

What is the mail situation like near you? Post a comment below.