Post Office Asks for Customer Help to Keep Walkways Clear

Letter Carriers are Thankful for Customer Help in Keeping Deliveries Safe

“Snow and ice on sidewalks and front porches present a serious safety challenge for our letter carriers across the region,” said Doug Morrow, manager of the U.S. Postal Service’s Des Moines-based Hawkeye District.  The Hawkeye District covers most of Iowa and the Illinois communities near the Quad Cities.

“Our employees take their jobs seriously and take pride in reporting to work -- regardless of the conditions,” Morrow said, “but if access to the mailbox is blocked by snow or ice, we remind them that safety is paramount to delivering the mail.”

Letter carriers are instructed to refrain from delivering to locations they deem hazardous, and the Postal Service is reminding customers to keep access to the mailbox clear.  “Our carriers will battle freezing temperatures, ice and snow in many parts of the Midwest,” Morrow explained. “We urge customers to do the right thing, not just for our letter carriers, but for everyone.”

Morrow said customers who receive door delivery should make sure their sidewalks and steps are clear.  Customers receiving curbside delivery should pay special attention to keep mailboxes clear of snow piles left by snow plows.