Community Corner
Still No Mail? Snow, Ice Delaying Some Deliveries
A spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service said uncleared ice and snow hindered mail delivery after this week's storm.
Are you among those wondering why the mailbox is still empty?Â
Ed Moore, U.S. Postal Service spokesperson for metro Detroit, said delays have been widespread in communities around the region first due to the deep freeze, courtesy of the 'polar vortex,' and the piles of snow and ice left behind in the aftermath of Sunday's snow storm.
"They're carrying an extra 50 pound bag on their shoulders and trying to balance that while holding mail in their hands," Moore told Patch Thursday.Â
"We recognize that customers want their mail and need their mail and we want to provide that service to them," he said.
However, the carrier's safety comes first.
Some Bloomfield Township residents, such as Patch Blogger Joan Berndt took to Facebook inquiring about the delay.
"But what about the mail? Our trash was picked up one day late. We haven't gotten any mail since 7:30 pm Saturday," she posted earlier this week on the Bloomfield Patch Facebook page.
Moore said all undelivered mail returns to the post office, and that carriers don't want to bring the mail back because it adds to the following day's deliveries. Curbside delivery is also delayed for some neighborhoods, as carriers are not supposed to step out of their vehicle to deliver the mail, he said.
A solution?
Improving conditions and warmer temperatures will help, but in the meantime, 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.Â
What's the mail situation like in your neighborhood? Tell us with a comment.
Editor Aysha Jamali contributed to this report.
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