Saturday, June 11, 2005

Rural mail carriers

The on-line edition of the Orlando Sentinel reports that the demand for rural carriers is expected to increase and notes some striking differences between rural carriers and city carriers.

In the article, More Than Letter Carriers, the Sentinel says, “Although the boondocks are rapidly disappearing as Florida continues to grow at breakneck speed, postal officials say the need for rural carriers is actually growing.”

"City letter carriers have uniforms and drive postal vehicles, while rural carriers usually have no uniform and drive their own cars and trucks. Rural carriers provide more services and are under less supervision. Each is represented by a separate union."

Rural mail delivery became a permanent service for rural residents throughout the country in 1902, even while critics feared it would bankrupt the nation.

To read the entire Orlando Sentinel article, click here.

To read a Smithsonian Institution special report about rural mail delivery, click here.
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posted by Don Schilling at 8:28 AM