Snow Still Kept Hamden Residents from Getting Mail

Susan Wilber has seen just about everything in the 30 years she's lived on her Hamden cul-de-sac, but never this.

On March 2, she walked out to her mailbox and found nothing, and she's found the same thing every day since.

"Rain nor snow, nor sleet nor hail. The mail will come through …  and it always has,” she said.

But for the four houses at the end of Robertson Drive, there's been no mail delivery this month, so Susan reached to the post office to find out why.

She says couldn't reach a person on the phone, but did receive an email last week that reads in part, "I regret any inconvenience or frustration this issue has caused you." It includes a Rhode Island phone number to contact if the delays continued. Susan said no one answers that number either.

Over the weekend, she picked up her accumulated mail and pleaded her case face-to-face with someone at her local post office. The woman who met her seemed to know all about her situation.

"She said ‘Oh you live on the cul-de-sac.' I said 'Yes I do, but my mailbox is accessible,'" Susan said.

Susan said the postal service told her the carrier can't deliver the mail in the cul-de-sac because he can't drive directly from one mailbox to the other because of the snow pile. The mailbox is clear and it took the Troubleshooters about four seconds to pull forward, back up and deliver the mail.

The Troubleshooters reached out the postal service as well and a spokesperson said carriers will rarely back up for safety reasons. This is the same thing Susan heard.

"I was told that until the snow melts, I will not be getting my mail delivery … and apparently my neighbors aren't getting theirs delivered also," Susan said.

But she doesn't understand why, on her quiet cul-de-sac there isn't a way to for the postman to deliver.

"You have to accommodate and make changes to your life to deal with the weather. I do it every day. It's part of living in New England," she said.

Since we intervened with the postal service, they've agreed to resume delivery to Susan and her three neighbors.

A spokesperson said, "Working together, we were able to resolve the situation. We are happy to be able to resume delivery because the weather has improved, and it's less of a challenge that it was over the past few months."

Susan confirmed that deliveries have resumed.

On March 2, she walked out to her mailbox and found nothing, and she's found the same thing every day since.

"Rain nor snow, nor sleet nor hail. The mail will come through …  and it always has,” she said.

But for the four houses at the end of Robertson Drive, there's been no mail delivery this month, so Susan reached to the post office to find out why.

She says couldn't reach a person on the phone, but did receive an email last week that reads in part, "I regret any inconvenience or frustration this issue has caused you." It includes a Rhode Island phone number to contact if the delays continued. Susan said no one answers that number either.

Over the weekend, she picked up her accumulated mail and pleaded her case face-to-face with someone at her local post office. The woman who met her seemed to know all about her situation.

"She said ‘Oh you live on the cul-de-sac.' I said 'Yes I do, but my mailbox is accessible,'" Susan said.

Susan said the postal service told her the carrier can't deliver the mail in the cul-de-sac because he can't drive directly from one mailbox to the other because of the snow pile. The mailbox is clear and it took the Troubleshooters about four seconds to pull forward, back up and deliver the mail.

The Troubleshooters reached out the postal service as well and a spokesperson said carriers will rarely back up for safety reasons. This is the same thing Susan heard.

"I was told that until the snow melts, I will not be getting my mail delivery … and apparently my neighbors aren't getting theirs delivered also," Susan said.

But she doesn't understand why, on her quiet cul-de-sac there isn't a way to for the postman to deliver.

"You have to accommodate and make changes to your life to deal with the weather. I do it every day. It's part of living in New England," she said.

Since we intervened with the postal service, they've agreed to resume delivery to Susan and her three neighbors.

A spokesperson said, "Working together, we were able to resolve the situation. We are happy to be able to resume delivery because the weather has improved, and it's less of a challenge that it was over the past few months."

Susan confirmed that deliveries have resumed.

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