# Does postal mail get delivered to high-crime areas?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 26, 2005, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976 "2005-02-26T04:43:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/21 "2005-02-26T19:10:12Z")

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> [@pullin](#):
>
> Back in my UPS days (note: UPS, not USPS), they did try to match folks to certain routes. This would probably violate several statutes nowadays, but on “certain” routes they always assigned one of the (large) black guys, since others would be harassed too much. Conversely, in some high dollar neighborhoods, it was best to send a white driver. Some folks simply wouldn’t open their doors to a black man after dark. (during Christmas season, there were lots of late deliveries to houses)
> 
> Not exactly an answer to the OP, but maybe similar enough to be relevant.

Back in my UPS days I was a summer sub sent wherever needed. I delivered mail in every part of the city and suburbs. Nobody cut me any slack or told me to be careful or moved me to carefully selected nice areas. Just me, a mailbag bigger than I was, and a can of spray for the dogs. If I didn’t deliver mail to a house, it was my fault.

There may be certain times and places in which this isn’t true today, but the mail gets delivered. And meters get read, and cable and telephone crews connect lines, and the power company works their lines, and delivery people deliver packages. The real, ordinary, everyday people outnumber the thugs in every neighborhood. I don’t care where you live.

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/22 "2005-02-26T19:32:55Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> t’s perfectly legal to carry weapons in vast areas of the United States.

But most very high crime areas have very restrictive gun laws making it next to impossiable for the mailman to legally carry it.

Hmmm I wonder if there is some sort of relationship between those restricitve gun laws and crime rates.

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**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/23 "2005-02-26T19:41:09Z")

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I’ll have to ask a fellow in the fire company if it’s legal for him to carry while he’s delivering. I don’t think so, but he has a CCP as does another mailman who was a former LEO and deputy sheriff.

I have noted signs in the Post Office indicating that I can’t have a firearm on postal property, which I guess makes it technically illegal for me to leave my weapon in the truck while I go inside to buy stamps.

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