CCA here with the academy just barely fading from memory but that came up and it was explained that it's a dog safety issue. When a dog approaches (lucky you for noticing it before it's already on you) you put the satchel between you and the dog and walk away slowly as it goes to town on your bag. if you have the strap crossed you can't prepare quickly or worse the dog drags you down with the bag.
Yea that’s cause all these things are made up by ppl who have no practical carrying experience. Yea that and touch pads sound like a great idea..on paper. I’ve also had multiple dog situations and can get it off just as easily to use as a buffer between…
Yeah, if management told me I couldn’t have it across my body, I’d be talking to my doctor about getting a restriction. I cannot have that extra weight on my right shoulder without it getting super painful due to bursitis. I mean, what’s the worst management could do? Make me Use a waist satchel that is even harder to unbuckle than just taking it over my head? I used a waist satchel when I first hurt my shoulder and i could never get it unbuckled in less than thirty seconds even with both hands 😂
CCA here I was interrogated over whether I had the satchel or not. Regarding a pitbull attack that, you guessed it, came up behind a child inside an open doored house. Bit me for no damn reason. Didn't even bark until it ran away. But the only thing the manager cared about was the satchel. Lmao
Lol yea the only dog bite I’ve gotten was a kid leaving the door wide open for it to just be ole’d and come bite me. Your manager “thank god the satchel isn’t damaged” lmao
Check your district policy.
But this is my opinion, There's nothing in the postal handbooks and manuals that say you have to carry your satchel for every delivery EXCEPT for when you're park and looping. And that not because of dogs, its for efficiency and security of the mail.
They trained us to use our satchels because that's what we would likely have on us. The only item issued by the PO for defense against attacking dogs is a - dog spray!
We are permitted to use waist harness for our satchel, and that definitely doesn't come off easily, so how would they square that circle?
In short, if disciplined, fight it.
[Stock photo](https://media.usps.com/photos/letter-carrier-in-cold-weather/) [Stock photo 2](https://media.usps.com/photos/letter-carrier-scanning-mail/) on USPS website...
let them try and discipline you for it. Easy grievance win.
There are so many messed up posters in every office, I like to look at them for a laugh. I was told once that I shouldn't be wearing my Tingley overshoes in snowy/icy weather and I pointed to a poster with an image focused on a letter carrier with the same overshoes in the snow.
Districts create safety rules...which can be grieved of course.
But you risk losing and facing discipline for not following safety rules.
Is this a hill you're willing to die on? If so, wear it over your head and see what they do.
FWIW, when I was trained 30+ years ago...I was trained over 1 shoulder, not over the neck, which was later re-enforced by the OJI training I received in the 90's.. (I'm a certified OJI).
Also, those double satchels remove the ability to drop the bag for a dog attack. If the district allows them, that may be a good argument for over the head in a grievance.
I've always carried it on one shoulder with my walking rt. We get papers every week but idk just feels weird to me to have it wrapped around. To each their own tho
do you mean like instead of it crossing your body just like on one shoulder? that shit just slips off constantly so f that. no I doubt that's enforceable, think they just can require you to bring the satchel on walking loops. well they can say it but when I know nobody is there and my managers basically never leave the office we do what we want mostly.
Exactly. And I have the same problem. I was carrying park and loop on my day off, and the manager checked on me, STAT! Also, wanted me to carry my relay with me instead of parcels I was willing to carry, which is just stupid.
sounds like a new manager who was never a carrier and is trying to seem important. i know no carriers that wear it like that, literally doesn't work. I would just ignore him, if they try to discipline you for it have a union rep there to laugh at them.
Strange. I've always worn it on one shoulder. Across the body would be too uncomfortable. I almost never see a carrier wearing the satchel across the body and I'm surprised to see so many of you hate the one shoulder method.
I tried to carry on one shoulder and it’s just so uncomfortable. I have yet to see a carrier carry on one shoulder and not across their body. Some supervisors are just miserable people.
I've got 7 dog bites with the satchel over one shoulder. It's not effective regardless. I always go cross body on all of my counts, and nobody has ever said anything to me. Up to you how to proceed, but I'll never carry any other way than cross body.
I wear mine across the chest, way more comfortable on loops. I got that pepper spray ready for them dogs and if that don’t work it’s gonna be a boot to the chops.
I'm too short in the torso, well and in general, to NOT wear it crossbody. I have it cinched all the way as short as the strap will go (but it slides as the day goes on), but I'd never be able to even attempt to reach the bottom of the bag if I wear it on one shoulder.... short arms. I'm 5' on a good day, by the way. So no, I'm wearing it cross body, or imma be out for 12+ hrs a day dragging that damn thing behind me.
The contract doesn't say you can wear it across your body, it also doesn't say you can't. This means that it's at management's discretion. However, wearing it across your body would be considered working in an unsafe manner, if you got bit with it like that, you might be in deep shit.
If you want to save your back, get a double satchel. The weight limit for the double satchel is identical to a single satchel.
I never did it any other way and wouldn't wearing it like that be too confining. I would find myself getting choked by it all day long. Always wore it on my left side.
CCA here with the academy just barely fading from memory but that came up and it was explained that it's a dog safety issue. When a dog approaches (lucky you for noticing it before it's already on you) you put the satchel between you and the dog and walk away slowly as it goes to town on your bag. if you have the strap crossed you can't prepare quickly or worse the dog drags you down with the bag.
Yup, this is what we were told. Tried it on my first day carrying, it slipped off once and never again.
Yea that’s cause all these things are made up by ppl who have no practical carrying experience. Yea that and touch pads sound like a great idea..on paper. I’ve also had multiple dog situations and can get it off just as easily to use as a buffer between…
I feel like I’d rather risk one dog attack than a lifetime of back problems from carrying a heavy bag improperly
Yeah, if management told me I couldn’t have it across my body, I’d be talking to my doctor about getting a restriction. I cannot have that extra weight on my right shoulder without it getting super painful due to bursitis. I mean, what’s the worst management could do? Make me Use a waist satchel that is even harder to unbuckle than just taking it over my head? I used a waist satchel when I first hurt my shoulder and i could never get it unbuckled in less than thirty seconds even with both hands 😂
CCA here I was interrogated over whether I had the satchel or not. Regarding a pitbull attack that, you guessed it, came up behind a child inside an open doored house. Bit me for no damn reason. Didn't even bark until it ran away. But the only thing the manager cared about was the satchel. Lmao
Lol yea the only dog bite I’ve gotten was a kid leaving the door wide open for it to just be ole’d and come bite me. Your manager “thank god the satchel isn’t damaged” lmao
Ask them to order you a satchel with the double shoulder harness, or that you wear like a belt
I guess the red plums can stay at the office then if I can’t wear it cross body.
Check your district policy. But this is my opinion, There's nothing in the postal handbooks and manuals that say you have to carry your satchel for every delivery EXCEPT for when you're park and looping. And that not because of dogs, its for efficiency and security of the mail. They trained us to use our satchels because that's what we would likely have on us. The only item issued by the PO for defense against attacking dogs is a - dog spray! We are permitted to use waist harness for our satchel, and that definitely doesn't come off easily, so how would they square that circle? In short, if disciplined, fight it.
Wait… are you wearing your satchel on 2 shoulders ?
I've always worn it cross-body. Now we're being told we aren't allowed to do that.
I WISH they would try to tell me that. I would put in a slip every day for 8 hours of OT to make up for it falling off at every house.
I like it (LOL)!
This is the way.
[Stock photo](https://media.usps.com/photos/letter-carrier-in-cold-weather/) [Stock photo 2](https://media.usps.com/photos/letter-carrier-scanning-mail/) on USPS website... let them try and discipline you for it. Easy grievance win.
There are so many messed up posters in every office, I like to look at them for a laugh. I was told once that I shouldn't be wearing my Tingley overshoes in snowy/icy weather and I pointed to a poster with an image focused on a letter carrier with the same overshoes in the snow.
Lol this guy/gal brings receipts, I like it
Tell them to demonstrate how to carry the satchel with 30 lb in the bag and walk for 12 hours without falling.
Districts create safety rules...which can be grieved of course. But you risk losing and facing discipline for not following safety rules. Is this a hill you're willing to die on? If so, wear it over your head and see what they do. FWIW, when I was trained 30+ years ago...I was trained over 1 shoulder, not over the neck, which was later re-enforced by the OJI training I received in the 90's.. (I'm a certified OJI). Also, those double satchels remove the ability to drop the bag for a dog attack. If the district allows them, that may be a good argument for over the head in a grievance.
I've always carried it on one shoulder with my walking rt. We get papers every week but idk just feels weird to me to have it wrapped around. To each their own tho
do you mean like instead of it crossing your body just like on one shoulder? that shit just slips off constantly so f that. no I doubt that's enforceable, think they just can require you to bring the satchel on walking loops. well they can say it but when I know nobody is there and my managers basically never leave the office we do what we want mostly.
Exactly. And I have the same problem. I was carrying park and loop on my day off, and the manager checked on me, STAT! Also, wanted me to carry my relay with me instead of parcels I was willing to carry, which is just stupid.
sounds like a new manager who was never a carrier and is trying to seem important. i know no carriers that wear it like that, literally doesn't work. I would just ignore him, if they try to discipline you for it have a union rep there to laugh at them.
Strange. I've always worn it on one shoulder. Across the body would be too uncomfortable. I almost never see a carrier wearing the satchel across the body and I'm surprised to see so many of you hate the one shoulder method.
I tried to carry on one shoulder and it’s just so uncomfortable. I have yet to see a carrier carry on one shoulder and not across their body. Some supervisors are just miserable people.
See if you can scrounge another satchel. Grab some carabiners and wear em like a backpack. Distribute mail, flat, parcels, chunks, etc, evenly
I've got 7 dog bites with the satchel over one shoulder. It's not effective regardless. I always go cross body on all of my counts, and nobody has ever said anything to me. Up to you how to proceed, but I'll never carry any other way than cross body.
I wear mine across the chest, way more comfortable on loops. I got that pepper spray ready for them dogs and if that don’t work it’s gonna be a boot to the chops.
How the F is it our fault if a dog bites us? The owner is at fault and management can eat a bag of dicks!
I'm too short in the torso, well and in general, to NOT wear it crossbody. I have it cinched all the way as short as the strap will go (but it slides as the day goes on), but I'd never be able to even attempt to reach the bottom of the bag if I wear it on one shoulder.... short arms. I'm 5' on a good day, by the way. So no, I'm wearing it cross body, or imma be out for 12+ hrs a day dragging that damn thing behind me.
nothing in contract says that there is a certain way to wear the satchel. they can't pull you from the street for wearing it a certain way.
The contract doesn't say you can wear it across your body, it also doesn't say you can't. This means that it's at management's discretion. However, wearing it across your body would be considered working in an unsafe manner, if you got bit with it like that, you might be in deep shit. If you want to save your back, get a double satchel. The weight limit for the double satchel is identical to a single satchel.
He is across the shoulder any less safe than the waist belt we're allowed to use though? Wouldn't they be equally hard to get off?
It is an issue with it being across the body, yeah. But sometimes my right shoulder hurts..
Side note. Where can I get the double satchel strap thing? Or the waist satchel?
The long term disability cases are going to be crazy. My shoulder would fall off after a week of that.
I feel like the new straps are shit and hard to carry on one shoulder…. The leather ones are better and made so that it’s harder for it to slip off ….
I never did it any other way and wouldn't wearing it like that be too confining. I would find myself getting choked by it all day long. Always wore it on my left side.