What we wouldn't give for a mailman like Steven Padgett. For years, this North Carolina mailman took it upon himself to keep the junk mail out of the mailboxes of the homes on his route.
Now, he'll be serving three year's probation and 500 hours of community service, and paying a $3,000 dollar fine.
According to this article in the LA Times, Padgett has become quite the hometown hero. And, actually, there was never one single complaint filed to the U.S. Postal Service from Padgett's customers -- apparently they weren't missing those Crate & Barrel catalogs.
We get why Padgett is in trouble though -- that's why we recommend signing up for a service like Catalog Choice or Green Dimes to cut down on your junk mail, instead of counting on your mailman to take care of the problem for you.
Read Padgett's whole story here.
image via louisa_catlover; Flickr.com
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Sigh. Awesome, yes. But also, I think, felony mail fraud.
view Anne (in Reno)'s profile
A Zogby poll indicated a whopping 89% of respondents would support a Do Not Mail registry along the lines of the Do Not Call list. You'd think lawmakers would have smelled the coffee by now.
I've been battling with junk mailers for years (the above services, along with the DMA website, are somewhat helpful but don't eliminate all junk). More than a few will not remove an address willingly upon the first request. Some of them simply refuse to help anyone. Some falsely claim to have removed someone and then continue to send junk anyway. Some tell every lie they can think of just to get a person off the phone. They are far, far worse than a mailman who was simply a little too dedicated in the eyes of the law. It's not like he was withholding real mail, which my mailman does on a regular basis.
view Stiletto's profile
In the Netherlands my friends have stickers that they can put on their mailboxes requesting that flyers, catalogs, etc., not be left at their boxes. Not a felony there. It's a very good idea. My town recycles every other week, and the catalogs I get in two weeks often fill the bin. I have signed on to the various "no catalog" registries, but it seems to do no good.
view Charlotte's profile
Just another reminder that you can not escape advertising. Even your mail tells you to "consume, consume consume." And if you mess with this system you will be punished. I think this man is a hero. Why he buried it instead of recycling or burning it though is a little bit of a mystery.
view thepictures's profile
He should get "time served" for community service.
view Stan's profile