COLUMBUS, Ohio – What is it like to deliver the mail on the busiest delivery day of the year?
First At 4's Ellie Merritt found out Wednesday; she tagged along as carrier Brenda Barton delivered the holiday goodies.
Although Wednesday is the post office's self-proclaimed busy day of the year, it wasn't what it once was.
Barton has a load of letters and cards to get out.
"You have to be extremely careful on days like today," Barton said.
"That black ice is nasty. I can feel slick spots already."
It's a challenging walk, but Barton's been doing it for 22 years.
"You know what's even funnier? I moved here from Florida," she said with a laugh.
Barton said today's mail is more first-class. "Honestly, it's more mail people want to see."
Such as presents, cards and letters.
This year, though, there just was not as much as years past.
"The number of parcels are down a whole lot. It's just basically the economy," Barton said.
Kathy Lucas with the Columbus Postal District said it was clear things have been different this year. "Our package volume is down somewhat because of the economy and that's to be expected."
More than 2 million cards and letters were mailed locally Monday. Across the country, 850 million packages and letters hit the mail Monday alone.
Barton, though, knows her bag has been a bit lighter. You might think that would be good news. Fewer packages to lug around.
After 22 years, Barton likes the work and wants to keep it.
Don't forget to clear off any snow or ice to help out your mail carrier.
Need deadlines? The U.S. Post Office recommended you mail items by Dec. 20 for first-class and priority mail and Dec. 23 for express mail.
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