Illinois Residents, USPS Insists Check Your Mailbox Now or Else

There is a very good reason why the United States Postal Service needs you to check your mailbox. It's not a life or death situation, but it's close. Seriously, if you live in Illinois, check your mailbox as soon as you can.

My dad used to be a rural postal carrier. Eventually, he delivered mail in the city before he transferred into an actual post office building where he spent the rest of his years as a window clerk and technician. My point is I really do care about postal workers as it was my family's life for decades.

The United States Postal Service is asking you to check your Illinois mailbox because it's currently Mailbox Improvement Week. I'll admit that it's not often that I think of my mailbox either, but some can present a health hazard to carriers. If you have dangling hinges and/or sharp metal edges, you'd be surprised how often postal workers are injured. I've seen reports of over 34,000 postal carriers injured every single year.

No, the USPS isn't saying check your mailbox "or else". They're asking nicely. It's families like mine who's members have been carriers that are a little more emphatic about it.

It doesn't take more than a few minutes to make sure your mailbox is safe, doesn't have any obstacles making it hard for a carrier to get to and just generally make sure it doesn't need repair.

You may not get a chance to speak to your mail carrier in Illinois very often, but I can guarantee they will appreciate you taking their safety into consideration. It's not easy being a mail carrier.