CHEYENNE — Tina Scott was waiting on a $40 rebate check from Menards that the U.S. Postal Service’s Informed Delivery service showed was on its way.
But when the Cheyenne resident went to bed just after midnight Oct. 6, her mailbox was still empty.
To her surprise, the check was there when she woke up, bright and early. Her security camera showed why. Someone had delivered it overnight at 1:39 a.m.
On the video, a lone postal worker balances packages in one hand and holds a light in the other, sweeping it back and forth across the sidewalk.
“I’ve never seen mail delivered that late in my entire life,” Scott said.
Even during the Christmas season when mail is more commonly late, Scott said her mail usually arrives no later than 8:30 p.m.
“It’s not even November,” she said. “So it’s really strange. I Googled it, and according to that, they don’t normally deliver mail after 8 p.m.”
Scott checked with neighbors and learned she’s not the only one getting overnight mail deliveries. Others in her neighborhood near the Dairy Queen on Pershing Boulevard also saw their mail delivered after midnight.
Scott’s biggest concern wasn’t the wait for her money. It was for the person still out delivering.
“I’m just worried about them being out that late,” she said. “Even though crime is not that bad in Cheyenne, but still. There could be an isolated incident, a time where somebody fell.
"Would you want to be out walking at that time of night?”
Heavy Delivery Day, Missing Workers
U.S. Postal Service spokesman James Boxrud told Cowboy State Daily that Cheyenne had experienced an “unusually heavy delivery day,” along with unexpected employee absences that particular day.
“We occasionally experience temporary staffing imbalances due to unexpected absences,” he said. “And we use additional resources to maintain service.”
Most deliveries were completed as usual, Boxrud said.
“A limited number of packages remained at the end of the day,” he said. “Rather than delay those items until the next business day, postal management personnel assisted with additional package deliveries later that evening.”
Boxrud described deliveries extending into the evening as uncommon.
“Safety remains our top priority,” he said. “We appreciate our employees’ dedication and our customers’ understanding during this temporary adjustment.”
In response to follow-up questions, Boxrud confirmed the remaining items also included some mail, but declined to say how late deliveries continued or what safety measures were taken.
USPS says deliveries generally should be completed by 5 p.m. local time Monday through Saturday.
Supervisors Out Until Early Morning
Bob Jacknitsky, Wyoming representative for the National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 321, told Cowboy State Daily supervisors had to cover some routes overnight due to employee absences.
“I was working that night actually,” he said. “And it was supervisors delivering it because now we have a lot of people who call in sick. So the supervisors try to get the mail delivered.”
Jacknitsky said one supervisor returned from delivering a route around 1 a.m. while another did not return until 4:30 a.m.
Jacknitsky did not know how many homes might have been involved. He attributed the overnight deliveries to a broader shift in the workplace, saying employees are calling in sick more often.
“There are still people who are trying to do the right thing,” he added. “And that’s why you had someone out at 1 a.m. in the morning.”
Worried About The Carrier
Scott noticed changes on her route before the overnight delivery. Her regular carrier was absent for a month or longer, she said, and she’d recently seen someone accompanying a carrier and taking notes, which she interpreted as training.
She didn’t know if either circumstance explained the late arrival. Most of the time her packages arrive in a timely fashion, she added. The overnight delivery was an exception rather than a regular occurrence.
For her, the question is less why her mail arrived late than why anyone needed to be out delivering it at zero-dark-thirty.
“We’re not complaining,” she said. “I’m just glad we got our mail. We’re worried about the safety of the carriers.”
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
