Postal Service Braces For Busiest Delivery Day Of The Year
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The holiday clock is ticking—so postal carriers know what to expect.
"The mail is light, but the packages are out of this world," said Cindy Lewis, while maintaining a brisk pace on her long time route in Dallas' Lake Highlands neighborhood. "It's extremely busy."
In fact, postal officials say December 22 is their busiest delivery day of the year, with some 30 million packages making their way into waiting hands.
Lewis has been a postal carrier for 30 years and says she loves every minute of the busy days. "I've watched all the kids grow up and it just makes my day to see their eyes light up."
So with her reindeer antlers firmly in place, Lewis hit the pavement early and won't stop until all of those packages reach their destinations, while insisting, "I love it though. I never take off Christmas week because this is my favorite time of the year."
Whether it's the continued growth of online shopping or tins of Grandma's cookies, postal officials say they're seeing a 12 percent jump in deliveries this year. They've been delivering seven days a week in certain markets since late November.
"They get overwhelming a little bit—especially when you see three or four things full of packages and they're all for your route and you're thinking 'how am I going to get all of this in here?' But, it fits and you get it done," added Lewis with a laugh.
Forget the antler hat. Lewis might just be an elf in disguise.
"I love my job. My dad's a postal carrier and I learned from him the old school way, be nice to your customers and they'll be nice to you," said Lewis who said her Lake Highlands area customers have made her feel like family. "I am. I get invited to all the parties. It's nice. I
feel like they're my friends instead of my customers."
The postal service said staff will work late right through Christmas Eve to get holiday packages delivered on time. And in certain market Christmas Day delivery is also available. But, let's keep it quiet: don't want to encourage us procrastinators!
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