In the case of this postman, his fear is really overblown, since I've only seen a handful of loose dogs in this neighborhood in 20 years. The county is really aggressive about animal control.

Also, I have trouble feeling understanding about a person who pounds packages into mailboxes so tightly that I've had to put one foot on the mailbox post and pull with both hands.

Have you ever seen me do this David?

I didn't see you diagnosing her, but you ascribed motive to her behavior and I don't think you can.

Also, I have trouble feeling understanding about a person who pounds packages into mailboxes so tightly that I've had to put one foot on the mailbox post and pull with both hands.

Lordy!

Again, I really do have total compassion for people's fears. I help where ever I can...even when that means just crossing the street.

In the case of this woman this evening, if I had videotape, I'd share it.

Also, David, did you not see me cop to the passive aggression? Yeah. I did. Whether or not I should speak to the company is something else, but I should not have tried to hide that when I spoke to the woman.

There are enough bad dog owners out there anywhere that mailcarriers get a total pass on that. I wouldn't second guess their fear.

(We had a german shepherd growing up who would bark like mad at the mailman, and we always felt awful about it. Then one day my mom came home in the afternoon and saw him peering in the window making taunting gestures at the dog. Funny.)

I'm just wondering how that mailman walks around his hood? My landlady walks her dog with a stick, just in case.

Fortunately, my current mail carrier adores Bartleby. He'll even knock on the door to howdy to him on a nice day.

I know he's on a massive time clock, so I'm not sure how he can afford to stop, but I think he likes chatting about the weather and patting the pooch.

Oz barks, though he won't bite. Pico gives a yip or two and then stands up, does a dance and sits down wagging her tail when she meets someone new.

odd, If a dog is out, the mailmen around here do not deliver you mail. period.

He drives a mail truck and does everything possible to never leave it. Possibly he's afraid of dogs and lazy.

odd, If a dog is out, the mailmen around here do not deliver you mail. period.

However inconvenient it might be, I endorse this choice.

I remember an episode of the Dog Whisperer, where the neighbors had to do an intervention because the post office crossed their entire block off the delivery roster. Overkill, maybe, but I think it is for the dog owners to manage their dogs, not a civil servant or a delivery person.