Dexter man unhappy with USPS treatment of his elderly parents

To the Editor:

My name is Braden Hampton. My parents have lived in their house for over 30 years and have always gotten their mail delivered. They have always had a dachshund. They have one now and have had him for over two years. The postmaster of Dexter is trying to make my disabled parents get a standing mailbox (at their expense) so his mail carriers can take more mail so he can probably cut the number of his staff. Several people in town have had this problem so I went to our City Administrator, Mark Stidham, who has told me that this has been going on for over a year in other parts of Dexter. He says that the postmaster has no legal ability to force this, but we still have to go to the post office during normal hours to get my parents' mail. Some of this mail includes social security and medical letters. They cannot go every day outside in the intense heat or bitter cold to get their mail and I work two jobs and can't always get it for them.

When I complained over the phone with the Dexter Postmaster he said that it would be at our expense to get a standing mailbox. I told him my parents were on a fixed income and he said that I could take the mail box from our wall to the utility line! I called Ameren UE and they said this is illegal! The Postmaster told me to break the law! So, being the college student that I am, I went over his head and filed a complained with the USPS, Consumer Affairs, State Congressman Jason Smith, Federal Senators Blunt and McCaskill, called KFVS 12 News (which aired a segment with my father as I was at work -- and sent and email to the Federal Post Master General.

Our two neighbors have dogs and got this letter saying they had to get a standing mail box. They didn't but they still get mail at their house. I feel this is discrimination against my disabled parents because I went over his head. The original letter said because of our neighbor's dog so I went to Dexter Animal Control and the officer said the post office did not file a complaint with him about any dogs on our street. I feel like he is a bully that is trying to get people to rent a box at the post office or to make it faster for his people so he can probably cut his help and still deliver the same amount of mail. This is just a working theory, but to me it is sound. So if anyone else is having problems with the Dexter post office, I urge you to make some noise. You are not alone. Add me on Facebook and I will try to help you, but for now here is the e-mail address of the Federal Post Master General. PMGCEO@USPS.GOV. He is working with the local post leaders at Cape Girardeau. I don't know their names but I have their number is 1-816-374-9186. John Potter is the Federal Post Master General and he has assured me that he is going to get to the bottom of this. So, please, if the post office is pushing you around, at your expense, I would urge you to demand a refund for the money you are out for their convenience as this is their job and not yours.

Sincerely,

Braden Hampton

Dexter, Mo.