Although email, texting, tweeting and posting on social media all offer instant communication today, the U.S. Postal Service continues to deliver cards, invitations and packages to our doors six days a week. Some postal carriers deliver something more in the form of a wave, a friendly hello and sometimes a helping hand to those in distress.
Photo by Tyrone Randall
Bartlett-area postal carrier Michael Taylor, 54, has worked for the post office for 35 years. It was his first job and has been his only one. For the past eight to 10 years, he has traveled Route 8, which covers an older part of the city between Summer and Stage roads.
June Kendall, who lives on Route 8, recently telephoned the Bartlett post office to let Taylor’s supervisor know he was doing a good job. “He’s a nice guy. I love him,” she said. “The postmaster has heard about him [from customers] before. He’s been a nice guy for a long time.”
Kendall, 83, said that she spends a lot of time working in her garden in the mornings. It’s an activity she enjoys. “He would come along and say, ‘you get out of the sun — you need to be careful.’”
“I tell my children, at least the postman comes every day. You don’t,” she said with a laugh.
Taylor explained, “On most of my route there are a lot of elderly people who may not see their families. I notice newspapers in the driveway. I try to check on them. They may not see anyone during the week.”
He related the story of hearing a sound coming from a house. The second time he heard the sound, it was, “Call 911.” He said, luckily, the back door was open and he was able to go inside. An elderly lady had been lying on her bathroom floor for more than 24 hours, unable to get up. She was severely dehydrated.
In another instance, one of the customers on his route who is blind had fallen out of his chair in the house, and Taylor was able to go inside and help him back up.
Taylor’s mother is 91 and had been driving until last year. He said, “I understand how many people’s families work and that the elderly may need people to look in on them.”
Bertrand Tate, Bartlett postal station manager and Taylor’s supervisor, said, “He is never late – he is always on time. He adapts well to change. With all of the changes the postal service has undergone and budget cuts, he leads by example.”
He added, “He is very family oriented. Michael is a model employee and has received several phone calls [like June Kendall’s]. He’s last year’s Carrier of the Year.”
Tate said Taylor’s extra care to check on his customers is done on his own time. “Many carriers can’t do that. He’s so good at his job that he has the extra time.”
Taylor said he has been thinking about retiring but will probably continue in his job for another year or two.
Kendall stressed, “Oh, I’d hate for him to retire. We need good people like [Taylor]. There are a lot of people like me.”
Written by Linda Cooper, special to the Express.
