The Royal Mail is refusing to make deliveries to 90 homes on a housing estate - because of one 'aggressive' dog.That lives at all of them?!?
And why is 'aggressive' in inverted commas. Just tell us how many attacks there have been, how many people have been bitten.
Oh. Hang on. The answer's none, isn't it?
Residents in Salford have been sent a letter warning them their post has been temporarily suspended for health and safety reasons after two postmen were confronted by the animal.
One of the men allegedly had to defend himself with his postbag - which was damaged in the attack. Neither of the postmen were bitten.Hmmm. How did they deliver that letter, I wonder?
The canine culprit is a dog named Jarvis who lives with owner Victoria Ludlow, 36, and her cat called Brian.
She was not available for comment.
Today one neighbour of Miss Ludlow said: 'This all seems like an over-reaction.
'Jarvis is a great dog who is often let out onto the drive way and he runs through the broken down fence into the park next door but he never harms anyone - he just doesn't like postmen that's all.
'He is always plays with the kids on the park and they don't get scared by him despite him being a big dog and as far I'm aware no-one else gets threatened by him.
'He's a great dog - it's just that he seems to have an intense hatred of postmen.'We've lived here a year and only spoken to her maybe four times. She keeps herself to herself but we have no trouble from her or the dog. If he barks at us we tell him to get down and he does every time.'Other neighbours disagree, or maybe just lack the Barbara Woodhouse touch, claiming the dog has chased them too. But no-one who has been bitten by the hound can be found...
The Royal Mail said it was working with the dog's owner to find a solution. The mail boycott has divided the estate.
Tony Lee, 33, said: 'I don't know the owner but I've never had any trouble from that dog. It's blatantly obvious to me that they only need to stop deliveries at the address where the dog is, not all these homes.'Well, you'd think so, wouldn't you? But it seems there's absolutely no risk to the postmen from you or any of the other residents if they stop your mail, so you'll always lose out when they do that risk assessment.
Perhaps it's not just the dog that needs to be brought to heel?
When you have examples such as the BBC's attempt at health and safety risk assessments then you know it's all about ticking boxes and not actually doing any assessment.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2284621/BBC-publishes-page-health-safety-report-warning-dangers-ahead-EastEnders-episode-filmed-park-Watford.html
Victoria Ludlow, 36, and her cat called Brian.
ReplyDeleteBrian, 'as any fule kno' is a snail's name.
Surely the solution is to stop delivering to her house and tell her to pick up her mail from the PO, instruct her not to let the dog run free off her property and to take it off her if she doesn't comply. Punishing the other residents certainly isn't right.
ReplyDeleteSadButMadLad
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's over the top but blame the "If you got a scratch, sue" legal system and the chancers who take advantage of it.
The BBC is an easy target to be sued - or for an out-of-court settlement - or screaming headlines so they cover themselves by hiring Health and Safety bods. It probably cuts down on their no-doubt massive insurance bills too.
The trouble is as soon as you are employed as Health and Safety bod it's your job on the line if anyone is ever injured from a cause, however unlikely, you haven't warned about so you become massively over-cautious.
I am sure much of the paperwork is copy and paste - there's a dog involved so safer to copy in the same paragraph regardless of whether it's a lap dog or a pit bull.
The BBC can't win really.
Bunny
ReplyDeleteWork did a risk assessment for people working in Eastern Europe, the main risk was felt to be alcoholism. Once they assessed the risk it was forgotten about.
The box ticking culture enables people to do tasks which are beyond their capability. Instead of using logic and thought, some idiot can tick a few boxes and hey presto risk assessment done. Common Purpose?
speaking as an ex postman (many many years ago) who was bitten by a dog. I say good on the postmen - let the people sort things out so the postmen can work safely.
ReplyDeleteIf you dont like this- collect your letters at the PO.
The solution is for the fuck-idle public-sector parasites to have their legs broken for sponging off the taxpayer.
ReplyDeleteMake it more dangerous for them not to do their jobs and we stop this elf'n'safety shite from being a one-way bet.
I find it quite strange that the UK still has letter slots in doors that require the postman (or should that be operative?)entering the property to deliver mail.
ReplyDeleteHere in France we all have a letter box (literally a metal box of set size with a flap covered slot and a door that is the same size as the front, the door lock has an individual key and a master key that the mail person has) situated on the boundary of the property. In rural areas the postie drives along, stops by the box and pushes the letters into it without getting out of the car. Parcels usually require the postie to get the parcel from the back of the van, open the box door, put the parcel in and close a lock the door.
In the villages the postie generally walks if the streets are short and narrow while in the towns they use a motor bike which they ride round on again delivering into the obligatory box on the boundary (it may be let into the house wall where there is no front yard.
Before I left the UK 20 odd years ago I had such a box built into the boundary wall of my property - it was much liked by the local PO delivery service because it saved them having to walk up the drive - property set behind several others.
as an ex postman having been in the same situation many times to all who blame the postmen get off your backsides and give it a try ,when you have a dog like this at your heels how do you think you would feel
ReplyDelete"...it's all about ticking boxes and not actually doing any assessment."
ReplyDelete!!
"Surely the solution is to stop delivering to her house and tell her to pick up her mail from the PO..."
Well, yes. But since the complaint is that the dog is allowed to roam, the innocent residents must get punished along with her.
Perhaps they are hoping for a little vigilante action?
"If you dont like this- collect your letters at the PO."
How long do you think a private company with that attitude would last?
"Here in France we all have a letter box.."
It would be an improvement in some areas, but not in others - street-parking means they'd still have to get out of the car.
"when you have a dog like this at your heels how do you think you would feel"
It hasn't bitten anyone. Or did you fail to read that bit, like you so often fail to read the address properly?
So here we have a dog that hasn't actually bitten a single soul. If some braindead postie takes a sweep at it with a bag of course the animal will snap at it. Looking at the normal population on our estates, it's a fair bet that being hurt by a neighbor is more likely than being hurt by this dog.
ReplyDeleteWhether or not the dog has bitten someone should be immaterial, it is roaming free without it's owner. So who cleans up after it when it leaves a deposit in the park or children's play area?
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a paperboy I was bitten twice by dogs, and it made me wary not braindead!