My Jeep is in the Body Shop for repairs from the Hit and Run. I had planned for me to be out of town for part of it, knowing I would not be a happy mail lady delivering from a car.
The trip was cancelled, but not the body repairs.
I was given a loaner car. (For which I am very grateful, otherwise I would have had to rent one.) A pontiac. A low to the ground pontiac. Oh my gosh, I was amazed at just how low it was. I hit my knee on the first try in, and knew I was in for a not so fun week ahead.
Or a funny week.
Mondays are typically heavy mail days, so I took the day off, so not to be overwhelmed on my first ride in the car.
Yesterday was a tough day, mentally and physically. I was spent and not very happy. And, there were many moments that I appeared to be a crazy lady.
I have not driven a left hand drive vehicle much in the past 10 years.
What typically are mindless movements, had me confused.
Just figuring out what side was the drivers side - had me always on the wrong side; puzzled when I opened the door to see a mail tray.
Or, standing by the trunk, lost without a handle. I would have to go back and click the key fob - Again, and again with each package - forgetting to have foresight.
In order to maneuver a left hand drive vehicle for mailbox delivery, I have to be able to reach easily out the right-hand side of the vehicle. Which means to drive and reach, I sit in the middle. Now, while I was a backup delivery girl, I did this all the time. I got used to it, no big deal. But after years in a right hand vehicle, this seemed backwards and clumsy.
I control the pedals with my left leg, and steer with my left arm.
In order to get out of the vehicle, I have to scoot over onto the seat.
I don't scoot like I did when I was young and would sit by a boyfriend.
I huff, puff, and get to the edge and then roll out sorta.
The buckle that holds the seat belt, reminds me it is there, only when I feel it dig into my hip or my bottom.
The ceiling of the newer cars, have a place for sunglasses and stuff, and I need to dip before I scoot. The times I forgot to dip, I would knock my hat off. Chuckle sometimes and swear other times. I feel like a flop out all out of breath and sorts!
The middle seat in the car really isn't a seat seat. It usually has the console or cupholder down. I flip that up and then sit there or mostly there, but also on the passenger seat edge, which slopes down for the seat part of that seat. Which if you were really sitting all the way in it, it would fit your bottom well.
These struggles are just to be in the vehicle and deliver.
I know I have done this, I know many do it; but it is hard to go backwards from a right hand made for delivery vehicle to just a regular make do one.
So, the next fun part is figuring out how to organize in order to actually have a workable mail car and keep the packages and mail easily in reach.
I had a variety of cars when I was the backup mail lady. Some had dashboards that were awesome and flat, or glove boxes that would hold my drink, or ashtrays that made perfect yogurt holders. Some had wonderful big backseats, where my tubs could fit neatly to hold small packages etc. Trunks with low entry for getting in heavy mail trays with ease. Or big and roomy to hold large packages and a bigger volume.
Each car has character points that make it an acceptable mail car.
Even the height of the car makes a difference.
Where the mail goes and packages big and small all depend upon the vehicle you have.
It takes time to orientate yourself, and the mail, for a smoother delivery.
This pontiac seemed to have everything I didn't need. The slope on the dash has my phone sliding off, mail and small packages, that I automatically place there. No safe place for a lunch, and the tubs and trays are so so placed. You can deliver from there, but it gets on your every nerve and by the second half of the route, my body is done and done sitting so awkwardly. You get slap happy for everything seems like a struggle and you are not up for each little task. I haven't felt this inept in a long while!
This pontiac as I said is low. Like the hood of it is lower than the bumper on my jeep, low.
So, you can imagine my view compared to the jeep when looking at mailboxes. There are literally a few mailboxes I cannot reach, let alone see into.
While this one was high, it isn't the highest on the route. I just looked up and laughed. Like really??? My arms seemed too small. And, If I reach too far out of the window, my foot slips off the brake....and I roll forward. Insane and hilarious!
Today flags were up on a couple of high boxes, which the only way to serve them, was for me to get out and retrieve the mail. Not the safest practice for sure, but it felt good to be out of the car - after I scooted, huffed and puffed, sometimes hat on, other times hat off. I am sure folks will start wondering when I exit the vehicle to deliver mail.
If my backup had a car, I would put notices in the high boxes, the 'regulation height is 46 inches off the ground", which is not a commonly known fact.
By the time I get back to the Post Office, my body, mind and soul are spent. Just from operating a different tool than what I typically use on my job.
I also noticed, I didn't look about as much. Well for one, I seem so low to the ground. In fact today a pheasant almost flew into my open window. That I did see. But, with so much that is out of sorts, my vision became closer to my needs.
I have always been grateful for my jeep. I have worried about its safety, knowing if and when something happened to it, I would be back in a left hand drive vehicle, which I would have to make do, to do my job. Doable, but the stress takes all the fun out of running mail.
My jeep is scheduled to be done on Friday. The guys at the body shop, sorta knew I needed it returned as quickly as possible. I can only hope they do not run into any snags.
My backup lady, who did the mail on Monday, asked me on Tuesday morning IF I had practiced driving the car. I replied, "No. It will be like riding a bike." Well, I then had to tell her, 'Yeah it is like riding a bike, a bad bike." A bike with a bad seat, handle bars to far to really reach comfortably and same with the pedals.
Today was a bit better. I am learning to adapt to less than ideal tools, and my body was less sore. Which is sorta scary, that it too is adapting to slouching, stretching, and leaning.
I have two more days to go, (hopefully) in the pontiac - and oh what a happy mail lady I will be to be back in the bright green jeep!
I most likely will still be a bit crazy, huffing and puffing and with crazy hair and hat; but I will no longer be stressed about the vehicle!
It is not a necessity, or a must have, but it certainly takes 75%, at least if not more, stress away from my job when I am driving on the right!
