PARKVILLE, Md. — It’s the same story, but different day for Leonard Inouye who hasn’t received mail in at least three weeks.
He lives in Parkville, where he would typically receive mail from the post office on Harford Road.
Inouye is growing tired of the excuses.
“They say they’re short of help because of COVID-19,” he said. ”I don’t want to hear that crap no more. I don’t want to hear that crap.”
Inouye said he’s still waiting on three unemployment checks.
“Last month was the last one I received,” he said.
Inouye said he’s called to try and get his mail in person, but to no avail.
He said he needs those checks to help pay his bills.
“If I get thrown out of my house, somebody is going to hear about it. Somebody is going to hear about it,” he said. “If my gas and electric get shut off, someone is going to hear about it.”
Manuel Winkler and so many others are in the same boat at Inouye.
Winkler said he's also been missing mail for weeks to only be told when he gets there that the post office will call him to pick it up.
Like his mail, Winkler is still waiting on that call.
“Frustrated. I have to come up here weekly,” he said. “They telling everybody we’ll give you a phone call just to get you outside the door.”
These issues are similar to what we’ve heard for a better part of a year throughout the Baltimore region.
Now, the Office of Inspector General is getting involved.
A spokesperson with the USPS OIG confirms an audit is underway looking into nine delivery units in the Baltimore area including Parkville.
The audit is expected to be finished by late October, the spokesperson said.
In the meantime, USPS sent us some details about what its doing to improve service.
A spokesperson said the postal service has expanded delivery hours. The change also includes delivering on Sunday.
USPS also said it’s using additional carriers from nearby offices to get the mail out on time.
For Winkler, Inouye and others, these promises are as empty as their mailboxes.
“Give people what they want. Tell people what they want to know. Don’t push them to the side,” said Inouye.
USPS statement:
We recognize that consistency is paramount to our customers, and we remain committed to providing timely and affordable service to customers. This has been an extraordinary year of unprecedented challenges given the COVID-19 pandemic. The Postal Service has taken steps to address issues caused by the pandemic.
We have expanded mail deliveries to earlier in the morning, later in the evening, and on Sundays to ensure customers receive mail at the earliest date possible. We use additional carriers from nearby offices, when necessary, to maintain mail deliveries.
We apologize for any inconvenience that may have been experienced by customers with their mail service. If a customer wishes to contact a postal representative about a concern, we welcome them to reach us by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS, online at www.usps.com [gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com], or through Twitter @USPSHelp.
