Dog v postie is no joke – as I discovered on my day with the Royal Mail

The postal worker being chased by a snarling mutt is a comedy cliche, but it’s no joke for those at the sharp end: last year saw six dog attacks a day. Now posties have a new tool at their disposal

‘This one will bite the letters and head butt the door,” smiles Charlie, a postal worker I am shadowing on his rounds. He slides a catalogue halfway inside the letterbox of a green door, and it is instantly snatched by jaws unseen. I can tell by the sound that there is drool on the carpet. “Good boy!” I whisper through the door.

I am here to learn about the threat of dogs to postal staff, as part of Royal Mail’s annual drive to raise awareness. Yet not only is my blindly pro-dog prejudice part of the problem, I am too excited to learn anything. I have always been fascinated by the post, with its nostalgic link to national services – even after privatisation, the company has kept its government charter, the universal service obligation to deliver to 30m addresses for the same price.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Nxvgns