No Shoveled Walkway, No Delivery

Mail Carrier Daren Brown says "The hardest part is climbing through the snow to get to the mailboxes."

The post office wants to remind residents to clear stairs and sidewalks. It helps ensure safety for mail carriers like brown. 

Brown says "We do appreciate it and it certainly helps us with speed of delivery and our own safety when people shovel around their boxes and the approaches and walking away from the box too."

Brown is a familiar face in this Rockford neighborhood; so many people make sure their walkways are snow and ice free.

People along his route do their best to clear walkways, but sometimes roads are still tough to walk on.

Brown says "a lot of times after the cars drive over it the streets get real packed down and it gets real icy and it can get especially slick out here."

Brown wears special boots made by the post office. They cover his gym shoes completely and help prevent falls.

"You can get hurt real bad if you don't watch yourself," he explains.

Especially in weather such as the recent snow storm when the postal service still delivered. Brown does admit he prefers the winter over blazing heat. "Those are pretty tough too. It seems like I can deal with this a little bit better than I can those 105 degree days that just burn you up," says Brown.