Mail service called crummy

Heat's on Morris Pk. office

By SONDRA WOLFER
DAILY NEWS WRITER

          Snail mail doesn't begin to describe how bad postal service is in at least one Bronx zip code, people there charge. This snail is not just slow - it's out of shape, disoriented and sometimes cranky, they say.

"I constantly get other people's mail in my box," said Pat McGettrick, 47, a construction worker who lives in Morris Park. "It drives me nuts."

Roseann Hendon, 51, also of Morris Park, has racked up hundreds of dollars in credit-card late fees because her payments never made it to their destination.

"You're afraid to drop your mail in the neighborhood mailboxes," she said. "You look in the slot and see mail to the top - you can't tell me that mail is picked up every day."

In response to a barrage of similar complaints about late mail, no mail and rude postal employees, Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Bronx, Queens) has called for an investigation of mail service in the 10461 zip code, which covers mostly Morris Park.

"People shouldn't have to be grateful that they got their mail," he said. "It should be something that they take for granted."

Crowley delivered news of the investigation to people outside of the Morris Park Post Office on Williamsbridge Road yesterday.

"Until we know exactly what the problem is, we won't know how to address it," said Crowley, who pushed for legislation requiring the investigation.

The study, by the New York metro headquarters of the United States Postal Service, will look at customer service, operations at the postal station, and pickup and delivery.

Danny Cestaro, who has lived in Morris Park for years, suspects the problem is a constant turnover of mail carriers.

"It's sad, but I don't think they can find the addresses," he said. "And when the regular postman is off, and they give someone else the route - fuhgeddaboudit!"

Crowley hopes the benefits reach people beyond the 10461 zip code.

"This will be a case study for the entire Bronx," Crowley said.

Pat McGovern, a spokeswoman for the New York district of the Postal Service, said the study is underway.

"We're taking this very seriously," she said. "We're going to cooperate with any of the results."

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