Saturday morning.  9.50am.  The doorbell rang and I answered using the intercom.  “Der Post” the man replied.

Actually, the postman doesn’t have to ring the bell to deliver the post, unless it’s something I have to sign for.  So I replied that I’d be right out.

The only trouble was, that I was still in my pyjamas having worked late the night before, so I quickly threw my dressing gown on and grabbed my keys and headed out of the flat.

Except there was no-one there.  I went outside to see a courier from TNT getting on his motorbike and riding off.  I called after him “what’s up?”  He looked in amazement “I only wanted to put something in one of the letter boxes” he replied.

Great! And there was me thinking that this sort of thing would stop (see this post).

Personally, I think it’s a bit off to let me think I need to come outside if he only needs access to a letter box.

Also, if he had said that he was from TNT, then I would have probably guessed what the problem was and let he into the building.  But identifying himself as “Der Post” (the postman) is misleading.

Only recently, a building contractor in a neighbouring flat did the same thing to get me to open the door.  I guess he didn’t think that I would bother going out to check!

So beware – just because someone at the front door identifies themselves as “the postman”, it doesn’t always mean that they are.  At the moment, it seems, they are more likely not.