Samurai Letter Carrier

I was talking with some people the other day. They were surprised to learn that I once worked for the Postal Service and that I left before shooting up the place. I shared a few stories with them.

One story in particular was when I learned self defense the hard way. I had a walking route for a couple years and the neighborhood I delivered to was a working class neighborhood where its inhabitants all seemed to have the need to own big dogs;, many of them vicious. After several close calls I purchased a big, (and I mean big) fillet knife that I attached to the strap of my mail bag. At the first sign of trouble I’d have that knife out like a samurai. All the dog owners on that route with problem dogs quickly became aware of my resolve to defend myself. One by one the home owners learned to restrain their animals after seeing a crazed letter carrier with a big knife shouting, “Bring it on Rover, Bring it on!!!”

During several years on the routes I was only bitten once and that was on a motor route. I had to deliver a package to the door of one house. I stopped carrying the knife after I gave up my walking route. It was a German Shepherd. It came out of no where and took a swatch of material out of my right trouser leg. It was fast. It bit me and ran. Even if I had a knife I wouldn’t even have had enough time to react.