Related Articles
Even though the weather is bitter at the moment, you’ll still see Royal Mail posties walking around in shorts. So why do they choose to do this even in wintertime?
The iconic red or navy Royal Mail uniform is easy to spot when you’re walking down the street. The polo shirts and fleeces are branded with the logo and really stand out on a gloomy winter morning. However, have you ever noticed that posties often wear shorts even now that we’ve reached the colder months?
It’s a detail that many Brits have been confused about. Over on Reddit, one asked: “Postmen/woman of the UK, why do you wear shorts all year round?” While another post also asked the same exact question. So what is the reason?
While shorts may sound like a bonkers idea, it turns out there’s actually method to the madness. After a full day of walking up and down streets dropping off countless parcels and letters, clothing can feel a little stuffy.
One postie claimed: “It really is just because it gets hot doing the job. One round I wear trousers just because of the wind but it’s that particular village happens to be the highest point of the town and is a massive wind tunnel. All other rounds I’m in shorts pretty much all year.”
Meanwhile, someone else admitted: “Skin is waterproof. Walking all day is hot work.”
A third agreed: “Skin dries faster than trousers when it rains, they get in and out the van a lot and at my father-in-law’s post office depot, anyone that doesn’t show up in shorts has to put a quid in the jar.”
And a fourth added: “Same reason footballers are still wearing shorts playing in freezing rain. Once you’re burning a certain number of calories you don’t feel the weather at all.”
However, others have worn shorts for a different reason. A second in the industry added: “The depot had a running bet where everyone paid £1 a week into a pot, with the winner got to give the entire fund to a charity of their choice.
“The competition was to see who could go furthest into the winter in shorts. As the snow kicked in during January it was down to two die hards. Eventually as spring kicked in it was deemed a tie, the pot was split between the two, raising several hundred each.
“At the end of the competition a supervisor also added to the pot out of his own pocket and both got a free cooked breakfast from the work’s canteen for a week in recognition of their efforts!”
So there you have it – posties wear shorts so they don’t feel too stuffy. And some just do it for fun!
Source link
