Got the card Friday for Tuesday birthday but missed the mail, so put up the red flag on the mailbox. By Saturday at 11:30 AM the card hadn't been collected. I know they like to knock off at noon Saturday, so I phoned the local post office, which gave me the number of the Pittsfield carrier supervisor.
While Pittsfield was looking into it, I phoned the local PO to find out how late they collect mail. The only thing they could say was that their own PO boxes were collected at 12:15 but they had no idea of collection times for other boxes in town.
However, they said, it wasn't my usual collector anyway, it was her son. And he doesn't have to stop at my mailbox if there is no mail to deliver, regardless of whether the flag is up or not.
By this time, Mike began driving to the PO to get there by 12:15. I gave them a homily about expecting the mail in all kinds of weather, and that I'm a paying customer, and no one knows about this rule of no delivery=no collection.
OK, they said, Wendy's son just said he would go back for it. Well, too late, Mike was already on his way to them. Hope he got there in time for the collection. But to be sure: happy birthday dear Jon!