Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Friday, June 29, 2007

First-class mail carrier in West Salem retiring after 30 years

By MATTHEW PERENCHIO | Lee Newspapers

WEST SALEM, Wis. — It’s hard to tell when Phil Langston is working because he seems to be having so much fun. Known for his constant smile and a spring in his step, the West Salem mail carrier is hanging up his satchel today after 30 years with the postal service.

“I want to go play,” Langston said. “You just never know how long you got on this planet.”

Langston, 55, is as reliable as they come, said West Salem Postmaster Ray Johnson.

“He’s a great employee,” Johnson said. “He’s always showing up working. He has hardly used sick leave ever.”

Each day, Langston has 617 possible deliveries, 120 of which are on his walking route downtown.

“He’s a good guy,” said Village Deputy Clerk Carrie Cooper, who regularly takes the mail from Langston at the Village Hall. “He always brings a little bit of cheer when he brings in the mail. We’re going to miss him.”

Langston, an Onalaska native, was working at a La Crosse hospital when a friend told him about the postal service giving tests for potential employees, and the two decided to go.

While his friend didn’t make it, Langston was hired, starting June 2, 1977.

In his 30 years and one month, it’s estimated Langston has delivered more than 15 million pieces of mail and walked close to 20,000 miles.

For as much as he’s walked on his routes, Langston has never been hit by a car, but he has been bitten by dogs twice.

“There’re just some dogs that really don’t like you,” he said.

Once, about 15 years ago, Langston accidently pepper-sprayed himself. While delivering the mail to a residence, a dog got off its stake and came after Langston, who unleashed his can of pepper spray. While he did manage to spray the dog, Langston had been spraying into the wind. Langston reeled in pain while the nearly blind dog ran across the street, prompting a vehicle to hit its brakes.

“It caused such a ruckus. The lady then came to the door after hearing the car hit its brakes, and there I am sitting down in pain holding my face. She thought I got hit by the car,” Langston said with a laugh. “It was just a comedy of errors.”

But Langston has always completed every route he has ever started, including twice during blizzard-like conditions when the post office called off delivery.

Langston said what he’ll miss most about the job are the people on his route.

“It’s been fun to watch them grow up,” Langston said. “They’re there riding on a tricycle, graduating high schools and then going off to college.”

Matthew Perenchio is assistant editor at the Coulee News.