ACCIDENT — Not many people could handle a nearly 100-mile trip through Garrett County’s country roads almost daily. But for Sue Artice, that’s the norm.
The 95 miles and 416 mailboxes Artice navigates — though rain, sleet, snow and gloom of night — is the longest U.S. Postal Service route in Maryland.
The grandmother of six has worked for the Postal Service since 1988. She started at the Friendsville office and moved to the Accident Post Office in 2011.
“I’m really grateful for being able to do a job as many years as I have,” Artice, a Friendsville native, said. “It’s providing a service for a lot of people and I’m really grateful and thankful for that. It takes all of the postal workers to make it happen.”
Artice reflected on times with the Postal Service both good and bad. She said the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way it functions.
“To work during COVID, because we all had to work, it was a very scary time for a lot of people and for everyone for that matter,” she said. “It was just so weird when I’d go out, and there’s barely anyone on the roads, and you didn’t see people as much. They kept their distance.”
The volume of packages increased drastically when everyone was stuck inside and shopping moved online, she said.
“Things are changing. … First class mail, it’s declining, packages have definitely increased a lot since I started on the route,” she said. “So, that takes up the most space, probably the most time as far as the work I do. Before it was about the mail, we had a lot more newspapers and magazines and letter mail.”
Artice has also delivered mail and packages during historic storms, but said she is used to driving in poor weather.
“In 2010, people called it ‘Snowmageddon’ and it just kept piling up and piling up,” Artice said. “And sometimes it covered up the boxes and even the snowplows had a hard time pushing it back in places. That was a tough winter.”
Despite the challenges that come with the job, Artice is appreciative of her time with the Postal Service and has many great memories while driving and interacting with people along her route.
“The interaction with customers is important, I like talking to people, and I think it builds trust,” Artice said. “They see the same person every day carrying their mail to them and their packages, which are very important to them, and so I think it’s good for them to know you and you to know them.”
Outside of work, Artice enjoys spending time with her family and grandchildren. She tends to her farm and enjoys reading in her free time.
“There’s more good than that bad, I always think there’s more good than bad in people, in this world,” she said. “And you’ve got to set your compass every day and deal with whatever comes your way.”