Brits have been left baffled by postmen who wear shorts all year round, no matter what the weather, but the Royal Mail workers have a very good reason for doing this
As the weather turns even colder, Brits are ditching the last of their summer clothes for warmer attire, except for one notable exception: posties.
Despite a mild October, November's freezing chill would have made most of us decide it's time to wave goodbye to shorts. But postal workers march to a different beat; come rain or snow, they're known for their steadfast commitment to delivering our mail in shorts.
Puzzled by this fashion choice, curious Brits took to Reddit seeking answers, and the verdict from posties was clear. The primary reason is practical: "It really is just because it gets hot doing the job," one postman remarked.
Another postman added: "One round I cover, I wear trousers just because of the wind. I made the mistake once and had windburn all up my legs, but 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."
Given that the day-to-day task of a postal delivery person involves extensive walking, it's no wonder shorts are the go-to for helping regulate body temperature. The Reddit thread revealed that a common complaint among the Royal Mail team was perspiration with one postie simply stating he 'hates sweating'.
However, in extreme cases, some delivery workers confessed to donning waterproof trousers - although one postie retorted with 'skin is waterproof'. A competition was also revealed with a former Royal Mail employee exposing the posties' endurance games where they set challenges amongst themselves to see who would cave first in the winter and switch to trousers.
This postman added that everyone would contribute £1 to a pot each week and the winner, whoever lasted the longest in shorts, would donate the winnings to their chosen charity.