random oddity or vast conspiracy?

August 4, 2006 11:13 AM

How come all UPS drivers have mustaches?

When I was in eigth grade my friend half-jokingly observed that UPS drivers always have mustaches. Ever since then I can't remember seeing one UPS guy who didn't have a mustache. Its not just my town either, I've seen them in many different parts of the state too (vermont). Has anyone observed this in other states too? Is it part of their dress code or something? Is my mind just playing tricks on itself? Its always just mustaches, not beards.

posted by petsounds to society & culture (36 comments total)

they don't
posted by Julnyes at 11:14 AM on August 4, 2006

sorry, i should have done a little research before asking my question. i just found this page which says

"Interesting mustache fact: Have you ever noticed that most UPS drivers have mustaches? Apparently, the company won't allow them to grow any other facial hair, so they choose to take full advantage of it. I can't blame 'em; it goes great with the awesome outfit."
posted by petsounds at 11:16 AM on August 4, 2006

The ups man who came in 10 minutes ago looks 12, so no, no mustache.
posted by ruevian at 11:16 AM on August 4, 2006

I had a delivery from UPS a couple of weeks ago - no mustache. But maybe that's because we're Canadians and it's against the law for courier drivers to have mustaches up here.
posted by meerkatty at 11:18 AM on August 4, 2006

Of course they ALL don't, but boy...a lot of them do!

Did you know that Hitler, Stalin and Castro all worked as delivery boys? It's true, probably.
posted by parallax7d at 11:18 AM on August 4, 2006

The UPS guys around here don't have mustaches, but the no beard policy seems like a likely explanation.
posted by rossination at 11:20 AM on August 4, 2006

Not being allowed to grow a beard doesn't automatically mean that they'll all grow mustaches though.

I actually can't recall seeing a UPS guy around here who DID have a mustache. It could be a regional thing exclusive to places like Vermont. But to me it seems more likely that you're just noticing the ones who have mustaches more since it was pointed out to you.
posted by magodesky at 11:29 AM on August 4, 2006

My UPS guy doesn't have one -- he looks like the third long-lost Kratt brother, though, so that's a plus for me.

The FedEx guy has a huge moustache though. I wonder if he's a spy for the brown?
posted by theredpen at 11:30 AM on August 4, 2006

No 'stache on my UPS guy. He sweats a lot though.
posted by contessa at 11:31 AM on August 4, 2006

confirmation bias
posted by sergeant sandwich at 11:31 AM on August 4, 2006

Right, mine here doesn't. However, I remember when Walt Disney World loosened their "no facial hair" policy to "no beard" policy. Long time cast members could be seen for months pimping the most oddest colletion of moustaches I had ever seen.
posted by cavalier at 11:33 AM on August 4, 2006

it's only male UPS drivers, silly!
posted by Izzmeister at 11:36 AM on August 4, 2006

                                 
posted by The Jesse Helms at 11:46 AM on August 4, 2006

No 'stache on my UPS guy, DHL guy or FedEx gal.
posted by fixedgear at 11:50 AM on August 4, 2006

My dad worked for UPS for 25+ years, in that time I don't remember him rocking a moustache more than once or twice.
posted by drezdn at 11:50 AM on August 4, 2006

A driver I was friendly with once remarked that working for UPS was like a combination of being a Quaker and enlisted in the marine corps.

Semper Lip Fur!
posted by de void at 12:01 PM on August 4, 2006

The UPS guy came to our house the other day and he didn't have a mustache, I'm afraid. The good news is that he did look like he might have been in porn at one point in his life, so if you're taking a poll, you can count this as a 1/2.
posted by ob at 12:23 PM on August 4, 2006

There was a NoMeansNo-clone band from my hometown named "Perfect Cop Mustache".
posted by solid-one-love at 12:30 PM on August 4, 2006

The hot UPS guy who used to come to my office, Scott, didn't have a mustache. But if anybody has seen him in porn, please let me know.
posted by printchick at 12:44 PM on August 4, 2006

"But maybe that's because we're Canadians and it's against the law for courier drivers to have mustaches up here."

Are you kidding me? It's against the law for courier drivers to have a mustache? As a company policy, sure, but as a law? That's ridiculous.

Anyway, I don't see many UPS folks with mustaches. A few, but not too many. I think that a better question would be "how do they all wear shorts all year round?" :-)
posted by drstein at 12:46 PM on August 4, 2006

Here in Massachusetts, the mustache is blue-collar thing. Most firefighters, a large number of police, and plenty of UPS delivery dudes have the hairy lip.
posted by tom_g at 12:54 PM on August 4, 2006

drstein needs to re-calibrate his/her sarcasm meter, pronto.

ahh, those crazy Canuckistanis....
posted by fixedgear at 12:58 PM on August 4, 2006

thanks for the all answers anyways. i guess it must just be a northeast type thing or im just off my rocker
posted by petsounds at 12:59 PM on August 4, 2006

UPS is wisely trying to keep their drivers away from that skinhead-with-a-goatee look.
posted by rfs at 1:21 PM on August 4, 2006

I don't think I've ever seen a UPS driver with a moustache.
posted by cellphone at 1:48 PM on August 4, 2006

I haven't noticed it here in the southwest. I've always wanted to know why all firemen have mustaches, and usually in very 'leather daddy' styles. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
posted by mattholomew at 1:48 PM on August 4, 2006

I used to work on an ambulance (EMT) and the policy was that the only acceptable facial hair was a "well-trimmed" mustache. I think this is typical of a lot of public-service-driving-around-type jobs. I never went for the 'stache myself, but some co-workers who might have otherwise grown goatees or beards sported the 'stache as a sort of compromise.

The first thing I did when I quit was grow a beard.
posted by dontoine at 2:14 PM on August 4, 2006

I used to work for ups and I saw a lot of drivers. It is correct that a mustache is the only facial hair they can grow. So it only makes sense that it would be popular among drivers. Although most of the drivers I worked with were clean shaven.
posted by bob sarabia at 2:43 PM on August 4, 2006

It happens to be company policy in the US that no one who works at UPS may have more facial hair than a moustache, unless of course one's religion dictates otherwise.
posted by Medieval Maven at 3:49 PM on August 4, 2006

I currently work for UPS (not a driver, I work in a warehouse-esque facility, out of sight of actual customers), and if company policy is no non-mustache facial hair, it certainly isn't enforced where I work.
posted by notswedish at 4:38 PM on August 4, 2006

Another case of The Dreaded Confirmation Bias, I reckon. Strange how many things it seems to be the answer to.
posted by reklaw at 4:46 PM on August 4, 2006

BTW, I read it as "USB Drivers", thought "WHAT THE F.....", and nearly opened up the Device Manager before reading the question again.

Sorry everyone, please continue.
posted by redteam at 5:56 PM on August 4, 2006

notswedish: My understanding is that it is supposed to apply to all full-time employees in the US (it's different abroad) and that it has something to do with equity with the drivers. I don't really want to get much more into it because I'm slightly paranoid about posting about UPS (don't want to get anyone in trouble). My way of knowing this stuff isn't a "customer facing" person, either, but it is very much enforced in the place where this person is.
posted by Medieval Maven at 7:19 PM on August 4, 2006

The UPS "guy" who came by my house in the early 80's was a woman.
posted by brujita at 10:06 PM on August 4, 2006

Maybe UPS only hires people with good style sense.
posted by ludwig_van at 11:22 PM on August 4, 2006 [1 favorite]

The UPS guy who worked the 76-story building where I used to work neither had a moustache, nor did he wear shorts year round. Since he was (I believe) the sole UPS guy for the building (excluding the early-morning express guys), he worked indoors most of the time and had no particular need for shorts.
posted by lhauser at 11:41 PM on August 4, 2006