Our mail box is a few feet from the road, for the mailman to reach from the road he has to reach out a little, about 75% of the time rather than reach he drops a wheel in my grass. Over a number of years it developed a drop off, 6" or so. We have always had a good relationship with the mailman so rather than confront him about his common sense we filled in the hole and replaced the sod and put a small statue in the way of where his wheel would drop off. This worked great until today when I heard him run over the statue, so I confront him on the way back down our street. The guy is a complete jerk about it, points to other mail boxes and says see how close those are to the street, that would solve your problem and no I don't drive in your grass anyway and I didn't run over your statue. He says that's a dumb place for a statue anyway. Now im beside myself over his lack of empathy for the situation, what's funny is my neighbor doesent even have a box, they have a slot in there door- so he has to get out and hand deliver there mail. My mailbox has been in the same place for 55 years, do I really need to move it 1 ft. closer to the road? I called the Postal service and they started a case. I will also mention in my rant, our street is his last street everyday, he does all houses except his clock out box, he returns 1/2 hr. to an hour later everyday and hits the last box, for being a insensitive jerk this little scam will be exposed also.
Problems with the mailman
- Thread starter coolbird101
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I had to park my truck in the street one day while roofing shingles were being delivered to the driveway of my house, while I slept(i worked nights) When I awoke there was a note on my truck from the mailman that wasn't too friendly. 1 phone call to the post office fixed that problem...I found out a few weeks later that he was moved to a walking route!
My initial response was to plant some decorative rebar between the mailbox and road. After the 1st flat tire, the postmaster will ask him what happened. He'll say "every time I run up on the lawn I get a flat".
Being that rebar could be a hazard for people walking the dog or kids, maybe a landscaper could drop a 500 lb. rock in front of the mail post.
Being that rebar could be a hazard for people walking the dog or kids, maybe a landscaper could drop a 500 lb. rock in front of the mail post.
Mailmen use to be hired on merit and were often full-time career employees that served the same route for years. It's been years since my mailman fit that profile, but I haven't had any problems with the new mail carriers. That's not excuse for a mail carrier being bad, but when they don't hire on merit and hire on the cheap provisional carriers, I bet bad service bcomes more common.
Originally Posted By: PhillyJoe
My initial response was to plant some decorative rebar between the mailbox and road. After the 1st flat tire, the postmaster will ask him what happened. He'll say "every time I run up on the lawn I get a flat".
Being that rebar could be a hazard for people walking the dog or kids, maybe a landscaper could drop a 500 lb. rock in front of the mail post.
+1
My initial response was to plant some decorative rebar between the mailbox and road. After the 1st flat tire, the postmaster will ask him what happened. He'll say "every time I run up on the lawn I get a flat".
Being that rebar could be a hazard for people walking the dog or kids, maybe a landscaper could drop a 500 lb. rock in front of the mail post.
+1
Make sure your mailbox is within the guidelines:
"Put a roadside mailbox where a carrier can reach inside without leaving the truck. That means positioning it about 41” to 45” off the ground and back about 6” to 8” from the curb."
USPS mailbox guidelines
"Put a roadside mailbox where a carrier can reach inside without leaving the truck. That means positioning it about 41” to 45” off the ground and back about 6” to 8” from the curb."
USPS mailbox guidelines
I just measured it at 21", does this give the mail carrier the ok to drive in the grass?
Originally Posted By: coolbird101
I just measured it at 21", does this give the mail carrier the ok to drive in the grass?
Probably.
Now I am running for cover. Seems you are still pretty steamed.
I just measured it at 21", does this give the mail carrier the ok to drive in the grass?
Probably.
Now I am running for cover. Seems you are still pretty steamed.
The mailman seems like a jerk and it's almost a separate issue from the mailbox location, but if everyone had their mailbox far from the cub that would be a problem. I would probably move the mailbox to about 8" from the curb and go from there if it were me.
Originally Posted By: coolbird101
I just measured it at 21", does this give the mail carrier the ok to drive in the grass?
More than likely the grass within ten feet of the road shoulder belongs to the town anyway. It's just up to you to mow it.
If there was a Monday holiday (two day weekend) my mailman used to be so overloaded on Tuesday he'd skip us (dead end road) so I'd have to go Sat-Wed without mail.
I just measured it at 21", does this give the mail carrier the ok to drive in the grass?
More than likely the grass within ten feet of the road shoulder belongs to the town anyway. It's just up to you to mow it.
If there was a Monday holiday (two day weekend) my mailman used to be so overloaded on Tuesday he'd skip us (dead end road) so I'd have to go Sat-Wed without mail.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: Danno
Originally Posted By: coolbird101
Originally Posted By: PRND3L
Make sure your mailbox is within the guidelines:
"Put a roadside mailbox where a carrier can reach inside without leaving the truck. That means positioning it about 41” to 45” off the ground and back about 6” to 8” from the curb."
USPS mailbox guidelines
I just measured it at 21", does this give the mail carrier the ok to drive in the grass?
Probably.
Im sorry but yes. If you were at 12" or something, it would be one thing, but you are more than double the longest allowable distance. That's far. What if the carrier's arm doesnt reach?
Frankly, I dont know why they dont either make street by street centralized lockboxes or required PO boxes for people in rural areas where the carrier actually drives from box to box. Would save a TON on labor and fuel... And prevent this kind of thing.
Sorry, I get that its been there for a long time, but it is still inconsistent with the guidelines, so I dont see how youre right here.
Originally Posted By: coolbird101
Originally Posted By: PRND3L
Make sure your mailbox is within the guidelines:
"Put a roadside mailbox where a carrier can reach inside without leaving the truck. That means positioning it about 41” to 45” off the ground and back about 6” to 8” from the curb."
USPS mailbox guidelines
I just measured it at 21", does this give the mail carrier the ok to drive in the grass?
Probably.
Im sorry but yes. If you were at 12" or something, it would be one thing, but you are more than double the longest allowable distance. That's far. What if the carrier's arm doesnt reach?
Frankly, I dont know why they dont either make street by street centralized lockboxes or required PO boxes for people in rural areas where the carrier actually drives from box to box. Would save a TON on labor and fuel... And prevent this kind of thing.
Sorry, I get that its been there for a long time, but it is still inconsistent with the guidelines, so I dont see how youre right here.
Seems the letter carrier was doing you a favor by driving in the grass rather than insisting that you move the mailbox to meet the requirements.
No good deed goes unpunished.
There is probably a letter carrier out there saying to his co-workers, I've been doing this guy a favor for years and instead of him being grateful, he throws a fit.
I expect the outcome of the case to be that your mailbox doesn't meet the published standard and you will be instructed to move it to comply with the standard.
No good deed goes unpunished.
There is probably a letter carrier out there saying to his co-workers, I've been doing this guy a favor for years and instead of him being grateful, he throws a fit.
I expect the outcome of the case to be that your mailbox doesn't meet the published standard and you will be instructed to move it to comply with the standard.
Really? No one beat me to it? ...
Go postal on him.
Go postal on him.
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
Move your mailbox closer to the road. I am shocked you got away with it further back for 55 years. Had I been your mailman 55 years ago, this issue gets repaired correctly back in 1958.
Slaps forehead, DOH!
Originally Posted By: surfstar
Really? No one beat me to it? ...
Go postal on him.
Originally Posted By: surfstar
Really? No one beat me to it? ...
Go postal on him.
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The case you opened with the USPS will be ignored. I like the HUGE boulder idea
Even if you are completely in the right, never screw-over your mail man. If he wants to, he can cause you a lot of problems with your mail and you really could never prove that he did it.
The mail that you use to make your monthly credit card? Eh...funny how it will get there late. That package marked "fragile" that contains a family heirloom? It will be in a thousand pieces. Birthday cards that get sent to some of your family members that have a high chance of having money inside....will mysteriously never make it. I talked to my local postmaster about filing a damage claim once (at the insistence of the sender) and my postmaster just laughed.
True story: When I was in high school, my buddy's dad worked for the postal service. I visited his house one time and there were at least a dozen magazines sitting on the coffee table. Each of the magazines had a different name and address on the mailing label. At first, I had forgotten that he worked for the postal service and I asked my buddy why all the different names and addressed on each one? There was a look of terror on his face and suddenly I knew why. I never mentioned it again.
My memory of this movie eludes me right now, but wasn't there a Tom Hanks movie where the mail man just drives by and throws the mail out the window and laughs?
BTW, I give my mail carrier a gift certificate every Christmas.
The mail that you use to make your monthly credit card? Eh...funny how it will get there late. That package marked "fragile" that contains a family heirloom? It will be in a thousand pieces. Birthday cards that get sent to some of your family members that have a high chance of having money inside....will mysteriously never make it. I talked to my local postmaster about filing a damage claim once (at the insistence of the sender) and my postmaster just laughed.
True story: When I was in high school, my buddy's dad worked for the postal service. I visited his house one time and there were at least a dozen magazines sitting on the coffee table. Each of the magazines had a different name and address on the mailing label. At first, I had forgotten that he worked for the postal service and I asked my buddy why all the different names and addressed on each one? There was a look of terror on his face and suddenly I knew why. I never mentioned it again.
My memory of this movie eludes me right now, but wasn't there a Tom Hanks movie where the mail man just drives by and throws the mail out the window and laughs?
BTW, I give my mail carrier a gift certificate every Christmas.
Either move your mailbox or dig up the sod being driven on and back fill it with some crushed stone to make a little turn out. It is not about being right or wrong, it is about what works best.
Kruse,
Or worse, the mailman accidentally drops your important mail in a housing project.
Or worse, the mailman accidentally drops your important mail in a housing project.
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