Someone breaking into rural mailboxes

[sixdogs]

Not a lot of vandals around here other than the high school kids that occasionally try to smash boxes in the Spring. The plastic mailbox fixed that so now they occasionally try to pull the post out of the ground. Being a former JD myself, I knew enough to sink the post 5 ft in the ground with a piece of rebar at the bottom. They can tug all they want but all they get is tired. We have a lot of Amish/Mennonite kids around and while that mail box is tempting, damage is pretty rare.

As well, the mailbox is held down with safety head screws/bolts that require special tools to get apart. Modern school kids aren't that smart so they have given up on my post. This one has been up for 15 years and the only damage is from my neighbor's 9000 series tractor that is running high flotation duals all around. It's wider than the road and, even with my extra setback has skimmed it.

 

[Jaeger]

Well luckily I have a neighbor right by the road and it;'s been up since 2008 w no issues, other than the snow plow cuts a big swath around it.!!

6dogs it's the 96 lb version!

 

[2ndhalf]

Not a lot of vandals around here other than the high school kids that occasionally try to smash boxes in the Spring. The plastic mailbox fixed that so now they occasionally try to pull the post out of the ground. Being a former JD myself, I knew enough to sink the post 5 ft in the ground with a piece of rebar at the bottom. They can tug all they want but all they get is tired. We have a lot of Amish/Mennonite kids around and while that mail box is tempting, damage is pretty rare.

As well, the mailbox is held down with safety head screws/bolts that require special tools to get apart. Modern school kids aren't that smart so they have given up on my post. This one has been up for 15 years and the only damage is from my neighbor's 9000 series tractor that is running high flotation duals all around. It's wider than the road and, even with my extra setback has skimmed it.

I used to have this.. mailbox smashed every couple years. I just left it smashed for a couple years, still worked. Then I went to lowes and bought one of those heavy duty jobies... NO MORE Smashed mailbox. But they cost close to $50.

We do not leave mail in the box over night.. too risky! Put it in in the morning or put it in at the post office.

 

[Gary Fowler]

has happened around my area a few times.. Doesn't happen on a regular basis.. I knew nothing about it until I talked to our postal carrier.. He advised me not to put mail in my mail box or leave mail in the mail box over night.. said the thieves would hit early am hours. taking mail ,and drugs. Said they found mail they didn't want thrown up and down the road..

Sad times we live in.. I remember (as a kid) when the milk man made home deliveries, and would leave milk, eggs, etc, on the door steps, and no one bothered a thing..
These days,I hardly go anywhere without being armed..Because you never know who or what's may happen at any given time

Perhaps I have my head in the sand, but even though I have a CCW permit, I never feel the need to carry around here. Doors are never locked during daylight hours, keys kept in the autos and tractors and never had anything stolen or violated.
We did have some mailbox smashing going on a few years back but that stopped, maybe the kids got caught.

 

[oosik]

A while back, we had mail box smashing every spring for about 4-5 years running. Then there was an article published in the local paper and it all came to a stop.

I bent my old metal mail box back out into some form of normal so many times ----- then I got a Tupperware plastic one. The neighbor put a plastic mailbox inside a LARGE diameter, two foot long section of Johns-Mansville green plastic pipe. They could beat on that pipe until their baseball bat broke and never touch the mailbox.

 

[teejk]

A while back, we had mail box smashing every spring for about 4-5 years running. Then there was an article published in the local paper and it all came to a stop.

I bent my old metal mail box back out into some form of normal so many times ----- then I got a Tupperware plastic one. The neighbor put a plastic mailbox inside a LARGE diameter, two foot long section of Johns-Mansville green plastic pipe. They could beat on that pipe until their baseball bat broke and never touch the mailbox.

Last one I installed the post office was very specific on design and placement. One of the rules was that it couldn't be more than 2 feet in the ground (I cheated a bit there but to my knowledge they didn't excavate it to check). They also had a maximum length of the cross-arm (I cheated there also in order to keep the post further from the road and still conform to the rules about the box being close to the road edge...they never said anything). A few of their rules defy common sense but I guess the primary reason is that the box give way if struck...they probably get a kick-back from the box manufacturers.

 

[sixdogs]

Perhaps I have my head in the sand, but even though I have a CCW permit, I never feel the need to carry around here. Doors are never locked during daylight hours, keys kept in the autos and tractors and never had anything stolen or violated.
We did have some mailbox smashing going on a few years back but that stopped, maybe the kids got caught.

No perhaps about it...your head is in the sand. My sister used to tease me about locking my doors when she left hers open even went they went out for a while. Her reasoning was simple and she said "if they want to get in they'll find a way to get in". OK, sure.

Fast forward a few years and they were seriously robbed in the middle of the night while they were sleeping. Not just replaceable stuff like a TV or whatever but valuable family items that had been passed down through the generations. The police said likely sold by a druggie for peanuts. Now they're like reformed smokers and are pretty passionate about locking all the time, 24/7. But that ship has sailed. Since my sister tormented me during my youth I really want to say something like "why bother to lock; they'll find a way in if they want" but I have held back because she's still my sister. We never talk about it.

Lock your doors and take your keys out of the ignition.

 

[teejk]

No perhaps about it...your head is in the sand. My sister used to tease me about locking my doors when she left hers open even went they went out for a while. Her reasoning was simple and she said "if they want to get in they'll find a way to get in". OK, sure.

Fast forward a few years and they were seriously robbed in the middle of the night while they were sleeping. Not just replaceable stuff like a TV or whatever but valuable family items that had been passed down through the generations. The police said likely sold by a druggie for peanuts. Now they're like reformed smokers and are pretty passionate about locking all the time, 24/7. But that ship has sailed. Since my sister tormented me during my youth I really want to say something like "why bother to lock; they'll find a way in if they want" but I have held back because she's still my sister. We never talk about it.

Lock your doors and take your keys out of the ignition.

No sense in bringing it up...if she is like my sister I'd save the "lecture" for another instance where she was wrong (like politics or that time she slammed your toe in the door and it was never the same or something). Dunno about Ohio but here in Wisconsin we now have the "castle doctrine". Taking action against an uninvited "guest" coming through a locked door shortens the very likely investigation a lot I think (like to no more than an hour). Btw as I recall it was Ohio that had the land-mark case that led to the newer "castle doctrine" laws (in that case he lost because the property was not occupied and his "booby-trap" was ruled illegal even though he had been hit a few times before). Ties go to societies losers I guess.

 

[teejk]

No perhaps about it...your head is in the sand. My sister used to tease me about locking my doors when she left hers open even went they went out for a while. Her reasoning was simple and she said "if they want to get in they'll find a way to get in". OK, sure.

Fast forward a few years and they were seriously robbed in the middle of the night while they were sleeping. Not just replaceable stuff like a TV or whatever but valuable family items that had been passed down through the generations. The police said likely sold by a druggie for peanuts. Now they're like reformed smokers and are pretty passionate about locking all the time, 24/7. But that ship has sailed. Since my sister tormented me during my youth I really want to say something like "why bother to lock; they'll find a way in if they want" but I have held back because she's still my sister. We never talk about it.

Lock your doors and take your keys out of the ignition.

No sense in bringing it up...if she is like my sister I'd save the "lecture" for another instance where she was wrong (like politics or that time she slammed your toe in the door and it was never the same or something). Dunno about Ohio but here in Wisconsin we now have the "castle doctrine". Taking action against an uninvited "guest" coming through a locked door shortens the very likely investigation a lot I think (like to no more than an hour). Btw as I recall it was Ohio that had the land-mark case that led to the newer "castle doctrine" laws (in that case he lost because the property was not occupied and his "booby-trap" was ruled illegal even though he had been hit a few times before). Ties go to societies losers I guess.