How to catch a vandal??

[sixdogs]

When I lived in Maine, big snows were common and you needed a way to defeat the plows. The best way I saw was to put the post back from the road and mount the box on a "spring pole" like a cedar sapling. It was angled up so the natural position of the mailbox was maybe six or seven foot high. It had a rope hanging down and the mailman would drive up, pull the box down with the rope and then put the mail in. When he let go, the box sprung back up to seven or so foot high. The spring pole would last a few years. This was the best way I found to defeat the huge snows and the necessity to plow the roads. Plows slid right under the box so I didn't even have to shovel.

This would seem like a great way to defeat both kids and snow. in order to whack the box they would have to pull down and hold the rope. Seems like it would work.

 

[SouthparkMark]

I had this problem in North Denver years ago. I made a mailbox stand out of a long T-post. I then mounted my new freshly painted mail box onto the top.
The box mount was angled so that snow plows would miss it but the box was nicely in position with the other mail box's. The others were on an old wooden shelf that someone had built years before. Since my box wasn't on that shelf it was the one that got whacked regularly. The box looked good, was in line with the others but stood alone on its new T-post stand.
Some one tried to wipe it out but the T-post just twisted letting the Box scrape down the side of their vehicle. They took out the other boxes but mine was fine and had a little paint left on the corner of the box.
My box wasn't even crooked.
I found that it was a very good, flexible mailbox post. I never had to replace my post again.
Other neighbors started doing the same.
The post was extra long and I pounded it in the ground quite a ways to line it up with the other boxes.
I did feel good after getting a little hide off of their vehicle.

 

[blackrams]

I have a friend that lives in Maine, he had problems with snow plows taking his mail box out even though it was positioned per USPS instructions. Don't think he had any vandal issues but, this solution would still work I think.

My friend planted a six inch beam that ended about 10 feet above the ground surface into concrete about four feet further back from the road, well onto his property. He then welded another horizontal beam on top extending out toward the road. From there, he hung two log chains hanging down. He then placed his mail box inside a half barrel and filled it with concrete surrounding the mail box. He had two eyelets welded to rebar inside the barrel. Those two chains were hooked to the eyelets and he hung the new mail box/barrel exactly where the old mail box had once stood. Now when the snow plows come by, if they hit the mail box barrel, it swings out of the path of the plow. I sincerely doubt any kid would take more than one swing at this contraption. He told me that he used to have to replace his mail box about every other time the plows would come through. This one has stayed in service for at least ten years.

Rams

 

[KretZ]

I have an idea for an invention. Ever heard of a Quintain? Its a shield mounted on a post that swivels with a counter weight sandbag. Horse mounted jousters used it for practice. If they were not careful, they would get whacked with the sandbag. Same concept, except the counterweight is a bucket filled with fish guts or some other stinky unpleasant substance. Mailbox takes a whack, post swivels, and bucket loses its contents onto the mailbox basher and his open vehicle window. I have attached a diagram.

 

[sixdogs]

I have an idea for an invention. Ever heard of a Quintain? Its a shield mounted on a post that swivels with a counter weight sandbag. Horse mounted jousters used it for practice. If they were not careful, they would get whacked with the sandbag. Same concept, except the counterweight is a bucket filled with fish guts or some other stinky unpleasant substance. Mailbox takes a whack, post swivels, and bucket loses its contents onto the mailbox basher and his open vehicle window. I have attached a diagram.View attachment 534468

Years ago we sold pumpkins in the fall and had a sign on the main rd directing customers. On the top edge of the sign we often put a row of mini pumpkins for curb appeal but kids kept stealing them. Suddenly it just stopped and one of the workers told me that some of the pumpkins had gotten some moly-lith grease on them and they wiped it off the best they could and used those pumpkins rather than good one because they were being stolen anyway.

I'm guessing they didn't get all the grease off and that nasty moly grease migrated everywhere in the car and on clothes and in the house and on the dog. Must have been a real mess. I had the boys stop putting pumpkins out but that must have been a surprise to the thieves.

 

[Newtocvt]

We are out in the country and was surprised that our township has a mailbox ordinance. I asked the township about it and was told it was for liability reasons. Since mailboxes are in the right of way I was told the township was liable if someone was injured by striking a mailbox. By having the breakaway ordinance if a homeowner isn't in compliance the liability shifts to the person that put up the mailbox. No wonder we have so many lawyers. Here is the ordinance.

Mailbox posts should be constructed to break away at impact. Acceptable standards include:
Pipes two inches inside diameter or less.
Square wood supports four by four inches or less; round wood posts 4.5 inches or less in diameter.
Metal channel posts not more than two pounds per foot in weight.
Embed supports no more than 24 inches into the ground and do not imbed in concrete.
Do not use anchor plates with metal posts. Anti-twist flanges are acceptable as long as they do not project more than 10 inches into the ground. These should be attached to the metal post or pipe with 2 3/8 inch muffler clamps.
Mailboxes and newspaper boxes should be exposed 15 feet on each side during the snow season.

 

[Ford850]

We are out in the country and was surprised that our township has a mailbox ordinance. I asked the township about it and was told it was for liability reasons. Since mailboxes are in the right of way I was told the township was liable if someone was injured by striking a mailbox. By having the breakaway ordinance if a homeowner isn't in compliance the liability shifts to the person that put up the mailbox. No wonder we have so many lawyers. Here is the ordinance.

Mailbox posts should be constructed to break away at impact. Acceptable standards include:
Pipes two inches inside diameter or less.
Square wood supports four by four inches or less; round wood posts 4.5 inches or less in diameter.
Metal channel posts not more than two pounds per foot in weight.
Embed supports no more than 24 inches into the ground and do not imbed in concrete.
Do not use anchor plates with metal posts. Anti-twist flanges are acceptable as long as they do not project more than 10 inches into the ground. These should be attached to the metal post or pipe with 2 3/8 inch muffler clamps.
Mailboxes and newspaper boxes should be exposed 15 feet on each side during the snow season.

Geez they only allow 24" depth for posts, in WI? How many years do they last before being frost heaved back out of the ground?

 

[Newtocvt]

So far mine hasn't moved much. I learned about all this when my first mailbox post was a 6x6. Now it's a 4x4.

 

[plowhog]

that nasty moly grease migrated everywhere in the car and on clothes and in the house and on the dog.

That ... is funny!!

 

[TnAndy]

Put a set of motion flood lights on it, and one of those fake security cameras. They make solar powered lights if you don't have power at the end of your driveway. That stopped our problem.