I hate Drunk Punks!

[Airic]

When growing up we lived on a corner lot of a subdivision and would get lawn jobs and mailbox run over on a regular basis. I can remember at least 5-6 times. My dad did the same then and sunk a telephone pull 8' deep for the mailbox post and also set 2X4's with spikes every 6" set in the lawn every night. The white Buick that was doing it ended up getting 4 flat tire and a missing quarter panel after trying to do the same thing they had done before. My dad hung that quarter panel in the garage like a trophy and the culprits were later caught after the police found a car with the matching missing quarter panel.

My dad was so proud over that one, not many can say they tagged them self痴 a Buick.

 

[SFish]

I welded up a very large and strong mailbox that had a homebrewed secret lock to prevent the mail theft I was getting, but allowed easy entry for me. I put a very strong steel post (pipe within a pipe) back from the road just over the edge of a down hill bank, where it would be difficult to push over, with a long pivot arm extending out to the road with the mailbox.

The box was not bashable, and the last kid who tried used a 6' X 2" pipe. The mail thief was thwarted (don't expect the FBI or US Postal Service to help you with this federal crime). The swivel post satisfied the guidelines for mailbox road safety. You can get sued by someone who makes an emergency maneuver and seriously damages themselves or their car if they hit an out of compliance mailbox.

I was sorry to loose that beauty when I moved. Steve

 

[MReeb]

I had someone (kids,drunks?) smash my mailbox a few years back, and I said the heck with it, it ain't gonna happen again. I set a piece of telephone pole (about 10"diameter) to mount my "new improved" mail box on. I took a small size rural style mailbox and inserted it in a large size one and filled the gap between them with concrete. I haven't had any mailbox problems since.

My dad did something similar to this when our mailbox received several hits from the local idiots. We found glass all around the mailbox where we assume the baseball bat must have come back around and hit the car window and blew it out. I'm sure they had fun explaining that one to their parents.
I'm not sure what the laws are in the states but be careful about how solid you make the box. There was a guy charged not too long ago with building a post that would not shear if hit. A girl had fallen asleep behind the wheel and hit the box. Instead of shearing off, the mailbox stopped the car dead in its tracks and seriously hurt the girl. I know it could be argued to death about her sleeping at the wheel, what if our kids were playing outside, what if she hit a tree instead, etc... but I'd rather replace my mailbox then hurt someone. I've heard that if a snowplow can't shear it as well you can be charged.

 

[ccsial]

I used to have the same problem. About 20 years ago I decided I had to make a change. I mounted a 2 1/2" pipe in the ground about 1 foot from the power pole which put it about 8 feet from the road. Then I put on a 90 degree elbow and about 7 feed of pipe with another elbow facing up. Then mounted the box on a flange. If they do hit it it will swing out of the way. If they want to hit the vertical post they pretty much have to take the power pole with it. I have had no problems since except for one bullet hole in the box itself which was easy to fix. Some of the other conventially mounted boxes on my road are still being hit now and then.

 

[zzvyb6]

Next Friday, set an open quart can of aluminum paint (NOT a spray can ) just at the edge of the open mail box. When it gets hit, the splash might just label the vehicle for you in a manner that they won't see after trying to clean it up. Then start looking at your neighbors vehicles: tires, rubber moldings, pickup bed, and roofline, running boards. Best chance might be at the HS football game next day. When you get the plate, call 911 and report a vehicle with a flat rear tire that you are concerned about them having an accident. The 911 dispatcher will send out a BOL for the driver and, with your scanner on, you will hear the magic phrase: "registered to a Rembrandt blankity-blank at 54321 Golden Retriever Forest Heights Lane".

It only took me one can to get the 2 boy's truck. I left a postage stamp on the windshield to complete the message. I believe they got it, because that was the end of THAT forever on our road.

 

[3RRL]

In this lawsuit crazy society that worries more about the rights of the wrong- doers, someone might be on the wrong of an expensive settlement of your reinforced mailbox causes injuries in an accident. Our law calls for nothing with a breaking strength more than a 4x4 wood post.

This is the craziest thing I ever heard of, but you know what, you are absolutely right!
It's amazing how screwed up our justice system has gotten.
That's why I won't put those concrete filled trash cans out. They would sue the **** out of me.
Rights for the wrong-doers .. shees.

 

[ancientlake]

Aching back, I really appreciate your technique for fixing ruts. I deal with it in grass every year, and I'm now actually looking forward to it! Can really see why this works.
thanks,
chris

 

[Z-Michigan]

I used to have the same problem. About 20 years ago I decided I had to make a change. I mounted a 2 1/2" pipe in the ground about 1 foot from the power pole which put it about 8 feet from the road. Then I put on a 90 degree elbow and about 7 feed of pipe with another elbow facing up. Then mounted the box on a flange. If they do hit it it will swing out of the way. If they want to hit the vertical post they pretty much have to take the power pole with it. I have had no problems since except for one bullet hole in the box itself which was easy to fix. Some of the other conventially mounted boxes on my road are still being hit now and then.

We have a couple boxes like that in my area. The design looks both safe and effective. I have heard many times of people getting in trouble with excessively strong setups, usually because a snowplow hit them and got damaged.

I also like zzvyb6's approach. And the approaches that have a box that will break-away but get stuck under the offending vehicle. Anything that won't hurt someone but will make them regret hitting your mailbox is good in my view.

Where I am, the county drainage ditch effectively precludes any driving through my yard, and big rockpiles either side of the driveway finish the defense.

 

[john_bud]

Wow, lot's of replys on this! I have only gotten "hit" bad this one time with a couple of box bashes in the past.

Trouble with a game camera is the trigger time. We are 55mph on the road and I think it would only get a beauty of a snap of the ditch across the road!

Talked to a neigbor and there is some pattern with one guy losing a dozen boxes in the past 12 months.

From the tire tracks it is probably a Ford ranger, S10 or Toyota. Narrow tracks with narrow tires. A real truck would probably be loud enough to wake me or my other neighbor.

I do have a suspect. A couple of punks did a few burn out 360's across the lawn 2 4th of July's ago and being drunk drove across the road and into the ditch. The road was being repaved and was only gravel with a 4' deep soft sided gravel ditch. The sound of the engine at 5000 rpm screaming as they tried to back out and couldn't woke me up. I went down and was going to pull them out, but saw the damage and called the sherif instead. He laughed at how badly stuck they were. It could be them, they have about the same IQ as tooth count, maybe more teeth now that I think about it....

jb

 

[Podunkadunk]

Anyone have any suggestions on how to catch them in the act? (cheaply)

Thanks,
jb

If this is something that happens quite often, like you're being targeted, buy a surveillance type camera and mount it nearby.

Otherwise, you'll never catch them because they won't be back (random act).



Podunk