Rural Mailboxes

JimBinMI · Jun 15, 2000

ddl,

Sounds like you've received one too many speeding tickets. I would consider speeders more life threatening to me than kids that go around hitting mailboxes! /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

W5FL · Jun 15, 2000

It may be a federal crime, but it is not considered worthy of worrying about by the USPS. They don't own the mailbox, it just must meet their specifications. Liability is not a logical issue. That is why you should have liability insurance, and if you have enough, the insurance company will help defend your rights since they have to pay if you lose.

W5FL · Jun 15, 2000

I thought Bird wrote this reply and I was going to retort "spoken like a true retired policeman.". /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird · Jun 15, 2000

Gosh, that's an old, tired cliche. The cops are always too busy doing something or other instead of "solving the real problem." And what is the "real problem?" Why, the one that bothers you personally, of course./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif If it's your mailbox you're having to replace, that's the "real problem." Or if it's your house that got burglarized, that's the "real problem." Or if it's your kid that got killed by a speeder, then that's the "real problem." Aaah, where would we end? But we all need someone else to blame for our troubles; right?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

And yes, it's a federal crime to damage mail boxes, but do you really think the Postal Inspectors are going to be able to do much about that? I wouldn't count on it. And yes, I worked for the U.S Post Office for 5 years before joining the police department./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

Anonymous Poster · Jun 15, 2000

As I left my place to go to town I saw someone removing mail from the mailboxes ( I have a PO Box in town and none at home). There had been a rash of such activity. I asked the people at the post office (a pretty big one) after explaining the situation, to call the Postal Inspector. They looked at me blankly and said, "we don't know the number for that you'd have to call 911"

What does the Postal Inspector actually do anymore if not deal with this type of activity. I didn't have my cell phone and the PO said they don't have customer phones. DUH

In my childhood (60s) the police came out for garbage dumping, all kinds of minor things. Now it has to be serious. Is it because they are lazy, I think not. Just spend some time reading the police reports on what they do DO! I want them available for when I'm running out of ammo defending the place against all the guys with unhappy childhoods that have to be let out of prison early so we can give money to Eastern Slorgovia, or because we have to build sports stadiums that voters vote down so billionaire owners and millionaire here today gone tomorrow players have a place to come to while all the alcohol ****** have a place to put their ads.

(above sentence can be shortened for $12.50)

I wish I did live someplace where Sheriff Mayberry could come out and talk now and then but it's getting harder. I truly realized there was a problem when I went up to a police officer not too long ago just to say thanks and shake his hand. I've been told by some I look "scary" I don't feel scary, but he put his hand on his gun until I said my peace, then he relaxed. And this uproar over Rodney King, I'm sorry, if someone has to chase me down I'll feel lucky if they don't blow me away to stop me. Can you imagine what the adrenalin rush is, even for those almost-always calm trained guys?

Of course if I was black I might feel different I don't know. From what I pickup the police in some cities seem to be a bit taxed.

I just hope the politicians realize that underfunded police departments can eventually cause citizens to take matters into their own hands.

And back to the subject, yes I have considered having a mailbox at home again. First I want to find a used 12 foot dozer blade I can stand on end and bury in the ground 8 feet with a mailbox constructed out of deck armor from one of the Navy ship dismantlers!

Bird · Jun 15, 2000

del, you know police departments and their employees are just like other organizations. They have to recruit officers from the human race, and no matter what kind of selection process you use, you'll get some good and some bad. And there will be disagreements as to priorities within the police department, as well as with, or within, the governmental body that hires them. My experience included a lot of contact with other officers from all over this nation, as well as foreign nations around the world, and while there are some major differences, there are even more similarities.

And of course there are exceptions to every rule, but the one thing I know surprises most people outside law enforcement is the fact that the vast majority of police officers hate writing traffic tickets; they'd rather do almost anything else.

Bird

Anonymous Poster · Jun 15, 2000

Bird, I'm sure they're quite like everyone else in that they don't want life to be a constant confrontational situation. The officers that I have met, especially those that I met after pestering the local school district to begin the "Dare" program, seem to genuinely enjoy having contact with people as people not as suspects. The "Dare" program has it's detractors, stating cost versus results. I suppose that is a debatable subject, what is not debatable is the response the kids have in being able to have some contact with a police officer. I really think it is a benefit that should not be ignored.

I'm also thinking of the time recently a State Patrol Trooper drug something out of his memory on a traffic stop and broke a major case open.

Even with them doing their job there are a lot of crazies on the road, the other night we were going down a fairly busy freeway only to have the typical clod weaving in and out trying to get somewhere 10 seconds before the rest of us. I think I muttered something and about half a minute later coming up behind me FAST was a lit up Christmas tree on top of a police cruiser, ran up and nailed the guy. I wanted to at least honk as I went by but didn't, wondering if the officer would see it as "thanks"

W5FL · Jun 15, 2000

Del,

If you call the postal inspector office, they send you a form to fill out that documents the crime. I am sure that they may use it if there is a rash of problems in an area - or a Congress Womans mail gets stolen, but it does not appear to be a high priority to them.

Before Christmas last year, all our outgoing mail was stolen out of our mail box. A neighbor about a mile down the road called us and said she had found it in the ditch. They had opened all of the Christmas Cards and just threw the bills with checks in them in the ditch. The local Sheriff had a description of the vehicle, but never heard if they caught them. Most people in the rural areas report things like that to the County Sheriff and he knows more about it than the Post Office - Lets see.. that is called an AO (Associate Office) whose only job is to take the mail that comes in and send it out and deliver the local mail. We build mail processing equipment for the Post Office, so I have the good fortune of getting to go through the business end of the Post Offices. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Kevin_mc · Jun 16, 2000

I've seen two solutions to this age old problem of mail box damage which seem to work pretty well.

1. Postal Patron used a short axle and mounted auto wheels on both ends placed one wheel flat on a concrete pad where the mail box post used to be. The axle is vertical and the other wheel is just at the right height to mount the mail box on. He filled the bottom wheel with concrete. Now when someone hits the post or mail box the thing wobbles around then falls down.

2. take the mail box off the post every night when you pick up the mail and put it out every morning when you leave for work.

Both methods were very effective for the people that came up with them.

Kevin