Rural mailbox

[Stormin Mormon]

Until it gets wet and freezes?

[KenK]

KenK wrote in news:XnsA5966D0B1C07invalidcom@130.133.4.11:

I seem to recall that back when I was a kid living or visiting rural places that the mailbox flag system was just the opposite of that nowadays. Mailperson put the flag up when you received mail, instead of putting it down when outgoing mail was picked ip. Makes more sense to me. Probably amother false memory. Comments?

TIA

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Stormin Mormon:

Has anybody got experience with the mechanical approach?

In my little fantasy world, I would think that a strong-enough spring and, maybe, polyethylene moving parts would be pretty much freeze-proof...

I visualize a wand that gets bent over and is secured by a trigger-like latch that gets released when the box is opened.

i.e. No moving parts save the latch - and that has to release if/when the box gets opened.

But that's just my little fantasy world and the Real World does not always get the word...

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per KenK:

Around here (suburban, not rural), the flag is always used to signal outgoing mail and the carrier flips it down when he picks up the mail.

So, pending a conversation with the carrier, maybe the solution is for the resident to always flip the flag up when they collect mail - whether there is outgoing or not.... and have the carrier, as usual, flip it down when they deliver.

[Unquestionably Confused]

Seems like that would be extra work for the carrier. Undoubtedly it would lead to a grievance and, perhaps, overtime or a salary bump for those additional duties

[Arthur Conan Doyle]

You really don't need to reinvent the wheel...

[clare]

He did both. He put the flag down if he picked up mail and did not deliver any. He put the flag up if he delivered mail but did not pick any up. He left the flag up if he picked up and delivered mail. The flag just meant "I need attention"

From what I remember anyway - but it's been over 45 years.

[Mark Lloyd]

I'm in a suburban neighborhood, and the mail carrier usually ignores the red flag. Doesn't stop unless there's mail to be delivered. Almost never puts the flag down afterward.

[Terry Coombs]

Ever leave him cookies ? Maybe a bag of fresh-picked muscadines ? We get superb service here , I'm on a first-name basis with my mail carrier . A couple of fresh cucumbers goes a long ways ...

[hubops]

I remember the " rotate the mailbox " signal - same as the flag - - mailbox facing the road means - something is here - - mailbox facing parallel to the road means - I'm empty ... I always understood that the flag meant the same thing - used by the homeowner and by the mail-man. This was for my area in southern Ontario Canada. John t.

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: [e-mail] ---

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Mark Lloyd:

I'd have a word with whoever runs the local delivery operation.

[bob haller]

its no biggie because the postal service is about to mandate central mailboxes in neighborhoods nationwide.

thecentral mailbox hold perhaps 50 boxes, which the carrier fills , saving tons of time and money

coming nationwide along with mon, wednesday, and friday deliveries only, closing of over 1/2 of all bost offices nationwide

[thekmanrocks]

Bob Haller wrote: "- show quoted text - its no biggie because the postal service is about to mandate central mailboxes in neighborhoods nationwide.

thecentral mailbox hold perhaps 50 boxes, which the carrier fills , saving tons of time and money

coming nationwide along with mon, wednesday, and friday deliveries only, closing of over 1/2 of all bost offices nationwide "

Cite source for this, please.

[bob haller]

its part of a modernize and streamline the postal service proposal in congress.

fine by me, since the postal service is mostly a junk mail delivery service

[thekmanrocks]

bob haller:

Specific news source or other source please.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Cutting delivery days is OK by me. Cluster boxes can be a PITA though, but down from me they do have five to 10 together already.

Seems like Amazon is using the Postal service more and more, even for Sunday delivery for Prime.

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Ed Pawlowski:

Anybody know what the procedure is when the box will not hold all the mail ? I'm thinking packages and junk mail around Xmas.

[Dean Hoffman]

My carrier leaves the packages on the porch. I don't know about the junk mail. My mailbox has plenty of room for that.

[Stormin Mormon]

Can do both ways. Flag up can mean both mail going out (when the carrier arrives) and mail in the box (after the carrier has passed by).

I was in a small town diner one time. The waitress would put a slip on the round thing with the clips and proclaim "order up!" and the chef would put a plate of food on the heated transfer shelf and reply "order up!". Really was irritating. Which is it? Can't be both.

[Stormin Mormon]

Works fine if you run 14/2 UF burrial cable to the mail box, and put on about 500 watt heater.