American mailboxes

I was just watching an American film and thought, "Why don't kids steal everyone's mail?" In the UK, most people have the mailbox INSIDE the house (or simply a letterbox opening in the front door). Surely kids are tempted to nick American mail, especially as it's right on the street.

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword
Loading thread data ...

There are mailboxes on doors here too but single family homes on larger lots will have their mailbox outside on the street. Mail-carriers drive vehicles with steering wheels on the right (since we drive on the right, normal are on the left) and drop off mail without leaving vehicle.

Reply to
Frank

Yes I can see it being more efficient for the mail people, although bloody inconvenient for the home owners (people who have them here to stop dogs eating the letters never remember to check them and get letters a week late). And my original point, doesn't mail get stolen?

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

On Monday, February 13, 2017 at 7:25:03 PM UTC-6, James Wilkinson Sword wro te:

y inconvenient for the home owners (people who have them here to stop dogs eating the letters never remember to check them and get letters a week late ). And my original point, doesn't mail get stolen?

No one forced the home owner to buy a house that the mail box is at the end of their driveway. Mail does get stolen on occasion but not that often.

Are you saying people don't check their mail boxes if it's at the end of their driveway but perhaps once a week where you live?

Reply to
ItsJoanNotJoann

Probably just because they see what's in their mailboxes and social pressure. It is common in parts of rural Nebraska to have several mailboxes grouped on their own posts. It will be up to the ranchers to get their mail from there. There isn't delivery to individual houses. There might also be a post there with signs pointing to the individual ranches. Each sign would be a single board cut to make an arrow. It might say something like Too Poor Ranch 12 miles.

Reply to
Dean Hoffman

Last time I was in Nevada and Utah driving we'd see signs that just said Ranch Road 30, etc. They didn't have addresses like 123 Main Street or RR 10, Box 1.

Reply to
ItsJoanNotJoann

I assume that's a joke.

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

If I lived in one of those ranches, I'd have a lock on the box!

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

What happens if you get a parcel delivered that's quite large?

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

In the UK, people sometimes (only 1 in 100) have boxes attached to the outside of their house (not at the street), just to avoid stuff being put into the house (because the dog might eat it). They often forget to check it (as would I if I had one), because the mail doesn't appear inside your home on the carpet so you notice it, you actually have to remember to keep checking the box.

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

oody inconvenient for the home owners (people who have them here to stop do gs eating the letters never remember to check them and get letters a week l ate). And my original point, doesn't mail get stolen?

tside of their house (not at the street), just to avoid stuff being put int o the house (because the dog might eat it). They often forget to check it (as would I if I had one), because the mail doesn't appear inside your home on the carpet so you notice it, you actually have to remember to keep chec king the box.

1 - How do you know that these 1 in 100 people "often" forget to check thei r mail? Do you know them all? Do they publish their forgetfulness in the local paper? 2 - How stupid would one have to be to see a mailbox on the outside of thei r house and forget to check it? And *often* forget to check it? Now that's really stupi d.

We've had a mailbox on the outside of our house for over 35 years. We check it every day except for Sunday. It's really not that hard to remember. See if you can un derstand this process:

Step 1: See Mailbox Step 2: Think: "Did you check for mail today?" Step 3: If no, check it. If yes, don't bother.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

I guess they come to your door to deliver or you make arrangements to pick up your package at the nearest town.

Reply to
ItsJoanNotJoann

outside of their house (not at the street), just to avoid stuff being put i nto the house (because the dog might eat it). They often forget to check i t (as would I if I had one), because the mail doesn't appear inside your ho me on the carpet so you notice it, you actually have to remember to keep ch ecking the box.

eir mail? Do you

It does kinda silly and made up, doesn't it? I'd venture a guess that most people get some sort of mail each day. That might be junk mail, a letter, catalog, or a bill. He's trying to make us believe that everybody that doesn't get their mail through a slot in the door has Alzhiemers and completely forget to check their outside mail boxes.

eir house and

Yep! Not too bright when it comes to getting their mail, are they?

ck it every day

understand this

My house is 90 years old and so are the surrounding houses. Every single one has a mail box on the outside, just a step or two outside the front door. It ain't rocket science to remember to check to see if you have mail that day.

Reply to
ItsJoanNotJoann

As far as I know, I've never had my mail stolen...but it's just junkmail anyway.

Reply to
Joe

I have a mailbox at the street. I've never (as far as I know) had mail stolen from it.

If I get a package that's too big for the mailbox, the carrier leaves it on the porch. I don't live in a crime-ridden hive, as apparently you do. The houses on my street are generally about 40 meters apart, although some are more like 80 meters. It would be a lot of legwork for kids to come around messing with mailboxes (which is a federal offense worth up to a $5000 fine and/or 5 years in prison--although I doubt they'd sentence dumb kids to more than a token penalty).

Cindy Hamilton

Reply to
Cindy Hamilton

My mail carrier comes down the driveway and hand delivers it , or leaves it in a designated place at the front of the shop . A jar of (our bees') honey , a half-pint of jam , a couple of minutes of conversation , Aaron has become a good friend too .

Reply to
Terry Coombs

the post office wants to move to a big neighborhood box. each home gets its own locked box, as part of a large group of boxes.

this saves tons of time for the carrier,'

i suppose residents could pay to get their mail at their door.

my dad in phoenix gets his mail this way. he is near 90 and enjoys taking his handicap scooter to the central mailbox....

there are some big boxes for oversized stuff, the carrier puts a key to the over sized box in the recipents usual box.

dad seems satisfied

Reply to
bob haller

This is what Canada Post is moving toward - over much crying and protest from the folks who think that mail delivery to their door is a constitutional right. ... it doesn't help when they install the "super malibox" in a poor location - as was the case with some much-publicized early efforts. I have personally seen one case of rural mail theft - I found a bunch of mail in the ditch - torn open - it was an Amish farm family

- I suspect that the thief was looking for cash or cheques ? John T.

Reply to
hubops

Per James Wilkinson Sword:

Theft from mailboxes happens but, here in the suburbs of Philadelphia, it's rare.

When I visited relatives in the UK about 10 years ago, I was surprised at the high level of perceived residential theft risk: bars on windows, my cousin's husband felt the need to chain his bike even when it was inside of their locked garage, and so-on-and-so-forth.

Ditto Germany.

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)

Per bob haller:

Surprisingly (to me....) that idea has some appeal: people get to talk to each other a little bit when they meet while checking mail...

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.