A Porch Pirates Dream!!!

[mr_lincoln]

Just went out for the mail ... hmmm, normally the packages are left on our porch or inside our glass screen door when they fit.  Imagine my surprise when I saw THIS today ...   

Porch Pirates dream, they wouldn't even have to get out of their car to snag a few freebies ...

                                               

[mr_lincoln]

@buyselljack2016 

wrote:  " ... I notice that your carrier was very courteous and did not fold the white mailer to cram it in the box. ... "

That's only because of the plastic slide plate I have mounted under the mail box that extends to the left of the box ... 

[buyselljack2016]

Well, it did get used😂

My big overflow box has small wood strips that swivel out when needed to hold/support outgoing that is looooong. Only used on "nice" days.

[mr_lincoln]

@gurlcat   Love the soggy ground mashed potato comment!!!  Okay, my issue was the complete opposite.  Our street is on a shale ridge and this house was new when we bought it ... so I had to install the mailbox .... well, the first few inches of digging were easy, then I hit shale ... I wound up having to literally chisel and break shale to get a hole deep enough for the 4 x 4 treated lumber post I sunk 2 feet under ground.  My half hour project cost me a complete afternoon.

Then we went out and spent some serious (more like stupid) money on a fancy, beautiful metal mail box ... you know, the envy of the street LOL (new homeowners, we were such boneheads!).   Anyway, the next year some kids took out most of the mailboxes on our street late one night ... yep, nice mailbox was toast.  This happened a few more times and each time I bought a cheaper mailbox and eventually switched to plastic.

This got old real quick so I came up with a design whereby I attached two spring load door hinges to the back of the mailbox and attached them to the post and installed the plexiglass (Lexan actually) deck so when it was hit and swung out of the way it would be supported and swing back in place with the spring-loaded door hinges ... works like a charm ... it survived two attacks after that, only cost me a new flag the one time ... now it has been years since anyone has done that kind of thing on our road. 

[krazzykats]

We call them storm doors in the PNW.

[mr_lincoln]

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@krazzykats wrote:

We call them storm doors in the PNW.

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@krazzykats   I think you are right ... 

[mikhirs]

We have 3 such doors on our house.  We have the ones with the screen part on top so doggie claws can't reach.

[policequilts]

I have an old big, metal mailbox.

At one time it was painted as a Siamese cat with a mouse inside.

Then, being in the country, a black and white cow.

Someone yanked off the tail on it and then I removed the ears.

It's large enough to handle the large flat rate boxes, even 2 medium flat rate boxes with room for mail.

It's well over 40 years old and only had one accident.

The snow plow took it out. Didn't damage the box, but rebuilt the base

[gone.c-33]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

Why did you mail order French Bread ?

Gorgonzola cheese 

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I hope that one was hermetically sealed otherwise I reckon your carrier can still smell it in their van 😆

[sextons-sweet-deals]

The old late 80's / early 90's baseball bat drive by on the country roads. 

The carrier should be reported. I don't care if they are temps or not. If not reported, they could become full-time employee. 

The only other thing I can suggest is to cut back the growth around the mailbox to make it more open and visible. 

[reallynicestamps]

I don't know why anyone would use one of those boxes.

Even without leaving them open they are much too vulnerable.

The most secure address  is a postal (or private) mail box where you need a key.

The second most secure for a seller is any freight forwarder since the MBG ends when the forwarder accepts the package.

Which makes shipping to Europe safer than shipping to a rural route with those boxes. Or even a suburban porch.

[reallynicestamps]

no amount of cardboard will stiffen a book enough to protect a CD that is included.

I have used CorPlast, which as it's name indicates is plastic cardboard.

Available is several thicknesses and mostly used for signs, it's not cheap.

Use two sheets at 90 degrees from each other, one on each side of the item.

Although you may find it cheaper and easier just to use a box and padding.

[mr_lincoln]

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@sextons-sweet-deals wrote:

The old late 80's / early 90's baseball bat drive by on the country roads. 

The carrier should be reported. I don't care if they are temps or not. If not reported, they could become full-time employee. 

The only other thing I can suggest is to cut back the growth around the mailbox to make it more open and visible. 

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@sextons-sweet-deals   Bingo on the time frame ... late 80s we purchased the home and the mailbox smashing craze lasted in to the early 90s ...

As to the growth around our box, it sits across the street from our property and the Adagio grass is usually cut back by this time of year LOL!  But it's pretty open ... 

[my_boston_baked_beans]

Not all USPS carriers are created equal some barely show up for work 😞

[buyselljack2016]

I would have to build/buy a lock box (one spot down the highway has one at their residence) for my incoming mail, or drive 24 miles round trip to have a  P.O. box at my Zip Code office that has limited hours, and as delivery is available, would also have to pay box rent.

If I had a P.O. box, and the mail got addressed by street (legally some things do) it would be returned. My PO has a "deliver as addressed, or return it" policy.

Porch pirates are not an issue for me. Incoming, or outgoing.

[buyselljack2016]

Yours. Mailbox polo dream.  A snowplow drivers dream, or nightmare. (depending upon attitude)

Mine is not an issue because it sits back out of the line of travel as is necessitated by the guardrails just beyond my mailbox, but sometimes I just imagine that the D.O.T. guys revel in seeing how much they can get the plow wing to send on up to the side of the box, of if they could knock it over. (scorecard and grease pencil mounted in the cab)

Official box holds the things up to 18" long, and then the upper overflow will take at 3 footer plus,  as some can extend out and not be in the way.  18" of width to work with. Push comes to shove, the back is hinged and will allow for another 10" of somewhat sheltered area.

On occasion, FedEx weekend, not the regular driver, has used the upper as a drop off location. Not an "official USPS mail receptacle", so it does not violate the restrictions that apply to the lower box.