Way to make a first impress: New neighbor an ***

[K'Ehleyr]

This has always intrigued me why you have mail boxes in the States and let your newspaper boy just throw the paper on the lawn (the latter is just gleaned from films though!).
Why not just have letter boxes in your door so mail, and newspapers can actually be delivered to inside of the house?

 

[John Picard]

This has always intrigued me why you have mail boxes in the States and let your newspaper boy just throw the paper on the lawn (the latter is just gleaned from films though!).
Why not just have letter boxes in your door so mail, and newspapers can actually be delivered to inside of the house?

It depends on where you live. In older areas the houses will have a mail drop slot with a bin inside of the house (or wall with an access door); while in housing developments (the suburbs), or in rural areas, there will be a roadside mailbox. The latter is for the convenience of the mail carrier not having to exit the vehicle and speeds delivery.

The same is for the paper -- some places have paper boxes, while many times the paper is either delivered (tossed) at the end of the drive or tossed to the porch.

 

[Trekker4747]

This has always intrigued me why you have mail boxes in the States and let your newspaper boy just throw the paper on the lawn (the latter is just gleaned from films though!).
Why not just have letter boxes in your door so mail, and newspapers can actually be delivered to inside of the house?

Speedy delivery. Roadside mailboxes and people chucking papers out of the window of a car (there's no real "paper boy riding a bike anymore) is quicker. When you're delivering papers to hundreds of people, or mail to 1000s of homes stopping every 30 seconds to personally deliver these items to the front step slows things down.

I live in an apartment, the paper-guy simply stands at the far end of the breezeway and chucks the paper 50-feet down it to -sort of- land it infront of my door.

 

[SeerSGB]

Yeah, but did you steal the tape?

A VHS tape?..puhhhhhlease, I don't need a new doorstop that bad.

^ Options? I wasn't aware options were required when somebody makes utterly baseless accusations without a shred of proof.

You didn't steal it and there is no reason to think you did, therefore she will never be able to prove that you stole it. Besides telling her to shut up and shove off, I can't see what other recourse there might be.

Probably a "cover my ass" sort of thing on his part. Basically him not wanting to stir up shit then find out that his craptastic staff stole the damn thing or it's still sitting in the sorting bin.

 

[Amaris]

This has always intrigued me why you have mail boxes in the States and let your newspaper boy just throw the paper on the lawn (the latter is just gleaned from films though!).
Why not just have letter boxes in your door so mail, and newspapers can actually be delivered to inside of the house?

In many areas, the mailbox is located on the street/curb so the postman doesn't have to get out of the little car. In some neighborhoods, the mailbox is attached next to the door. Some people have the aforementioned door slots, but they are not as prolific as curbside mailboxes, and really aren't practical in many places due to inefficiency.

J.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

But, but, but...
I understand the efficiency bit, but if people are being paid to deliver stuff then surely they should deliver it. You are paying for a service and if the mail/paper delivery company cannot get the logistics right then that's their fault. I'm sure you wouldn't stand for a parcel post that skimmed stuff 'near your door'.

Re: the OP ~ this must lead to items going astray and accusations being unfairly hurled. Whereas if they were safely in your house, no problem!

Is it not tempting to kids to interfer with the mail boxes regardless of it being illegal? Do you have little flags on them that indicate you have mail? (Please again excuse my ignorance but it is still based on films) but as a kid I would have found it irrisistable not to change these.

In the UK the Royal Mail is obliged to deliver mail safely and directly to your door and is liable for it if it goes astray. If it is delivered to a neighbour you are obliged to sign for it.

As you can probably tell it's a bit of a niggle to me. I live in a block of flats only 3 levels high but the woman who turns up in her posh car to deliver unwanted free magazines, simply tossed a handful onto the bottom steps. To me ~ that's simply lazy, dangerous and littering. And after a grumpy email from me, does not happen anymore. Anyway it's good exercise to jog up a couple of flights of stairs. *dismounts her high horse*

And I agree with previous posters ~ VHS

 

[trampledamage]

In Saskatoon (because I know they do it differently elsewhere in Canada) we're halfway between the British system and the US system. Houses have a mail-box on the wall of the house, usually next to the front door, but since it's something you can easily hang yourself it's whereever you want it. Post and newspapers go in here (I deliver the local paid-for paper and we're under strict instructions to put it in the box, not the hangers underneath). Some houses have mail-slots (UK letter-boxes), usually into their garage - I think because of draughts.

Newer buildings have sets of mailboxes per street, but they are only accessible by key - you have one and the postman has one, it's a fun system - if there's a parcel for you, the postman leaves it in one of the parcel sections, locks that door and posts the key for the parcel door in your mailbox. Once you've got your parcel you then post the key in the general mailbox for him to collext later.

 

[Amaris]

But, but, but...
I understand the efficiency bit, but if people are being paid to deliver stuff then surely they should deliver it. You are paying for a service and if the mail/paper delivery company cannot get the logistics right then that's their fault. I'm sure you wouldn't stand for a parcel post that skimmed stuff 'near your door'.

Re: the OP ~ this must lead to items going astray and accusations being unfairly hurled. Whereas if they were safely in your house, no problem!

Is it not tempting to kids to interfer with the mail boxes regardless of it being illegal? Do you have little flags on them that indicate you have mail? (Please again excuse my ignorance but it is still based on films) but as a kid I would have found it irrisistable not to change these.

In the UK the Royal Mail is obliged to deliver mail safely and directly to your door and is liable for it if it goes astray. If it is delivered to a neighbour you are obliged to sign for it.

As you can probably tell it's a bit of a niggle to me. I live in a block of flats only 3 levels high but the woman who turns up in her posh car to deliver unwanted free magazines, simply tossed a handful onto the bottom steps. To me ~ that's simply lazy, dangerous and littering. And after a grumpy email from me, does not happen anymore. Anyway it's good exercise to jog up a couple of flights of stairs. *dismounts her high horse*

And I agree with previous posters ~ VHS

The U.S. is more spread out than it is in Britain. There are greater distances to travel. By the way, I have had parcel posts dropped off in my yard on rare occasion. Usually, the parcel is placed on the front porch or the front step.


J.

 

[Lindley]

Do you have little flags on them that indicate you have mail?

The flag on a standard mailbox can be put up as a signal to the mailman that there's something in it for him to collect. However, they're mostly there out of tradition these days; I think the mailman is required to check the box for outgoing mail regardless.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

The U.S. is more spread out than it is in Britain. There are greater distances to travel. By the way, I have had parcel posts dropped off in my yard on rare occasion. Usually, the parcel is placed on the front porch or the front step.


J.

I do understand U.S. is more spread out than U.K. but I still believe in service
If a parcel is just dropped off how do the delivery people know it will be successfully received?

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Do you have little flags on them that indicate you have mail?

The flag on a standard mailbox can be put up as a signal to the mailman that there's something in it for him to collect. However, they're mostly there out of tradition these days; I think the mailman is required to check the box for outgoing mail regardless.

Aha! Sorry to DP but this is totally new...
Your mailmen will actually collect post from your house

 

[Lindley]

If a parcel is just dropped off how do the delivery people know it will be successfully received?

If an item is determined to require receipt confirmation, you can flag it as such when it's mailed. In that case, they won't leave the package without someone signing for it.

In many cases people don't bother with this, because it can mean missed delivery attempts if no one was home when the parcel arrived, and if there are enough missed attempts, the recipient is required to drive down to the post office to get it.

 

[Amaris]

I do understand U.S. is more spread out than U.K. but I still believe in service
If a parcel is just dropped off how do the delivery people know it will be successfully received?

They don't. Their job is to drop it off. Once it's dropped off, it's your responsibility (unless it is to be signed).

J.

 

[John Picard]

Do you have little flags on them that indicate you have mail?

The flag on a standard mailbox can be put up as a signal to the mailman that there's something in it for him to collect. However, they're mostly there out of tradition these days; I think the mailman is required to check the box for outgoing mail regardless.

Aha! Sorry to DP but this is totally new...
Your mailmen will actually collect post from your house

Yes. If the flag on the box is raised, then that means the mailman has to pick up outgoing mail that's in your mailbox.

You bring up a point about mail theft, which was very bad in many areas back in the mid-1990's (check washing scams being one facet); however, as I pointed out -- don't fuck with the US Postal Service. Tampering with the mail is a Federal Offense punishable with large fines and/or prison. Amazing as it is, passers-by generally don't tamper with people's parcel deliveries and such.

 

[nevermore]

In some neighborhoods, the mailbox is attached next to the door. Some people have the aforementioned door slots, but they are not as prolific as curbside mailboxes, and really aren't practical in many places due to inefficiency.

J.

I have both, as does pretty much every converted rowhouse in the city. There are 3 apartments in my building; we each have a mail box outside, which lock individually and there is also a master lock on top that the postman uses to open the whole shebang to dump the mail in. There is also a door slot, which is used when something is too big for the little boxes, can't be bent or when the boxes are full.

ETA: Nobody really gets the paper delivered here because it would just disappear. There are paper boxes on the corner. And they do not leave packages on the stoops. They leave a notice that you can either use to schedule re-delivery or go get it if you can't be home to receive it, which is what I do when it comes up. Though, I generally have packages delivered to work...

 

[Lindley]

Do you have little flags on them that indicate you have mail?

The flag on a standard mailbox can be put up as a signal to the mailman that there's something in it for him to collect. However, they're mostly there out of tradition these days; I think the mailman is required to check the box for outgoing mail regardless.

Aha! Sorry to DP but this is totally new...
Your mailmen will actually collect post from your house

More in the suburbs and country than in the city. Apartments and such don't always have boxes suitable for outgoing mail, but on the flip-side, public drop-boxes are fairly common in those areas.

 

[nevermore]

The flag on a standard mailbox can be put up as a signal to the mailman that there's something in it for him to collect. However, they're mostly there out of tradition these days; I think the mailman is required to check the box for outgoing mail regardless.

Aha! Sorry to DP but this is totally new...
Your mailmen will actually collect post from your house

More in the suburbs and country than in the city. Apartments and such don't always have boxes suitable for outgoing mail, but on the flip-side, public drop-boxes are fairly common in those areas.

Our postman will take mail left on top of the box. However, I usually don't risk that as there are postboxes every two blocks, including directly across the street, and even I'm not that lazy.

 

[Bloodwhiner]

Have some fun - Record a VHS tape of you flicking her off and saying the Postmaster has been informed of her thievery. Then send it to yourself and see if she takes it.

 

[Lindley]

Have some fun - Record a VHS tape of you flicking her off and saying the Postmaster has been informed of her thievery. Then send it to yourself and see if she takes it.

There's no reason to make this into a feud if it doesn't have to be.

 

[John Picard]

Have some fun - Record a VHS tape of you flicking her off and saying the Postmaster has been informed of her thievery. Then send it to yourself and see if she takes it.

There's no reason to make this into a feud if it doesn't have to be.

Plus, that's extremely immature.