# Mailbox repair (TN style)



## Mike CHS (Aug 27, 2016)

This is a senseless post - this mailbox is just down the road from us and the mailbox has been leaning so much that I'm not sure how the carrier managed to get mail to stay in.  They added this support post (better known as a crutch) to hold it level.  

The owner passed a couple of years ago and the house is going to seed along with the blind mare that has the run of the property.  This was done several months ago so it appears to be a fair fix.


----------



## frustratedearthmother (Aug 27, 2016)

Oh wow....country ingenuity!


----------



## LukeMeister (Aug 27, 2016)

Nice! You gotta see ours though. XD First my dad's dad ran it over then my mother did. I don't think you can call it a "Mailbox" anymore.


----------



## Southern by choice (Aug 27, 2016)




----------



## Baymule (Aug 27, 2016)

What?? No DUCT TAPE?


----------



## frustratedearthmother (Aug 27, 2016)

Baymule said:


> What?? No DUCT TAPE?


Or baling twine...apparently a crutch takes the place of both!


----------



## Baymule (Aug 27, 2016)

Don't laugh, I have two crutches like that......now I know they are in fact, very valuable repair kits!


----------



## Baymule (Aug 27, 2016)

Wonder what I could do with a potty chair??


----------



## Southern by choice (Aug 27, 2016)




----------



## Baymule (Aug 27, 2016)

AHA! A salad bowl on legs!!


----------



## Latestarter (Aug 27, 2016)

OK... just gave up on eatin' salad...


----------



## frustratedearthmother (Aug 28, 2016)

Baymule said:


> AHA! A salad bowl on legs!!



Ummmm.....there is a limit to the 'recycling' that I will do!        If/when we ever have a big ol' Texas 'get together' I'm bringing the salad, lol!!


----------



## Mike CHS (Aug 28, 2016)

Without a doubt this thread has gone off in a direction that I never would have anticipated.


----------



## Baymule (Aug 28, 2016)

Well, I did buy an adult potty chair when DH had his knee replacement surgery. He never used it-just trying to do some creative thinking here-I was so inspired by the crutched up mailbox.  Ya'll got any better ideas?


----------



## Baymule (Aug 28, 2016)

Mike CHS said:


> Without a doubt this thread has gone off in a direction that I never would have anticipated.



Mike, I do have this twisted humor.....it's liable to bust out at any opportune moment.....


----------



## Bruce (Aug 28, 2016)

Mike CHS said:


> This is a senseless post - this mailbox is just down the road from us and the mailbox has been leaning so much that I'm not sure how the carrier managed to get mail to stay in.  They added this support post (better known as a crutch) to hold it level.
> 
> The owner passed a couple of years ago and the house is going to seed along with the blind mare that has the run of the property.  This was done several months ago so it appears to be a fair fix.
> 
> View attachment 21154



So there isn't anyone actually getting mail there, right? Perhaps it was the current owner's shot at a temp repair just so it didn't fall into the road, with humor. Works for me! But I bet the carrier would request it get reset properly if s/he actually had to put mail in it.


----------



## frustratedearthmother (Aug 28, 2016)

Baymule said:


> He never used it-just trying to do some creative thinking here-I was so inspired by the crutched up mailbox.  Ya'll got any better ideas?



Put it out on that fancy new porch you've got and plant something pretty in it...Oh what the he(LL) plant salad greens in it!  Then I don't have to bring the salad!


----------



## Mike CHS (Aug 28, 2016)

Bruce - the woman that owned it passed but it was handed down to her oldest daughter who is letting the younger daughter stay there for about another year while she finds a place to live.  The mail carriers here like most everyone rarely raise an eyebrow about anything - they just take it all in stride.  

There are a bunch of mailboxes set in buckets with either stone or concrete since some places are solid slab stone that you won't be digging in.


----------



## NH homesteader (Aug 28, 2016)

There are a lot of mailboxes in buckets here also.  Not convinced it's due to me being from the "granite state",  pretty sure it's just easier than digging a hole. 

That being said our mailbox is significantly lower than it is supposed to be because the town keeps fixing our road by piling more dirt on it.  Thank goodness our mailman doesn't care!


----------



## Bruce (Aug 29, 2016)

At some point the carrier might care  

Our box and the one next to it for across the road are both in old (and rusty but painted) milk cans. Carrier was OK with that but over time with the town grading the road, adding stone, grading the road, ad infinitem they both were pushed back and tilted back. We got a note requesting they be reset within a certain distance from the road and a height range. There is a BIT of a pull out before the ditch so we dug out dirt and stone, reset the can and backfilled.

If the box is not OK, they can flag your mail at the PO as "no suitable receptacle" and not deliver so it isn't wise to ignore the "request"


----------



## NH homesteader (Aug 29, 2016)

Our normal carrier told us the weekend lady didn't like where it was. But he doesn't care,  so we should be good until he retires. Which unfortunately is soon.  We put it in the ground with concrete. So we might have to lengthen the post rather than dig it up.  Oops. 

@Mike CHS I visited TN once.  Loved it! Everyone is so nice. Which is not what I'm used to being from New England.


----------



## Bruce (Aug 29, 2016)

Another option (if the issue is only height) is to get a piece of 6x6 (I think, measure the space under the box) and attach that to the top of the post, then screw the box to the 6x6. Both we and the guy across the road did that.

It can't really be "one size fits all" since rural carriers generally drive their own vehicles. Some have right hand drive Jeeps, some have cars, the height at the bottom of the window of each is substantially different so they have to deal. They can't ask you to reset the post just because you get a new regular carrier with a different vehicle.

But if someone IS putting in a new post for whatever reason, the carrier will be very happy if you ask for a height range that is best for them. If you see the regular carrier drives a taller vehicle, put it at the low end, if a shorter vehicle, the high end.


----------



## Mike CHS (Aug 29, 2016)

@Mike CHS I visited TN once.  Loved it! Everyone is so nice. Which is not what I'm used to being from New England.[/QUOTE]

Like most places it is the people that make a community what it is.  I don't think we have met a stranger since we bought here over 3 years ago.


----------



## NH homesteader (Aug 29, 2016)

Yes...  I live in a nice community here too.  But the general level of decency and common courtesy between strangers is vastly different!


----------



## Bruce (Aug 29, 2016)

That can go with the population. When I moved to VT 37 years ago, people in the general Burlington area would make a gap so you could turn onto the road, even going the same direction. Make a gap so you could cross, make a gap so people turning left across the lane could do so, freeing up traffic, stop for people crossing the road. Population went from ~100K  to ~160K. No more Mr Nice Guy/Gal, now it is "no way I'm letting anyone cross, turn or HEAVEN FORBID get in front of me in my lane". Very 

But a few years ago we moved 25 miles north and people here are more than happy to let you merge in, cross, whatever. Smaller city, people less into ME, ME, ME. Much nicer here.


----------



## NH homesteader (Aug 29, 2016)

Same here.  I hate having to go to Concord or Manchester.  But we live in a quiet area. And people are nicer than in the cities.  But there's a reason it's not called northern hospitality. It's just different.


----------



## Mike CHS (Aug 29, 2016)

We moved here from Charleston, SC.  I worked there off and on for over 20 years and watched it go from OLD South and slow moving to more like you typically see in northern cities.  The population almost double in that time and they brought the people brought their lack of consideration with them. 

I love Tennessee.  We pulled up to the main highway by our place the other day and I had to comment about the traffic when I had to wait for 2 cars to go by and could see 2 more about a half mile away.  

We had a neighborhood (there are 3 families on our hill) goat BBQ and skeet shooting get together on Sunday and 50 plus people showed up for food or shooting.


----------



## NH homesteader (Aug 29, 2016)

And that's why we contemplate moving there often! Really scared of tornadoes though,  and I don't like the heat.  We have friends in Maryville. Gorgeous state!


----------



## Mike CHS (Aug 29, 2016)

Tornadoes here seem to mostly hit north of us but there are always exceptions. I spent 20 plus years in Pensacola though and it seems that half the Hurricanes that entered the Gulf hit land right at the edge of the Panhandle (where my home was).  With the Hurricanes you also have Tornadoes so it always means you are living with the law of averages.


----------



## greybeard (Aug 30, 2016)

I rode out a hurricane anchored in Santa Rosa sound right off the Navy Base.

Our mail carrier is a cross between a nazi and Jo Stalin, and no, I have no idea who the miscreant kid was that closed the live squirrel up in my mailbox and put up the flag, but if I ever find out I'm gonna buy him a cold beer.

She told me I needed a new mailbox--I told her it was new till she ran into it with her piece of crap Toyota--I know it's her that does it cuz I keep finding her broke off mirrors layin by the post. I bet her insurance rates are sky high. I asked her how it feels to know a bit of electronics and a few lines of computer code were gonna run her out of a job--she gave me a dirty look and backed off in the ditch when she turned around and tore her muffler off. moron


----------



## Mike CHS (Aug 30, 2016)

Living not far from the sound I know that isn't a good place to ride out a storm.


----------



## misfitmorgan (Aug 30, 2016)

Our carrier is a Nazi too...i hate her!!

We went thru all of fall and winter with issues. Notes saying they cant deliver parcels because "driveway to icey, driveway to muddy, driveway not cleared of snow, to much water in driveway" Which were all ridiculous because they have  a truck and we were driving a little tiny saturn without any problem...i swear they were just lazy and didnt feel like bothering. Ironically the day they said the driveway was to icey the driveway had maybe 15% ice and the rest was frozen dirt and it isnt even a long driveway.

So then this spring we get a note that says our box is to low and to fix it and to get a new mailbox. Well no im not getting a new box, the snowplowed dinged ours up but it is a really nice solid old galvanized box. So i took it off the post after they stopped delivering our mail and painted it all up and DH put in a new post the proper height.

So then she started doing other shady stuff. Putting that my packages were delivered when they were not. Putting on the site that a note was left...that delivery was attempted. How it was attempted i have no clue because there was absolutely nothing wrong with the driveway those times and no signature required. BUT there was no note left..i looked all over for them and nothing...so i would have to run to the PO after work to pick up the package and the people at the PO were just a stumped as me and the best part 2 different times the "note" was in the mailbox the day after i went to the post and picked up the parcel.

I think she just likes to make things difficult for us because she doesnt like the property.


----------



## NH homesteader (Aug 30, 2016)

@greybeard you just made my husband's day with that post.  He's cracking up!


----------



## Bruce (Aug 30, 2016)

misfitmorgan said:


> Our carrier is a Nazi too...i hate her!!
> 
> We went thru all of fall and winter with issues. Notes saying they cant deliver parcels because "driveway to icey, driveway to muddy, driveway not cleared of snow, to much water in driveway" Which were all ridiculous because they have  a truck and we were driving a little tiny saturn without any problem...i swear they were just lazy and didnt feel like bothering. Ironically the day they said the driveway was to icey the driveway had maybe 15% ice and the rest was frozen dirt and it isnt even a long driveway.
> 
> ...


I will have to check with my wife on what recourse you might have, she is a post office clerk. She can ask her Postmaster or her carrier. 

I have to believe there is some way to get your carrier turned around, or out. Yes they have a union but there are requirements on them as well as by them. The downside of the unions is there is no "pay for performance". The absolute best person in a "craft" who goes the extra 2 miles to provide really good service is paid the exact same (based on years of service) as one who is BARELY doing enough to stay employed. 

Of course, in the case of rural carriers, they are paid by route evaluation plus mileage. But it is still the same to a point. The RCs are paid an hourly rate for the evaluation. Someone who has been with the PO for more years will make more on a given route, someone with fewer years will make less. I think  I'll have to check that too.


----------



## Latestarter (Aug 30, 2016)

That was great @greybeard  Too funny! When you buy the miscreant that beer, tell him/her next time to put a skunk in there!


----------



## misfitmorgan (Aug 30, 2016)

Bruce said:


> I will have to check with my wife on what recourse you might have, she is a post office clerk. She can ask her Postmaster or her carrier.
> 
> I have to believe there is some way to get your carrier turned around, or out. Yes they have a union but there are requirements on them as well as by them. The downside of the unions is there is no "pay for performance". The absolute best person in a "craft" who goes the extra 2 miles to provide really good service is paid the exact same (based on years of service) as one who is BARELY doing enough to stay employed.
> 
> Of course, in the case of rural carriers, they are paid by route evaluation plus mileage. But it is still the same to a point. The RCs are paid an hourly rate for the evaluation. Someone who has been with the PO for more years will make more on a given route, someone with fewer years will make less. I think  I'll have to check that too.



I'm not sure we can actually do anything about her because how would we prove what she is doing?


----------



## NH homesteader (Aug 30, 2016)

Yeah when our normal guy was out for surgery our Saturday person covered for him.  All of the  sudden we got  mail like twice a week and never just had one thing in the box.  I never could prove that she was keeping  things in her jeep to avoid stopping but she came through oddly earlier than he does most days then occasionally would be an hour later than normal...  Hmm...


----------



## misfitmorgan (Aug 30, 2016)

NH homesteader said:


> Yeah when our normal guy was out for surgery our Saturday person covered for him.  All of the  sudden we got  mail like twice a week and never just had one thing in the box.  I never could prove that she was keeping  things in her jeep to avoid stopping but she came through oddly earlier than he does most days then occasionally would be an hour later than normal...  Hmm...



Ironically i think ours does that too i never thought about it but yeah we only get mail every 3-4 days usually and its never just 1 thing.


----------



## Baymule (Aug 30, 2016)

@greybeard (wiping tears) I am rolling here!! That was too funny!!


----------



## Bruce (Aug 30, 2016)

misfitmorgan said:


> I'm not sure we can actually do anything about her because how would we prove what she is doing?



The carriers are tracked. They have to scan the packages when they deliver, or attempt to deliver. If they scan it in the PO, bad news. The Postmaster can see those scans - time and geo-location of WHERE the scan was done. If they brought it to your house, scanned it and brought it back to the PO they should have put the notice in your box or on the door right then. 

The fact that the notices were in the box the next day isn't necessarily out of order. Some packages come into the PO after the carrier leaves so while you can see tracking that says it got to the PO, the carrier might not know anything about it until the next day. 

If you are pretty sure your house is "deliverable" and you are getting notices saying it isn't, you can ask the Postmaster (or Supervisor if it is a big PO) to come out and do a site evaluation. Also, is the "truck" the carrier is using THEIR truck or one of the Post Offices "LLVs"? Wife also says the carriers' opinion is that the LLVs are notoriously bad on ice and snow, no 4WD, may or may not have snow tires. Thus, what you think is perfectly passable may not be for them.

Does the relief carrier always manage to deliver packages to the house?

In the end, if you are pretty darned sure the carrier is not doing their job, a discussion with the PM or Supervisor is in order.


----------



## misfitmorgan (Aug 31, 2016)

Bruce said:


> The carriers are tracked. They have to scan the packages when they deliver, or attempt to deliver. If they scan it in the PO, bad news. The Postmaster can see those scans - time and geo-location of WHERE the scan was done. If they brought it to your house, scanned it and brought it back to the PO they should have put the notice in your box or on the door right then.
> 
> The fact that the notices were in the box the next day isn't necessarily out of order. Some packages come into the PO after the carrier leaves so while you can see tracking that says it got to the PO, the carrier might not know anything about it until the next day.
> 
> ...



I understand how the carrier might not see it until the next day. The tracking said it was delivered though....so i looked all over for it and no box. So i went to the PO the next day and it was there and then the next day tracking said notice was left and nothing was in my box mind you i had the package already...the day after that i got the notice in my mailbox.

I do not know when i have a relief carrier and when i dont i know ups and fedex deliver just fine in worse conditions. Also the little saturn we had had no 4wd and old summer tires so i doubt it would be better then a LLV that being said they use a jeep to deliver our mail so i assume it does have 4wd.


----------



## Baymule (Aug 31, 2016)

I  got a delivery of Azomite yesterday via the USPS. On Monday, I got a email notice that delivery was attempted, but we were not home. NOT. We were home. I got email notification that a note was left for me hours before the note was actually left in the mailbox. Confused by the cross communication, I decided to wait it out. Yesterday morning, I got a call from the carrier (one I've never seen before) and he asked if I would be home. What really happened, was that he didn't try to deliver the day before, it had just hit the Post Office. He left the note, which I thought was dumb, but he brought the packages and we put them in the storage building. One is still hanging out there, I told him to leave it at the gate if we weren't home.  I warned him about out Great Pyrenees and cautioned him to NOT open the gate. A young man, he had very rotted front teeth, which reminded me of meth teeth. Have no idea of his present or past way of life, but I don't need a dope head opening the gate and skulking about while we are gone. Yay for big territorial dogs.


----------



## Bruce (Sep 1, 2016)

Baymule said:


> I  got a delivery of Azomite yesterday via the USPS. On Monday, I got a email notice that delivery was attempted, but we were not home. NOT. We were home. I got email notification that a note was left for me hours before the note was actually left in the mailbox. Confused by the cross communication, I decided to wait it out. Yesterday morning, I got a call from the carrier (one I've never seen before) and he asked if I would be home. What really happened, was that he didn't try to deliver the day before, it had just hit the Post Office. He left the note, which I thought was dumb, but he brought the packages and we put them in the storage building. One is still hanging out there, I told him to leave it at the gate if we weren't home.  I warned him about out Great Pyrenees and cautioned him to NOT open the gate. A young man, he had very rotted front teeth, which reminded me of meth teeth. Have no idea of his present or past way of life, but I don't need a dope head opening the gate and skulking about while we are gone. Yay for big territorial dogs.



He must have his wits about him. The test to even be eligible for an interview isn't easy. You can try it here. 



misfitmorgan said:


> I understand how the carrier might not see it until the next day. The tracking said it was delivered though....so i looked all over for it and no box. So i went to the PO the next day and it was there and then the next day tracking said notice was left and nothing was in my box mind you i had the package already...the day after that i got the notice in my mailbox.
> 
> I do not know when i have a relief carrier and when i dont i know ups and fedex deliver just fine in worse conditions. Also the little saturn we had had no 4wd and old summer tires so i doubt it would be better then a LLV that being said they use a jeep to deliver our mail so i assume it does have 4wd.



That sequence sure sounds like the carrier is WAY out to lunch and you should talk to the PM or Super. It would be very interesting to see the scans, especially the one that said it was delivered. I wonder where the carrier was when that scan was done. Since the package was at the PO the next day, I wonder how THEY got around the requirement to scan it "delivered" when you picked it up since it was already in "delivered" status.


----------



## misfitmorgan (Sep 2, 2016)

Bruce said:


> He must have his wits about him. The test to even be eligible for an interview isn't easy. You can try it here.
> 
> 
> 
> That sequence sure sounds like the carrier is WAY out to lunch and you should talk to the PM or Super. It would be very interesting to see the scans, especially the one that said it was delivered. I wonder where the carrier was when that scan was done. Since the package was at the PO the next day, I wonder how THEY got around the requirement to scan it "delivered" when you picked it up since it was already in "delivered" status.




Well according to them this one is still in transit. But i did get it lol.
https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction?qtc_tLabels1=9400111699000936196044

I have no idea what they do at the PO even when i pick up the packages if i look at the tracking it says delivered in/at mailbox. I can not atm find the package they did that on but i have to check my amazon still.


----------



## Baymule (Sep 2, 2016)

Still missing 1 out of 10 packages. Got another email notice that delivery was attempted. No it wasn't.  I filled out the redelivery forms and submitted it. Again.


----------



## misfitmorgan (Sep 2, 2016)

Baymule said:


> Still missing 1 out of 10 packages. Got another email notice that delivery was attempted. No it wasn't.  I filled out the redelivery forms and submitted it. Again.



Yeah i just call the PO and tell them to hold it for pickup...cause i get sick of playing the delivery persons game. I have seen delivery attempted quite often....and i am dumb struck cause she even did it in the summertime and no notice was left.

i am starting to wonder if she just doesnt wanna get out of her vehicle because of the livestock....who kind of let themselves out. Like our Alpine Buck...and nubian buck....and mini boar....lol and chickens and ducks of course.


----------



## Bruce (Sep 2, 2016)

Could be @misfitmorgan 

They are allowed to not deliver where it is not safe to do so. BUT that isn't the carrier's day to day choice. They need to document the problem. Usually it is dogs but a buck could be just as problematic. Of course I wouldn't expect them to be somewhere the carrier has to go to deliver a package to the house.


----------



## greybeard (Sep 2, 2016)

Mine just leaves the packages on TOP of my mailbox, even tho the moron knew the package wouldn't fit when they left the branch PO with it. Box measured 3" x 18" x 32" (My mailbox is just a standard size rural looking box and over 1/2 mile from my house out on a paved road--anyone could have drove by and picked my package up without even having to get out of the vehicle--luckily a neighbor saw it and brought it to me)


----------



## misfitmorgan (Sep 2, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Could be @misfitmorgan
> 
> They are allowed to not deliver where it is not safe to do so. BUT that isn't the carrier's day to day choice. They need to document the problem. Usually it is dogs but a buck could be just as problematic. Of course I wouldn't expect them to be somewhere the carrier has to go to deliver a package to the house.



They pretty much just roam the property so they might be out front sometimes but mostly they stay by the barn and in the back so it wouldnt be a daily reason not to deliver parcels. And they pull the same stunt on saturdays when we are home and dont come in the driveway at all. I see them go by sometimes and go get the mail and ill have a slip that delivery was attempted...nope it wasnt. They stopped at the box tossed stuff in and kept going down the road.


----------



## Baymule (Sep 2, 2016)

I GOT MY PACKAGE TODAY


----------



## Latestarter (Sep 2, 2016)

I hope it was worth the wait and hassles...


----------



## Baymule (Sep 2, 2016)

Latestarter said:


> I hope it was worth the wait and hassles...


It's Azomite, a volcanic rock dust of over 70 trace minerals. My pore-a$$ soil needs help!  Bought 300 pounds of ryegrass seed today.


----------



## Bruce (Sep 3, 2016)

greybeard said:


> Mine just leaves the packages on TOP of my mailbox, even tho the moron knew the package wouldn't fit when they left the branch PO with it. Box measured 3" x 18" x 32" (My mailbox is just a standard size rural looking box and over 1/2 mile from my house out on a paved road--anyone could have drove by and picked my package up without even having to get out of the vehicle--luckily a neighbor saw it and brought it to me)



They aren't required to go beyond a certain distance from the mailbox to the house. If your driveway is 1/2 mile long, I think that is well beyond the max they have to do (I'll ask). 

All those "up to the house" trips take time. Lots of routes are already evaluated at 8+ hours. That would be based on when they do the mail count, how much mail comes in during that period, including the number of packages that have to be taken up to a house. A friend of mine in WI started working as a relief carrier (officially called a Rural Carrier Associate) a few months ago. There are so many packages (and it isn't anywhere NEAR Christmas) she isn't sure if she is working for USPS or UPS.

Maybe your carrier thinks they are doing you a favor, saving you a trip to the PO.


----------



## greybeard (Sep 3, 2016)

Drive way is 1300'+ ft long, but the nearest mailboxes are in a long grouping of about 15 mailboxes on a public county maintained road--everyone in this area. I have never expected USPS to deliver to my house, but when the package is so obviously too large to fit into any mailbox, why did it go on the truck to begin with instead of just delivering a yellow notice? Just leave it on top of the box to get stolen or rained on? Yeah--THAT, would save me a trip to the branch PO.  And clearly marked "Please handle with care GLASS".  Here it is-- Does this box look like it should fit or should be left out on top of a mailbox?


----------



## Latestarter (Sep 3, 2016)

I hope at the least that it wasn't broken... that would be like adding insult to injury...


----------



## Bruce (Sep 3, 2016)

The answer was "1/2 mile round trip". And you can fill out a form that requests them to hold all packages that won't fit in the box rather than try to deliver them to the house. That way if you are home when they put the notice in the box (or you are tracking it and see that it was scanned as "arrived at PO"), you can pick it up at the PO before the carrier comes back.

Clearly in your case common sense would say they should be doing that without any request on your part.


----------



## greybeard (Sep 4, 2016)

> That way if you are home when they put the notice in the box



If that was in answer to my issue, the mail lady wouldn't have a clue how to get to my house or within 1/4 mile of it. My house or property is not visible from any county, local, or state road. They have _always_ left the yellow notice in the mailbox instead of bringing a package out or trying to bring a 'notice' out to my house.
I live where the white arrow is pointing. You are looking down on 40-50ft tall pine trees of a federal National Forest. From the right end of the yellow line is where my property begins, and from that point, it's still 1/4 mile to my house. The only time I ever had to call the sheriff dept, dispatch called back 45 minutes later and ask me to drive out on the main highway, flag the officer down and lead them into my property--they couldn't find it--the mail person sure ain't going to be able to find it.


----------



## NH homesteader (Sep 4, 2016)

Wow greybeard,  I have a bit of property envy. What a cool spot!


----------



## Bruce (Sep 4, 2016)

What NH said! 

Has this "too big to stick in the box, lay it on top" happened often? If not I bet it was a new RCA who had NO idea that not only were the mailboxes nowhere near your driveway but your house is nowhere near the road either. I would go fill out that form at the PO. They will mark it on the case so when people are covering for the regular carrier (who does know they aren't ever going to bring a package to your house even if they DID know how to get there) they won't even think about putting it in their vehicle. Believe me, they really don't want anything in there that will still be there when they get back to the PO. Lots of them have to swing back past the PO to get a second load because it won't all fit, especially when there are a lot of packages. 

For grins and giggles, go here and see just how weird the routes are. One reason it happens is because streets are added but the route that the new road is off is already "full" so they add the street to a less full route.
https://eddm.usps.com/eddm/customer/routeSearch.action

For example I "went" to Texas and found 75835 (Crockett). Move your mouse over the map and all the address locations on that route turn purple. If you put your mouse over the road on the left side of the "balloon" you will see that the carrier for that route has to deliver both NW and SE. If you click on any of them, they all turn blue and "stick" when you move the mouse. You may note that there is a road in 75884 that is on the same route.


----------



## misfitmorgan (Sep 7, 2016)

Bruce said:


> What NH said!
> 
> Has this "too big to stick in the box, lay it on top" happened often? If not I bet it was a new RCA who had NO idea that not only were the mailboxes nowhere near your driveway but your house is nowhere near the road either. I would go fill out that form at the PO. They will mark it on the case so when people are covering for the regular carrier (who does know they aren't ever going to bring a package to your house even if they DID know how to get there) they won't even think about putting it in their vehicle. Believe me, they really don't want anything in there that will still be there when they get back to the PO. Lots of them have to swing back past the PO to get a second load because it won't all fit, especially when there are a lot of packages.
> 
> ...



The driver on my route has 444 delivery addresses....which doesnt seem like much really. My carrier from my old address has 702 and the one before that 568. All rural routes. Neat website anyhow


----------



## Bruce (Sep 7, 2016)

Yes but how far apart are those 444, 702 and 568 addresses?? If there is a lot of travel distance/time, there will be fewer delivery addresses. Also, if a route gets too big (meaning expected time to run the route) they will split it and make an "Aux" route. Then addresses that are created by new construction are added to the Aux. Even if the new road is nowhere near the other addresses on that route.


----------



## misfitmorgan (Sep 8, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Yes but how far apart are those 444, 702 and 568 addresses?? If there is a lot of travel distance/time, there will be fewer delivery addresses. Also, if a route gets too big (meaning expected time to run the route) they will split it and make an "Aux" route. Then addresses that are created by new construction are added to the Aux. Even if the new road is nowhere near the other addresses on that route.



Well cost to drive the routes are as follows.
444   $78.14
525   $92.40
702   $$123.55
Not sure where i got 568 cause today it says 525

All three routes fit on the map with the 2mi scale showing, that being said the 444 route is farther east west but shorter north south. Ironically the 702 delivery one costs the most but appears to have the shortest distance traveled.

We have one carrier for my zip code except one area with 96 deliveries  to the south that the next over carrier covers. This area i live in is set up oddly though, each "town" has its own zip code which is really funny cause each "town" only has approx 550 people. So like when i drive home i go thru 4 different zip codes and its only 18 miles north lol.


----------



## Bruce (Sep 8, 2016)

The "cost" on that site is how much it would cost someone to mail something to every address. Like political mailings or the like. It works out to $0.176 for each address, same on all 3 of those routes. I assume the actual route/delivery locations are shown so a business can see if they are getting mail to every location they want.

We are using it for a different purpose


----------



## misfitmorgan (Sep 8, 2016)

Bruce said:


> The "cost" on that site is how much it would cost someone to mail something to every address. Like political mailings or the like. It works out to $0.176 for each address, same on all 3 of those routes. I assume the actual route/delivery locations are shown so a business can see if they are getting mail to every location they want.
> 
> We are using it for a different purpose



Ahh ok that makes more sense. Still the 444 and 525 routes are approx the same size and 525 looking like it has more driving because of more cross streets. 444 route gets quite a few of its deliveries on 3 main roads. 702 is pretty much just a loop.

So yeah back to my original point.....my carrier is just a slacker. I just got a package from fedex delivered yesterday...on time...on my porch...and wrapped in  a baggie so it wouldnt get wet.


----------



## Bruce (Sep 8, 2016)

Send ME your FedEx guy!!! Ours leaves things up against the porch, under the overhang (no gutter) instead of opening the porch door and putting it inside like the UPS guy does. Plastic bag? What is a plastic bag???

Wife had put a note on the inside of the glass door to put packages INSIDE the porch. If faded out. Maybe I need to make a permanent sign and stick it to the wall where he can't miss it as he puts a package down.


----------



## misfitmorgan (Sep 8, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Send ME your FedEx guy!!! Ours leaves things up against the porch, under the overhang (no gutter) instead of opening the porch door and putting it inside like the UPS guy does. Plastic bag? What is a plastic bag???
> 
> Wife had put a note on the inside of the glass door to put packages INSIDE the porch. If faded out. Maybe I need to make a permanent sign and stick it to the wall where he can't miss it as he puts a package down.



Our Fedex guy is awesome...wraps everything in plastic bags if it looks at all like it is gonna rain.


----------



## NH homesteader (Sep 8, 2016)

Our regular mailman does that.  Or leaves it in one of our vehicles and puts a note in the mailbox that there's a package in the black truck! Love him.


----------



## greybeard (Sep 8, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Send ME your FedEx guy!!! Ours leaves things up against the porch, under the overhang (no gutter) instead of opening the porch door and putting it inside like the UPS guy does. Plastic bag? What is a plastic bag???


I've always heard, that a Walmart bag was  Arkansas' state wildflower--sometimes I think it should be the national one--so many of them blowing around the roads and stuck on fences and brush..


----------



## Latestarter (Sep 8, 2016)

It's not just wally world plastic bags, and we have them growing 30' up in the air in trees as well.


----------



## NH homesteader (Sep 8, 2016)

We have more of a problem with beer cans here. 

But yes,  Walmart bags are a familiar sight too I'm afraid.


----------



## Mike CHS (Sep 8, 2016)

I'm not sure why we don't have much litter here but we don't.


----------



## greybeard (Sep 8, 2016)

NH homesteader said:


> We have more of a problem with beer cans here.
> 
> But yes,  Walmart bags are a familiar sight too I'm afraid.


Ya'll need to import some more poor folks--beer cans don't bounce twice here before someone has picked 'em up and crushed 'em down and into a sack.

Greenies love Walmart bags tho. Think about it. Bio-degradable, Gluten, antibiotic, roundup, and growth hormone free--and they're truly free range entities made from nature's own crude oil.


----------



## NH homesteader (Sep 8, 2016)

Haha! Perhaps the issue is that the price of scrap is way low right now so not worth the effort.


----------



## AClark (Sep 8, 2016)

Wow, this part of TX is litter central! It's mostly pee bottles though, we actually played "I spy the pee bottle" from Pecos TX to El Paso...there was no counting them.


----------



## Bruce (Sep 8, 2016)




----------



## AClark (Sep 9, 2016)

Lol, hey that happens when you drive from Pennsylvania to El Paso without stopping except for gas and coffee. Pee bottles become hilarious!


----------



## frustratedearthmother (Sep 9, 2016)

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww!


----------



## Latestarter (Sep 9, 2016)

Recalling dumb and dumber when they get pulled over by the cop for having open alcohol containers in the van...


----------



## NH homesteader (Sep 9, 2016)

I would imagine that this is not where the OP saw this thread going...


----------



## Latestarter (Sep 9, 2016)

good point...  So, have you hugged your mail carrier lately?


----------



## Mike CHS (Sep 9, 2016)

The thread was started with humor in mind but now TMI comes to mind.


----------



## AClark (Sep 9, 2016)

Late, we weren't adding to the roadside pee collection though, I'm not that talented and have the wrong plumbing to manage to not pee on the seat! 

We are easily entertained if you can't tell.


----------



## Bruce (Sep 9, 2016)

Latestarter said:


> good point...  So, have you hugged your mail carrier lately?



Um, no. Can I hug a USPS clerk instead??  I already made her dinner.


----------



## Latestarter (Sep 9, 2016)

You have my permission to not only hug your USPS clerk, but give her a big ole sloppy kiss as well.


----------

