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Posted by SteveB on April 14, 2008, 1:48 am
> wrote:
>
>>am, letter...@invalid.com wrote:
>>> Does anyone know what the height is supposed to be for a rural
>>> mailbox? ?I live on a rural gravel road and there is a deep ditch next
>>> to the road. ?I originally put a wooden post right on the edge of the
>>> road, but in summer the box just falls over after heavy rains
>>>
>>> Anyone have ideas?
>>
>>Your local postmaster will be happy to direct you as to how to locate
>>your rural mail box. If there's a culvert ditch in that spot you may
>>consider installing a wooden plank over it anchored at both ends by
>>driving in rebar. Then mount your mail box post on the plank with
>>whatever fasteners you choose... screw a piece of board to the bottom
>>of the post and then screw that to the plank... whatever.
>>
>>I had a similar problem, lots of folks here do with snow plows wiping
>>out mail boxes. Have you considered a PO Box, that's what I did...
>>and
>>ever since my rural mail box hasn't been hit even once. I really only
>>keep the rural mail box as a place to have my name and house number as
>>a way for delivery people to find where I live... I now much prefer
>>the PO Box.
>>
>
> I just did some calculating. A PO Box would cost me $1100 a year,
> plus waste 130 hours of my time per year.
> NO THANKS !!!!!
>
> Here's how I calculated it.
>
> PO Box Rental per year $60 (the last time I asked, several years ago,
> it was that much, may be more now).
>
> 52 weeks a year, driving there 5 times a week is 260 trips.
> One gallon of gas to drive to town and back at $3.20 per gallon, times
> 260 = $832 for gas. (more than a gallon when the roads are bad)
>
> $832 + $60 = $892 per year. This dont take into account wear and tear
> on my vehicle, tire wear, etc. So lets add another $200.
>
> Total cost = $1092 or rounded to $1100.
>
> That still dont take into account my time, (a minimum of 1/2 hour each
> trip = 130 hours per year), nor the fact that this small rural Post
> Office is only open from 8 to 5 on weekdays, closed on weekends, so
> I'd have a heck of time going there without taking off of work!!!!
> A PO Box is fine for someone living in the city and walking distance
> from the P.O. And the post offices in the large cities are open
> evenings. For us rural folks, this is not even an option. Nor would
> I even consider wasting that much time and money since 70% of the time
> my mailbox is only full of junk mail. Yet, junk mail or not, if I
> dont get an important bill, I may have a disconnect. since around
> here, if we forget to pay the phone bill, we are mailed a notice
> giving us 5 days to pay, and it takes 2 days for the letter to arrive.
> And of course other important personal stuff that might be urgent.
>
> Until my mailbox is repaired, I am having the post office holding my
> mail. I called the other days and asked if I had mail. They said
> yes. I drove all the way to town to get a pile of garbage
> advertising. The next day I called, they said yes I have mail. I
> asked if it's important mail or junk. I was told they can not answer
> that question because some people define the terms differently. I
> finally said, are there any envelopes or packages, not just flyers and
> ads. She told me no. I said Thank You, and I did not have to drive
> there....
I am starting to put RETURN TO SENDER on chronic mailers. Capital One
refused to bump my credit limit on a credit card five years ago after I had
a perfect payment record with them. I cancelled the card. They're STILL
sending me shit. I'm going to start taking their return envelope, fill it
with other stuff, and send it back to them so they will have to pay for the
excess weight. MAYBE they will take the hint and take me off their mailing
list.
Maybe not.
Steve
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