The Mailbox War

[farmersammm]

Post Office 0 - Sammy 1

I check with USPS Customer Service. "The post office cannot refuse to give you your mail" "If you've placed a hold on mail, it automatically is void when you come in person to pick up the mail" "When there is no rural box available, the post office must hold mail for 10 days prior to returning it to sender...…...and the recipient of said mail can demand that mail anytime within the 10 days in person" WELL, YEAH!! Dunno what that stupid azzhole thought he was pullin'

The nice customer service lady said that I have a right to file a complaint with the Service if the local postmaster doesn't comply.

So...……….I head off to town. I got my calm hat on...…...no fighting....just make a statement, and get the results.

Same little girl is at the window. I tell her the FACTS, and she still refuses my mail.

I then ask to talk to the postmaster (figured it would be the same cupcake)……….BUT NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This time I get an actual POSTMASTER, not a shift supervisor. So now, I'm dealing with a "Visiting Postmaster". This gal is an actual postmaster that's come over from another town to do whatever postmasters do.

She's wearing her cat costume (Halloween).

I splain the problem. She turns to lil' miss dumass, and tells her to go get my mail. Checks my ID, and I'm in possession of my property.

I ask to have mail start again, as I plan to have a mailbox up tomorrow. I also ask if there's any documentation covering mailbox location, and other regulations. She tells lil' miss dumass to get form XXXXXXXX. To which, lil' miss dumass replies "I don't know where they are, or if we have any". The cat looked like she was gonna have that little mousy thing for lunch.

Anyways...…...she tells me...….bottom of box 41-45" above the ground, and 6" from the pavement in the turnout. Kewl……….I'm good.

I whiz back to the house, and proceed to whip out a mailbox post thingy.



Even got fancy and put some spades on the part that goes underground...….to keep the stupid post from falling over. (By law, you're not allowed to mount the post in concrete unless it meets some sorta test for breakaway when hit by a car). So, I'm playin' it safe, and just putting the stupid thing in a hole without concrete.



I'm sitting down to supper,, and just to make sure...……….I look at the USPS website.

Ya can't have any protrusions on the floor of the mailbox. I BUILT THE POST THINGY WITH BOLTS UP THRU THE FLOOR OF THE MAILBOX. Because I did this......I didn't pay any attention to making the thing exactly as wide as the box...…..it's shy by about 1/2", and it's slightly out of square with the post (I bolted the angle iron to the bottom of the box, then welded the cross support...…..the bottom of the box bows a bit)

https://about.usps.com/publications/...sps-std-7c.pdf

I know these d'heads are gonna mess with me now...….bigtime, and I gotta have my I's dotted, and T's crossed.

So...………….quick cutout in the morning, and rebuild. Have to have it done by around 11:00 AM to put the thing out by the road before the carrier gets here.
(She's a real peach too)

K'kins thinks it's all a bit funny...……………..I don't. Gonna be cold in the morning, and now I gotta fight with electric cables that are hard as a rock

[Eagleman]

Goodluck

Sent from my SM-J327R7 using Tapatalk

[ronsii]

Personally I'd sit out there and wait for the carrier... and when they show up I'd tell them politely as possible that if they don't quit messing with me they are *probably going to have a big fire and explosion at there place of work... Just something I saw in a dream and wanted to warn them so they'd be safe....

[crab fisherman]

Thinking you maybe should dot your tee's and cross your eyes.

Have a good one, and best of luck.

It just never ends...…..

[VaughnT]

Back in the day when I first moved here, the local post office told us that I couldn't get mail delivered to the house because I was within 1000' of the PO. Thought it was weird, but don't get a lot of mail and this was really before the whole internet/ebay craze started.

What pissed me off is that they wanted to charge me the monthly rate for the POB.

I told them no way in hell that was going to happen since they were the ones who were refusing to deliver to my door. Had together the postmaster involved and, boom, next thing you know not only do I not have to pay for a POB, but they're delivering to my door!



I keep planning to make a really nice mailbox, but keep forgetting.

I want something heavy-duty, but with decorative features that really showcase the what's possible with ironwork. One of these days.....

[Hobbytime]

Post Office 0 - Sammy 1


I ask to have mail start again, as I plan to have a mailbox up tomorrow. I also ask if there's any documentation covering mailbox location, and other regulations. She tells lil' miss dumass to get form XXXXXXXX. To which, lil' miss dumass replies "I don't know where they are, or if we have any". The cat looked like she was gonna have that little mousy thing for lunch.

Anyways...…...she tells me...….bottom of box 41-45" above the ground, and 6" from the pavement in the turnout. Kewl……….I'm good.

I whiz back to the house, and proceed to whip out a mailbox post thingy.



Even got fancy and put some spades on the part that goes underground...….to keep the stupid post from falling over. (By law, you're not allowed to mount the post in concrete unless it meets some sorta test for breakaway when hit by a car). So, I'm playin' it safe, and just putting the stupid thing in a hole without concrete.







:

the town where I live has several 30 ft flag poles..they are set in sand and DO NOT MOVE....they put a 18 inch sono tube in the ground about 4 ft deep, then the flag pole , then back fill with sand and water the sand to compact...I never thought the poles would stay straight and years later they are straight and sturdy....could be an option for a mailbox pole...

[Hobbytime]

Personally I'd sit out there and wait for the carrier... and when they show up I'd tell them politely as possible that if they don't quit messing with me they are *probably going to have a big fire and explosion at there place of work... Just something I saw in a dream and wanted to warn them so they'd be safe....

that will get you 1 of 2 things or both...LOL..some free room and board for terrorist threats..and the mail carrier as lazy as most are( a few good ones left) will claim they are afraid to deliver to your address and wont have to, there was an article online how one black mailman refused to deliver to a house with a noose hanging from a tree for halloween decorations...ill find a link you can read yourself...
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...kExZEfms4vHo8I

[Kelvin]

Just because you "fought to a draw" doesn't mean you don't still have to deal with The Man.

Next up: DOT regulations.

Here ya go, have fun:

https://about.usps.com/postal-bullet...l/info_001.htm

[Tarmstrong]

When I had some “issues” with delivery...I waited for the route driver...asked him. “What make your job the easiest for you to deliver to my house, where would you like the box...how high...etc.” Built it to his spec...

Never once since then, going on 25 years now, had any problems.

[ronsii]

that will get you 1 of 2 things or both...LOL..some free room and board for terrorist threats..and the mail carrier as lazy as most are( a few good ones left) will claim they are afraid to deliver to your address and wont have to, there was an article online how one black mailman refused to deliver to a house with a noose hanging from a tree for halloween decorations...ill find a link you can read yourself...
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...kExZEfms4vHo8I

Lol hobby, no threats just trying to enlighten then to be safe ��

[ronsii]

When I had some “issues” with delivery...I waited for the route driver...asked him. “What make your job the easiest for you to deliver to my house, where would you like the box...how high...etc.” Built it to his spec...

Never once since then, going on 25 years now, had any problems.

We did that very thing with a driver at the other business years ago.....then a few months later they switched drivers and the new one didn't like it... Said it was out of spec and we had to change it again.... You can't win over beaufocrats... ��

[farmersammm]

I actually did get in contact with ODOT after reading their pdf.

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/traff...s-brochure.pdf

This stuff is handled by roadway structures department,, or something like that.

The engineer couldn't come up with any documentation, other than the elevation drawings in the brochure. So, officially......the Dept doesn't speak to concrete. Had to go to town to pick up some nuts, and stopped at a few highway dept signs to check them out...…...all simply driven into the ground.

So, I added another paddle/spade just below grade (making 4 in all) that was as wide as the hole...….about 8-10 inches (whatever a post hole digger does). FRIGGIN' ROCK SOLID The paddles, and using a bar to compact the backfill...... the carrier can do chin-ups on the box now .

Now the other dood, with the box on the rail mine used to be, is probably gonna hear about his low box (I went thru this many years ago,, and we wound up in a draw on that one).

NOW FOR THE BACK STORY. (Always is one)

I had to tear the bracket off to remove the bolts that go thru the bottom of the box, and make a new one with the bolts going in from the side, beneath the mailbox floor.

Did this after running to town for nuts (WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE INCORRECT....MACHINED WRONG)

I'm flyin'...….trying to get this stupid thing done before the carrier gets here at around 11:30. New bracket, new hole locations, grind the holes on the bottom of the floor to remove rough edges left from previous incorrect hardware, and finally....put the numbers on the stupid thing.

The hands on my watch are flyin' around at hyper speed.

And, I'm working without water The hose is still partially frozen from the overnight low temps. Dangerous stuff when using a grinder.

So!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I get 'er done (all cept for the numbers) at around 10:45ish.

Step back to admire yet another Uranus epic build

I WELDED THE BRACKET ON THE POST UPSIDE DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm crapin' bricks......this thing's gotta be out there when the carrier arrives.

Cut it apart in less than a workmanlike manner. Sparks flyin' everywhere. Get it rewelded, put the numbers on, and head out to the highway.

As God is my witness...…………...she was about 1/2 mi. to the South, stopping at another box to put mail in it.

I hotfoot it across the road, and slam that baby in the hole. No backfill.

I'm leanin' on the box when she pulls up. "This gonna work for you?"

She stretches her arm out the window of the jeep (not a USPS jeep, a contract carrier regular jeep), and levels her arm, and says it's gonna do.

I hope her next mail vehicle is a Geo.

I backfill the hole, and call it a day. IN ALL THE EXCITEMENT, AND RUSH...…...I FORGOT TO SPRAY THE UNDERGROUND PART OF THE POST WITH THAT COLD GALVINIZING STUFF

(I'll bet I bought that "new" mailbox almost 5yrs ago...it's been sitting under a tree out in the yard all that time.....now she's got a new home with a view)

[ronsii]

Sammy, you should have made it telescoping... Then you'd be three steps ahead of them

[farmersammm]

I, and the dood across the highway, own the last half mile in this section on both sides of the road. When I was a kid, there were only 2 other mailboxes in this section (1mi.). Now I'd bet there's at least another 4 boxes to the South...……...they're creepin' up on me Only thing that keeps a guy safe, is the Grandfather Clause we got in this state...……………………...If the land's been farmed prior to any current neighbors...…...they can't mess with ya.

[farmersammm]

sammy, you should have made it telescoping... Then you'd be three steps ahead of them

:d:d:d

[docwelder]

it never fails. when i'm in a rush to get something done i always screw up somewhere.
don't relax too much- when the visiting postmistress departs the bureaucrat with corporal stripes may let her very limited authority go to her head again.

[lars66]

I have my box sitting on a plate underneath with a 1/4" bolt in each corner thru the box and I would bet any mail carrier that's ever used it has never even seen the bolt heads.

[FlaJoe]

[QUOTE=farmersammm;8724086]Post Office 0 - Sammy 1

I check with USPS Customer Service. "The post office cannot refuse to give you your mail" "If you've placed a hold on mail, it automatically is void when you

<Big snip>

<\quote>

Care to give us the back story here?

[orezok]

Out where I live the USPS does not deliver. The use what is called “highway delivery”. They are private carriers. They only deliver to boxes located on paved roads, never to houses. For years I constantly fought with the local PM, to the point where when I said my name he knew what was coming. The carrier was lazy and would not deliver packages to the box even if they fit because his Jeep was too small to accommodate. I went many rounds with the PM, who was always accomodating and the issue would go away for a while. I dont think he liked the carrier but was stuck with him.

Finally about 2 years ago, I was researching PO Regs and found that there is an official form which requires the carrier to deliver packages to my door if they do not fit in the box. The requirement were that my house had to be within 1/2 mile of my box and that it be on a passable road. I filed the form and not once since then have I had to drive the 10 miles to town for pickup.

I think the PM didn’t want to see me anymore and told the carrier that if he didn’t deliver to my house, his contract would be terminate!

[Millwrightdude]

I knew if you would come out on this by talking to someone that knew the rules.

[jfutey]

What kind of mail gets sent to a chigger farm?

[Bluewelders]

Out where I live the USPS does not deliver. The use what is called “highway delivery”. They are private carriers. They only deliver to boxes located on paved roads, never to houses. For years I constantly fought with the local PM, to the point where when I said my name he knew what was coming. The carrier was lazy and would not deliver packages to the box even if they fit because his Jeep was too small to accommodate. I went many rounds with the PM, who was always accomodating and the issue would go away for a while. I dont think he liked the carrier but was stuck with him.

Finally about 2 years ago, I was researching PO Regs and found that there is an official form which requires the carrier to deliver packages to my door if they do not fit in the box. The requirement were that my house had to be within 1/2 mile of my box and that it be on a passable road. I filed the form and not once since then have I had to drive the 10 miles to town for pickup.

I think the PM didn’t want to see me anymore and told the carrier that if he didn’t deliver to my house, his contract would be terminate!

The postal service pays drivers by the straight line mile, they don't get paid for the miles to deliver packages to a house.

[CAVEMANN]

I used to use a gang box on the corner across from our house, I had a key for the door on my side and the door on the back was the size of the entire box. The carrier frequently put stuff in that box from the rear that wouldn't come out the front because of the door frame around the box, I finally had to go down & bitch at the postmaster about it, took two times but they finally got the point.

[CAVEMANN]

What kind of mail gets sent to a chigger farm?

Gotta be Chigger seeds, how else ya gonna keep up with supply & demand, I mean after-all someone's gotta raise em!

[CAVEMANN]

What kind of mail gets sent to a chigger farm?

Gotta be Chigger seeds, how else ya gonna keep up with supply & demand, I mean after-all someone's gotta raise em!