On 2/13/2017 8:24 PM, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
On Tue, 14 Feb 2017 01:07:55 -0000, Frank "frank wrote:

On 2/13/2017 5:19 PM, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
I was just watching an American film and thought, "Why don't kids steal
everyone's mail?" In the UK, most people have the mailbox INSIDE the
house (or simply a letterbox opening in the front door). Surely kids
are tempted to nick American mail, especially as it's right on the
street.


There are mailboxes on doors here too but single family homes on larger
lots will have their mailbox outside on the street. Mail-carriers drive
vehicles with steering wheels on the right (since we drive on the right,
normal are on the left) and drop off mail without leaving vehicle.

Yes I can see it being more efficient for the mail people, although
bloody inconvenient for the home owners (people who have them here to
stop dogs eating the letters never remember to check them and get
letters a week late). And my original point, doesn't mail get stolen?

Mail might get stolen. It does not happen often. The mail carrier will
also take outgoing mail and boxes have a flag on them to put up if there
is outgoing mail. We don't leave outgoing mail out overnight.

Theft problem is more serious for packages too big for the box and left
on the porch. Mail carrier as others point out will drive/carry
packages to house. Packages are also delivered by other services like
Fedex. If you don't have to sign for delivery they will just drop on
porch or driveway.

More serious to our curb mailboxes is damage by vandals or getting
struck by vehicles. Neighbor across the street has box situated such
that it has probably been accidentally hit by everyone in the
neighborhood. He's got it on a hinged post so if knocked over it can be
set up-right.