On Wed, 15 Feb 2017 00:01:25 -0000, Frank "frank wrote:

On 2/14/2017 5:16 PM, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
On Tue, 14 Feb 2017 18:59:05 -0000, Frank "frank wrote:

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.

I thought the flag went up with the weight of incoming mail?

We don't leave outgoing mail out overnight.

Your postmen don't appear at the crack of dawn?

Theft problem is more serious for packages too big for the box and left
on the porch.

They don't do that here. They leave min e in a shed, but only because
I've asked them to do so.

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.

Mine leave with a neighbour (or they would if I didn't ask them to use
the shed).

More serious to our curb mailboxes is damage by vandals or getting
struck by vehicles.

Or baseball bats.

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.

If I was him I'd have embedded some dynamite.


Mail carriers are not out at rush hour and generally spend that time
collecting and loading their mail. More than half our mail is junk
mail, circulars and the like and has to be sorted into each box.

Vandals probably use baseball bats. Boxes along main roads are most at
threat.

I've nearly tripped over packages left right in front of my front door
and almost ran over one near the garage.

Thread reminds me that a few months ago I needed a new mail box as metal
post had rusted out and new box was needed anyway. Could not find what
I liked at local store and clerk advised looking on line which I did and
got free shipping. Comical because besides new mail box and post, Home
Depot also sent me a toilet seat and barbecue grill mat. I should have
kept them but got them to come back for them.

So much easier in the UK where couriers and postmen deliver to the door.

--
I know you believe you understand what you think I said,
but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not
what I meant.