Re: How far away is your mailbox?

new nickname 4 · ‎05-21-2018

I'm living on my family farm, so I have a crushed rock drive from the house to the mailbox at the road. Probably about 100 yards. Thankfully it's flat, but in the winter when it's icy, I either don't go out, or I have a pair of ice treads for my shoes. I also use a walking stick on the days I'm feeling off balance (seems to be getting more frequent). In the winter, the county plows shower my mailboxwith snow and pile snow sometimes thigh deep at the end of my drive. Those are the days I just wait for either my tenant farmer to plow me out, or mail just isn't picked up.

As a side note, I got tired of the mailbox being batterred by the kids with bats (apparently still popular to beat a mailbox when driving by), so I installed a swing away box, when hit by snow plows or baseball bats, it swings 360 to avoid getting damaged as badly.

Desert Lily · ‎06-24-2011

@house_cat I live in a new development, and my mailbox is also 2 blocks away. Had I known how far away it was, I probably would've chosen a lot that was closer.

I don't mind the walk now...unless it's 90+ degrees and humid out. And when there's ice & snow on the ground, I will definitely mind it.

Because of my mailbox location, I made all of my utility bills electronic bills. That way if I'm ill or there's terrible weather, I don't have to worry about them. I pay them from my account and not auto pay. But, I'll still have to worry about changes in insurance, other important docs that are mailed.

I really dislike it when retailers/vendors ship via USPS because there may be those days that I'm not able to walk those 2 blocks, and I avoid those retailers whenever possible. Or, I make a large enough order that won't fit in the small parcel box or my mailbox.

I doubt if the people at the USPS who came up with the idea to cluster mailboxes in neighborhoods considered how it would actually affect some of us. It was a way to save $...or something.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

We are in a condo development. There are 3 buildings in the newer section that have 4 floors with 10 units on each floor. The mailboxes are in the basement where the laundry is located. We are in the older section, there are 4 floors with 2 units on each floor. The mailboxes are in the entrance so we go up 8 steps to get to the mailboxes and the door to go outside. Very convenient for me with my knee issues. I'm very thankful that we chose the "garden floor" when we bought and not a unit on the upper floor. Also UPS, FEDEX, USPS all bring packages to my door. They don't do that for the upper floors. The downside is, we have to use the laundry room in a building across the courtyard.

house_cat · ‎03-09-2010

@Desert Lily

I'm sure it cuts down on costs for the PO. Also, where I live is considered a rural route. The carriers don't drive regular PO vehicles - they are in their own cars with those signs on top like the pizza delivery people have. That means they have the steering on the left side, like a standard car, which would make it a lot harder if not impossible to drive down the road and fill the boxes.

~ house cat ~

icezeus · ‎10-30-2010

@godi wrote:
Ours is a community mail box also. About a block away. We never know when mail has been delivered. They jam it in the too small of a slot. In the winter the doors and locks freeze shut. I really really dislike it!

@godi

Sign up online for informed delivery. It's a free service through USPS and you will be able to see what is being delivered each day.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@Marp Thanks for researching this provision for disabled postal customers.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@ALRATIBA wrote:
Mailbox is in my "house." I live on the 10th floor .... mailboxes are on the first floor.

@ALRATIBA I hope you have an elevator?

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@ID2 wrote:
Complaining that you have to WALK to your mailbox? Seriously? Getting out in the fresh air and having a walk is good for you! Please just change your mindset and think of this as a positive thing. Start walking for exercise and you won't have to worry about how you'll get your mail in the future.

@ID2 That's easy for someone to day who is not in extreme pain and for who "taking a walk" doesn't present a danger or risk of falling.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

ALRATIBA · ‎07-15-2016

@Kachina624

Yes .... but there have been two occasions .... no electricity.

First - blackout throughout the city - had to walk up ten floors.

Second - hurricane Sandy - no elevators for I forget how long. I just stayed home. Mgmt made regular checks.

------------------------------------

Walking up 10 floors was nothing compared to 9/11. I worked a couple of blocks from World Trade Center .... on the 51st floor of an office buildng.

We had to walk down 51 flghts of stairs .... and no ground transportation in the area ... so then we had to walk all the way up to Chinatown to catch a bus to my apartment. I had a co-worker with me .... she borrowed a pair of flat shoes from me and then took off walking to her son's school over on the West Side!