Does the US post office completely determine the location/placement of mailboxes

[happymom]

This thread is so interesting to me. My whole life, no matter where I've lived (except for when we lived in apt building), the mailman always walked up the path to house and delivered the mail either through a mail slot in the door or into a mailbox directly next to the door. I'm so used to that, I can't imagine walking across the street for my mail let alone 2 blocks away!


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[tmahanes]

This thread is so interesting to me. My whole life, no matter where I've lived (except for when we lived in apt building), the mailman always walked up the path to house and delivered the mail either through a mail slot in the door or into a mailbox directly next to the door. I'm so used to that, I can't imagine walking across the street for my mail let alone 2 blocks away!


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This is interesting to me because I have never lived anywhere that actually did this. Everyone has end of the driveway/just across the street mailboxes here and mail slots in the door are a thing of the movies and TV.

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[vonfirmath]

This is interesting to me because I have never lived anywhere that actually did this. Everyone has end of the driveway/just across the street mailboxes here and mail slots in the door are a thing of the movies and TV.

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Agreed, even as a child (I remember first the late 70s) our mail was delivered to a box at the street. NOT to our door.

[niccig]

Agreed, even as a child (I remember first the late 70s) our mail was delivered to a box at the street. NOT to our door.

Do you have a sidewalk? If we had a box at the street, the mail carrier couldn't reach it from their truck, they would have to get out to put mail in the box because of the sidewalk.

[ckso]

This thread is so interesting to me. My whole life, no matter where I've lived (except for when we lived in apt building), the mailman always walked up the path to house and delivered the mail either through a mail slot in the door or into a mailbox directly next to the door. I'm so used to that, I can't imagine walking across the street for my mail let alone 2 blocks away!


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Same here. We have a mail slot in the wall next to our front door. Our mailman parks at the end of the street and walk and deliver the mail to each home. It was when we live in an apt where we have centralized mail box area located in the garage


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[JustMe]

Well, it is validating to read that others had never heard of this either! I had lived mostly in apartments, so that is different of course, but when I have lived in a house we have had our own mailbox. The idea that the person who lived across the street would have her mailbox in front of my house was something I'd never heard of. I do get the need for the post office to save time, etc, but it still seems weird especially b/c around the corner its both sides of the street...

[khm]

Well, it is validating to read that others had never heard of this either! I had lived mostly in apartments, so that is different of course, but when I have lived in a house we have had our own mailbox. The idea that the person who lived across the street would have her mailbox in front of my house was something I'd never heard of. I do get the need for the post office to save time, etc, but it still seems weird especially b/c around the corner its both sides of the street...

Our neighborhood started being built 11 years ago. Our house was one of the first. We have a mail box, but houses built after ours have the cluster boxes. They are probably for 12 or so houses each cluster. The post office and the city made the decision that houses built after X date were to use the cluster system, but that they weren't going to make the existing boxes change. Actually, the house right next to use was built long after ours, so they were part of the cluster down the street. But, not knowing that, the owner put a mailbox in. The carrier just used it. It wasn't til that carrier went on vacation and the temp put the mail in the cluster that he realized! Oops. If they have two systems going on the line has to be somewhere. I'd just get a matching box. If it had already been there it probably wouldn't seem so odd if you hadn't thought about it so much! I've had both, I really don't have a preference. It is nice to have a lock on the cluster, but it is also nice to have it nearby.

[vonfirmath]

Do you have a sidewalk? If we had a box at the street, the mail carrier couldn't reach it from their truck, they would have to get out to put mail in the box because of the sidewalk.

Yes, We had a sidewalk. Yard. Sidewalk. a Thin bit of grass. The mailbox was on that bit of grass

How does having a sidewalk prevent the mail carrier reaching a box that is on the street?

[mackmama]

At our old house, all of the street's mailboxes were right near the front of our property. Didn't really bother me. It is strange that you all don't have the actual boxes though. Did the past owners take their boxes with them?

[niccig]

Yes, We had a sidewalk. Yard. Sidewalk. a Thin bit of grass. The mailbox was on that bit of grass

How does having a sidewalk prevent the mail carrier reaching a box that is on the street?

We don't have that thin pit of grass. We have Yard. Sidewalk.Curb.Road. To put a mailbox post close enough to the road for the mail carrier to reach from their truck, they'd have to put it through the concrete of the sidewalk. The sidewalk is too wide for someone to sit in their truck and reach the mailbox if the post is in the yard. If it was in the yard, it would be less distance to walk though. Currently the mail carrier walks all the way up to our front door.