someone ran over my mailbox

[al v]

Lost my mailbox today. Left my house ar 3:40 it was there. Came back at 4:00 and it was on the ground in pieces. My new neighbor heard the bang but didn't see anything. She was nice enough to pick up my mail which was blowing around. I'm guessing, but can't be sure, that the neighbor across the street had company over that backed into it while leaving. A trip to lowes, a couple of hours work, and a new mailbox is up. Then an 80 mile ride on the valk to forgot about it.  

[fubar606]

well at least it wasn't on your porch when it happened

[musclehead]

federal crime 

[Daniel Meyer]

At the Old Vic, somebody smashed our mailbox. Nothing but twisted metal and splinters of the cedar pole left.  I didn't have time to mess with it that weekend and we had to leave for the week.

When we got back that Friday, there was a new one...exact same post and box, with numbers and all.

There was a note from the guy that whacked it apologizing for any problems.

Gotta love small town Texas...

[Fritz The Cat]

I live on a curve. Lost my mailbox twice in the last 3 years. Both times the perpetrator fessed up and replaced it. Taught me that there are still good, honest people in this world. 

[MP]

Those last two stories remind me that there is still hope left!   

And, it does NOT come from the gov't!

It comes from within each person.

MP

[musclehead]

hehe the last time mine got ran over was when I lived in ORYGUN. the kid was drunk took out the trash can and the mail box. they chased him down through a good citizen and he paid restitution in court.

[BonS]

Had a pumpkin take out my mail box not long ago. It had an aluminum box post cemented in the ground that was toast. I had to cut it off just below ground level as my attempts to pull it out of the ground failed - even including using an engine hoist. Determined to make the next repair easier I wrapped my new post in Saran Wrap plastic film and cemented it into the ground. Now the post simply lifts straight out of the ground but otherwise it's very sturdy. I'm looking forward to the next pumpkin chunkin' season. 

[John Schmidt]

At least 30 yrs. ago we had a rash of boxes in our 'hood being run over on purpose. I replaced ours twice and both times were trashed within a week. Since it always happened late at night I never saw who did it. So, I decided to try something different. I went to a local metal supply house and bought some 4" angle iron, about five feet long. Buried all but about 15" in the ground, then slid some 4" PVC type square post down over it....the stuff used for fencing, etc.  Then mounted a cheap box on top. Before burying the angle iron, I cut it off at an angle and faced it in the direction the perp seemed to always come from. A few days later about 3:00AM I heard a horrendous crash, followed by yelling and cussing. I looked out without turning on any lights(we lived on a corner with a street light right over him), saw my trap had worked so called the local constabulary. That piece of angle iron had ripped out half of his steering and tore a rather wide gash in the oil pan. He and his buddies were in a panic trying to get someone to come and tow it before the cops got there. I just stuck my head out the door and told them "help is on the way." When the cops got there, I walked up and told the jerks...."here's the help." Seems they had bashed at least a half dozen mail boxes each time they went on a spree. Some very heavy fines and extended community service were handed out.

[old2soon]

At least 30 yrs. ago we had a rash of boxes in our 'hood being run over on purpose. I replaced ours twice and both times were trashed within a week. Since it always happened late at night I never saw who did it. So, I decided to try something different. I went to a local metal supply house and bought some 4" angle iron, about five feet long. Buried all but about 15" in the ground, then slid some 4" PVC type square post down over it....the stuff used for fencing, etc.  Then mounted a cheap box on top. Before burying the angle iron, I cut it off at an angle and faced it in the direction the perp seemed to always come from. A few days later about 3:00AM I heard a horrendous crash, followed by yelling and cussing. I looked out without turning on any lights(we lived on a corner with a street light right over him), saw my trap had worked so called the local constabulary. That piece of angle iron had ripped out half of his steering and tore a rather wide gash in the oil pan. He and his buddies were in a panic trying to get someone to come and tow it before the cops got there. I just stuck my head out the door and told them "help is on the way." When the cops got there, I walked up and told the jerks...."here's the help." Seems they had bashed at least a half dozen mail boxes each time they went on a spree. Some very heavy fines and extended community service were handed out.

THIS would be a PERFECT"Stupid Criminals"segment.  Damn John-I luv it.  RIDE SAFE.

[Serk]

Anyone else get this song immediately stuck on repeat in your head every time you see this post's subject scroll by, or am I the only one that's this weird on this particular wavelength?

Elmo & Patsy - Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer

[Skinhead]

Sorry Al, gonna hijack your post.  John's story reminded me that boys will be boys, and not always make good decisions.  It also reminded me of a thing my BIL used to do when he was a kid, kind of a lesson teacher, but in a disgusting kind of way.  Him and his buddy called it the sh!t purse, and they would go to garage sales and buy ladies purses for a buck or so, them go find a pile of dog sh!t and put it in the purse, and leave it laying in the middle of a 4-way stop intersection.  They would hide up in this huge Oak tree and wait for someone to grab the purse and take off with it.  Usually within about 300 yrds, the purse would come flying out of the vehicle window, followed by loud cursing.  He said it was hard not to fall out of the tree they were laughing so hard.

Bottom line, it pays to be honest.

[cookiedough]

that's a good story John especially stating help is on its way.  Good one!

My mother in law had a huge shock coming home during the day no less from running errands to realize her entire garage door and siding was caved in and smashed down big time requiring extensive repairs.  Worst part, or should I say luckiest part, was her gas meter is located right inside her garage door to the side and was bent terribly backwards piping and all but NO gas leak thank god.  I could see her house being blown up with ease since what happened was an older gent up the street thought that her house was his and backed up into the driveway and instead of stopping near the garage, floored the gas pedal instead of hitting the brakes and smashed 3-4 feet inside her entire garage and siding.

I couldn't imagine that but it did happen and took like 3 months to repair in late WI winter no less which totally sucked even having the gas company come and re-locate the gas meter OUTSIDE the garage and run new lines and even having to tear up part of her concrete driveway in the process.  What a mess it was.  

[POPS 57]

I live out in the country and the snowplow drivers have a quota. They are way ahead this year because of the late season wet heavy snows.

[czuch]

I helped a friend with his. He rented a 2 man auger and put in 6 feet of Rail Road track with
2 feet above ground. Stacked bricks around it and never had a problem after that.
I mean nobody wiped out his mailbox. All that work and no fun.

[Jack]

Mine was wiped out twice in 5 years.  It is a 4X4 square steel post stuck in concrete now.  I'd hate to see the car or baseball bat that tries to take it out.

[musclehead]

I helped a friend with his. He rented a 2 man auger and put in 6 feet of Rail Road track with
2 feet above ground. Stacked bricks around it and never had a problem after that.
I mean nobody wiped out his mailbox. All that work and no fun.

I heard that same story from someone out in oregon, except it was 8' of rail. 

that will bring you to a halten mach schnell!!

[czuch]

Halten Mach Schnell,,,,,,,,,,,thats funny right there!!!!!!!!
It was a hoot wrestlin that track into the back of the truck. they were replacing track and a bunch was layin around. It makes awesome anvils and metal bender form too. Beer was involved.

[Valker]

Beer was involved.

Probably when it was taken out before too.

[Hooter]

Common ocurrance around  here. When I was in LE I caught 3 teens that had smashed 53 mailboxes. The judge ordered all replaced at the teens expense, and they had to install them while the property owner looked on and to the owners specs. They also had to pay for post office boxes while they were being fixed and to pay $1,000.00 restitution each. Then they had to do 25 hours community service. Quite the the penalty, but well worth watching these kids every inch of the way! The parents were equally impressed!   

[fudgie]

I live out in the country and the snowplow drivers have a quota.

Yup I live in the country and on a 2 ln highway. Last 2 yrs I put up a 2x4 sheet of plywood 2' from the box. Has helped alot!

[BobB]

I live at the end of a country road and have had the snow plows take out the mail box several times.  They are much better lately. 

Years ago my step brother, a farmer, had youth deliberately running down mail boxes.  His solution was to put in a mail box post like a fence line corner post.  Dig a 4' dia hole deep enough to center a full length rail road tie and fill the hole with stone.  A vehicle hitting that will not drive away.   
   

[YoungPUP]

I helped a friend from the phone company fix the mail box vanishing problem.  1 line truck with an attached auger with a 10' section of telephone pole and a "B" arm.  Put 6' of the pole in the ground and mounted the new 1/2" thick steel plate mailbox on the end of the "B" arm.  Suddenly no one runs his mailbox over anymore.

[Jess from VA]

Mine is a on a 6 X 6 pressure treat post as deep as I could get it.

When we were young and stupid, we did not bust up our cars running them down, we blew them up with M80s.   

[da prez]

 After loosing four mailboxes it was time to fight back.
We dug down about three feet for the foundation , by two and a half feet square. This came up to a finished , solid filled block mailbox with the store bought metal (American Made) insert . The finish was a real stone face to match our house. The top slab is a quarry cut 3X3 foot by about three inches thick.  So far ,so good.

                                                    da prez
  I really like John's solution.

[Hooter]

If we try to really fasten a post in like a 4X6 or some have tried an augar or steel post, the post office would send you a letter and tell you to remove it. Guess they don't like "car proof". Mostly they use ball bats here. The snowplow drivers do there duty too, but if they knock it down the County Road Comission puts a new one up on  a 4X4 post.

[Jeff K]

Though all of these solutions sound interesting. You are intentionally installing a hazard. When my son was young he fell asleep at the wheel. He was only a half mile from home. He was lucky he only took out a mailbox not a person. If he had been hurt or killed because someone intentionally installed a hazard to inflict maximum damage 2 feet off of the road way...    

A friend of my father ended up in court to explain this exact thing. He sunk a 4" well casing and filled it with concrete because he was tired of the damage. He lost a lot of money and almost did time for it. Nearly killed some people too.

There is a guy sitting in prison now because he got tired of snowmobiles crossing his land. He bought the property and decided he didn't want the trail crossing his land so he made them move it. People kept taking the old trail anyway, so he dug a deep ditch across the trail. He went to prison for intentionally intending to do harm. There would be no other reason to do that except to cause harm.

If a guy on a bike hit one of these intentional "traps" y'all are setting, there would be outrage on this board calling for the property owner to be hung by sunset...


Many states have laws against installing hazardous mailboxes.

[czuch]

If everybody played nice, ya wouldnt have to be a dick sometimes.
Get a PO Box.

[Liberty Bell]

Mom was a rural mail carrier.
One section of the route was vandal heaven. Ball bats were the weapon of mass destruction.. 10-12 mailboxes a weekend
Cops couldn't catch them.
One of the patrons sunk a 6-inch I-beam. He encased that in rough cut lumber/ ole barn siding, it didn't look to sturdy.
He bought TWO (2) mailboxes, one regular/standard size the second one of those HUGE rural boxes.
He put the small one in the large one and filled it with concrete.

The next Saturday, he goes out and finds a ball bat in two pieces under the box. He fastened the pieces to the base. After a couple months there was a wonderful collection of splintered bats, bent sections of pipe and other assorted means of destruction.

Didn't take long till his mailbox was never touched, up and down the road, yes but not his.

The next neighbor rigged one with a spray can. Got hit, it fired a stream of bright orange paint marking the individual and car... The police really liked that one. Think they got three of four car loads with that one.

Another put his on a swivel with a mace on it. Hit it and it swung around and and smacked the car with the ball on the chain. That one was the one that brought it to an end. When on Saturday daddy (rich anal character) showed up demanding the owner replace the back window and quarter panel of sons expensive car...... Sheriff got called, Post inspector... Daddy Warbucks didn't buy his way out of that one.

[da prez]

Our mailbox was installed with proper building  and postal codes for our area.  It was not intended to be a hazzard. The village only pays $25.00 for a damaged mailbox , and you have to do the replacement yourself if the plows take it down.

                                                     da prez
                                                         

[The Anvil]

well at least it wasn't on your porch when it happened

The week after moving up here to NH (back in 99) I came out on a Sunday morning to find my mailbox bent and lying on the ground. The dent had the rough radius of a baseball bat. Having participated in such shenanigans as a youth I just shook my head and laughed. I remounted the mailbox and it still has the dent.

[Rams]

SNIP
Another put his on a swivel with a mace on it. Hit it and it swung around and and smacked the car with the ball on the chain. That one was the one that brought it to an end. When on Saturday daddy (rich anal character) showed up demanding the owner replace the back window and quarter panel of sons expensive car...... Sheriff got called, Post inspector... Daddy Warbucks didn't buy his way out of that one.

You're gonna have to use your imagination because I don't have any pictures of this but, I have a friend living in Maine that used to have to replace his mail box several times a season.   He got tired of it.   Between snow plows and folks who couldn't drive and those pesky kids having fun, he tells me he replaced that mail box at least 6 to 8 times each year..

His answer was to build a mail box that hung from a cantilevered contraption where the mail box was mounted in a barrel filled with concrete hanging by multiple logging chains from an overhead arm.  The base of this arm was located on his property and the mail box/barrel hung down at the appropriate height and distance from the road for the mailman to deliver and pick up mail.   He tells me that the suspended mail box and barrel weigh over four hundred pounds.   He painted this contraption that high visibility orange.   I'm told there is no way a normally sighted person can miss it.   He also mounted a light that shines down from the suspension frame work onto the mail box.   Now when the snow plows clear the roads, they don't take out his mail box, it just swings out of the way.   The snow plow driver's used to try to hit it he tells me.   Now, they slow down and just push the snow away, normally making contact with it but, it just swings out of the say and sways with the wind.   Hitting it at speed causes a slightly different situation as at least one snow plow driver has reported.   Additionally, there have been several other vehicles that apparently had encounters with my friends mail box according to the his local body shop.   Personally, I think he came up with a good design.   It had to be cheaper than buying and re-installing a new mail box every time it snowed or when ever the local kids decided to go out and play.