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Smashed mailbox

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Butcher

03-30-2003 12:12:37




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Well the kids got my mailbox again(common ocurance since we have a long lane). I'm thinking about making one out of 1/4 inch plate or concrete. I also thoght about c4 and a mercury switch but decided against that idea as I have nothing against my mail man. Any ideas?




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PJW Michigan

04-13-2003 05:49:58




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
The best advise you got here was to contact the post office. As with all that live out in the country we to had a problem. My wife contacted the post office and they were happy to comply. After all if your box is down they can't get rid of the mail. The next best option was the buy cheep on sale and stock up. It is a lot cheaper then being sued.



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Hal/WA

04-03-2003 22:54:15




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
What I have thought about is mounting a heavy plate mailbox on a spring loaded arm that sticks out 4 or 5 feet from the post. If someone hits it with a bat or a vehicle, the arm would just pivot up or down or sideways and the springs would snap it back into place with little or no damage. I haven't had trouble with anyone bashing our mailbox, but the snowplow has flattened the whole assembly twice.

I like the idea of reinforcing a regular mailbox with plate steel on the inside of the tin. Sneaky!

Another thing I would worry a little about is someone stealing the whole assembly unless it is tied down pretty substantially. It would make me mad if some jerk stole my shop project that I had worked hard on.

We have quit getting mail in our mailbox and went to a post office box. The amount of problems with mail theft and related problems makes the chore of going to the post office worth it to me. Good luck.

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no brainer

04-02-2003 13:35:53




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
before somebody gets hurt, or an owner gets sued, why not ask your carrier if they would mind driving into your long lane ten or twenty feet. Install the box that meets postal regulations along your lane. As long as you provide easy access by flat approach, keeping weeds and snow away, seems like a no brainer to me



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RayP(MI)

04-01-2003 18:35:58




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
Well, sorry they got yours.... Last year I had to replace mine three times. Just watch the sales and buy a couple when the price is down to $5.00 or so. One to put up, a second for spare - they'll always get you when the stores are closed!
I ran a similar post last time, and got some of the same advice as those below. Also got a couple BOO-HOOS, apparently some guys don't have understanding of the problem! DON'T put up a vandal proof box. Liability laws, and a good (bad) lawyer can ruin you. Don't put your faith in the jury system either - juries are coming up with some pretty strange decisions lately. I know well, it's frustrating!

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Don LC

04-01-2003 08:39:05




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
Butcher,----In ohio if you build a large strong mailbox on the right away and somebody hits it with there car.....you can be held responsable for damages..... check it out first.....



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Al/ mi

03-31-2003 05:09:14




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
What I've seen done and cured the problem is put a smaller mail box inside a large one and pour the big one full of concrete Take the door one or the other .



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wrenchman

03-30-2003 18:05:32




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
saw one a while back made up with 1/4"plate inside & heavy square steel post...at ground level it has a 1"through bolt set at right angle to the road,goes through two 3/8" plates set in concrete with post btween...fella said it gets run over all the time but he just stands er back up next morning...looks just like a regular mailbox too...



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Pat M

03-30-2003 16:51:21




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
Take a look at the mailboxes made by Veeder. Thier website shows what looks like a Cat D7 running over one of thier boxes in a demonstration of its strength. If the mailbox can stand up to that dozer a couple of kids should be no problem. Check out the web site at www.veedersmailbox.com.



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Ludwig

03-31-2003 11:33:40




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 Re: Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Pat M, 03-30-2003 16:51:21  
Aside from the inevitable damage caused by the cleats a tracked vehicle exerts very little down pressure, theres too much surface area on the cleats. Thats why they're so good for what they do.



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STEVEN H

03-30-2003 16:22:53




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
best way to fix the problem is to take out the trash. fill a pumpkin with sand and place it on the side of the road away from your house. when they go to KILL the pumpkin they end up killing there A frame at least. cant cause troble if your car/truck is recked now can you?



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Central Minnesota

03-30-2003 15:47:42




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
Yessir, Heavier is better. I built one about 15 years ago and I just repaint it every 3 years or so. It looks just like a standard rural mailbox but it fights back. 1/4" sides, bottom, and back. 3/16" door with a door hinge welded to the door and bottom. For the top I cut a piece of 1/4" wall well pipe length ways. Weighs about 40 pounds so I bolted it through the back to a treated 5" X 6" post with a 3/4 X 8" bolt. It's been hit by vandals twice, post broken off by the snowplow twice, hit by a disk harrow and drove over by a tractor with no damage. Looks innocent though.

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john

03-30-2003 14:41:45




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
Butcher,

I, like you, finally decided to do something about it... after 5 boxes getting batted... it was getting expensive...

build a house shaped box with pitched roof and the "side" of the house is the door... used 3/16" plate. Door is hinged with one hinge at bottom. welded a 4" conduit coupling to bottom which screws onto 4" rigid conduit post.. set 3' in concrete. I bought a flag kit from home depot and bent a bracket to hold it out from the roof overhang (top)

I thought about the liability then I thought about how many mailboxes I had purchased... I take a chance on getting sued. I bet when dad finds out what happened and how... he'll settle up with junior "out of court" :-)

about two months after I put it up I went out to get the sunday paper. I found scuffed paint on the box but no damage... and the bat laying beside the box... still have the bat ! I use it for burgler protection... I bet his wrists hurt for two weeks... I hope !!! I can take a pic and post it if you're interested...

john

BTW... local police have complimented me on the box batting solution

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jeff

04-08-2003 16:54:07




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 Re: Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to john, 03-30-2003 14:41:45  

i would like to see the pic of the bat and the box.
my 1st box was a metal one that we put a nice paint job on. the punks hit it and caved the side in.
i left it like that because it still kept the mail dry. they came back later and stopped and beat it flat so hard they broke the 6x6.
then i moved to the plastic cheapo, i lost two on one month.
my state trooper tells me he has the same problem, but he can pull over car loads of no goods and search them. he has found them before but cannot prosecute unless he catches them.
one night my neihbor heard the mutants trying to break his plastic box but couldn't so they shot it with a .22. they deserve whatever they get.
i have toyed with the idea of laying nail filled boards along the roadside at night.
also, a paint ball gun shot into their car would work if you have the patience.

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Dick2

03-30-2003 14:20:06




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
Given today's kids, you might be money ahead to rent a box at the Post Office and save yourself a lot of frustration. If it's only a mile or two to the P.O., walk over and enjoy the exercise - if further, drive over and enjoy the ride.



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hay

03-30-2003 13:58:16




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
smashed mailboxes seem to be a very common occurence in rural areas. kids are bored and vent their frustrations on a mailbox because it can't fight back. however, before you build or buy a big heavy stout mailbox and post, be sure and check with the post office about current regulations and also with the local law enforcement agency. seems like nowadays kids that try and damage the indestructable post and boxes could get hurt themselves and that would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. a good lawyer would have a field day with that one, especially with a sympathetic jury. had a case like that in my area several years ago and the owner, not the kid, ended up paying for damages because of a supposed immovable object on the roadway shoulder. go figger it, but that's the way it goes.

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JoeK

03-30-2003 12:33:11




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
There are a couple of "vandalproof mailboxes on the market.One I believe looks standard,but is made of 3/16 rolled steel plate.Other is more boxlike,but meets USPS standards.I have seen boxes built into concrete and stone "gateposts" with only the door exposed,but have been told that in some places,such a construction,adjacent to the highway is illegal for hwy safety resons. One feller near here has his pivoted/balanced on a long pipe,mounted on a auto hub atop a post on backside of ditch,mailman gives the other end a push and box swing out to roadside,when released it swings back across ditch away from road.

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Nobul

03-30-2003 12:28:59




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 Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Butcher, 03-30-2003 12:12:37  
Thought about doing this myself. Build one out of heavy plate, weld solid to a piece of 6" pipe and put the straightened beat up one over top. Local by-laws may not like this but a baseball bat or piece of pipe used to smash it a 30 mph will be a real wake-up call. Might even rebound enough to have a go at the offender's vehicle. {:^)



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captain,N/E Mo.

03-30-2003 19:22:19




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 Re: Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Nobul, 03-30-2003 12:28:59  
Go to the post office and they'll give you the specs on how the mailbox can be constructed. We had the problem of people driving over them,our box was in a curve at the end of a long straight stretch of gravel road and they would slide over it. I built a box from 8" pipe and put it on a 6" pipe post about 6 feet in the ground. One day I came home and it was leaning a little and there was red paint on it and plastic on the ground. We moved from there but I kept the box just for a good laugh.

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charlie

03-30-2003 15:09:53




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 Re: Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to Nobul, 03-30-2003 12:28:59  
i got one in the shed on a 6x6 post.the box is fabed out of 1/4 plate.the whole thing weighs almost 200 pounds.the reason it's in the shed is because if i put it in the ground and a car hits it and injures or kills someone i'm at fault because it doesn't have a stamp of approval by the post master.go figure.



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Gary in IL

03-31-2003 10:05:30




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 Re: Re: Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to charlie, 03-30-2003 15:09:53  
Why not take a large 'Postmaster Approved' box, and LINE IT with 1/4 inch plate ?

Put it on a break-away base arrangement, and watch the fun..... .....



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frdmnn

03-30-2003 16:35:43




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 Re: Re: Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to charlie, 03-30-2003 15:09:53  
i always pondered the idea of the 1/4 plate steel mailbox with 6" pipe post, but weld a car coil spring at ground level.maybe enough give in the spring to keep from getting sued.



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John Ne.

03-30-2003 19:11:05




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Smashed mailbox in reply to frdmnn, 03-30-2003 16:35:43  
Saw in a retirment magazine, where a site was selling small mailboxes of 1/4 plate, and big mailboxes of even heavier plate, the big ones had a shipping weight of 150lbs. prices were hefty too. put it on a breakaway base, would help. John in Ne.



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