Fortress mailboxes

I hadn't thought this was a bad thing until I read this original posting... I have what I have on my acerage to make me feel good when I came home......a feeling of designing satisfaction..

What I hadn't put into my formula ......are idiots....I think this should be covered by your local mayor or whatever.....as I am in no position to control any Ditch in my area....I am required to mow it but have no control...the lot looks totally relaxing and secure

I think its the same one used on Windows XP default setting. The one with the Fisher-Price theme.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

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I agree.

Harold

And then there was one famous poster here who made the one out of RR track and well casing, with a look-a-like mailbox welded up out of heavy steel plate.

I seem to recall the town road grader hit it while plowing snow.

The mailbox busted all the shear bolts off the grader blade.

The town was *not* happy. The poor guy had to pay to repair the grader, and take out the mailbox.

But I bet the driver never did that again!

Jim

I think that it is funny that a mailbox busted a road grader... Surely the driver id not expect that to happen...

i

Consider that if somebody can't keep their car on the road, there's all *kinds* of stuff to slam into. You would need to go out and tie matresses around all the phone poles, armco railings, bridge abutments, signposts, etc, in the road around your area.

How come nobody sues con ed when they slam into a power pole?

Quite the opposite. Con Ed sends them a *bill*.

Jim

The welded wrought iron will likely take the hit and require replacement. Take pictures of the wrought iron fencing now as well as measurements. Get replacement cost estimates as well.

What signage is in place on the adjacent roads to warn motorists? If the roadway has insufficient signage, the city could be liable as well. Accident records should support the call for additional signage.

Does this one do anything for you Gunner?

More creative mailbox photos submitted by visitors are one directory back on this guy's page. Some of them look like fun projects for chipmakers:

Jeff

Why would the mailbox owner have to pay to repair the grader? If anything, the town should be paying the owner for scratching his mailbox (with the appropriate deductions for the grader repair and the homeown compensation taken from the grader driver's salary).

Good question.

Somebody help me out here, and remind me who did in the road grader. Maybe then we could ask him how they strong-armed him into paying for its repair.

But it happened.

Jim

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not.

As long as the mailbox owner had the mailbox within the confines of his private property (and not protruding out into the public road), then I fail to see how it's his responsibility for damaging the road grader.

FWIW, here in Winchester Taxachusetts, my front lawn runs right up to where the asphalt street pavement starts, with no sidewalk or curbing. But, the town has an easement on the last 5 or 6 feet of lawn, sometimes referred to aS a "grass sidewalk" and there's an ordinance (Honored more in the breach that the observance.) against planting or placing anything there which would force a pedestrian have to step off onto the road.

My mailbox sits on that easement, and if it was placed back of it the mail carrier couldn't/wouldn't deliver to it.

Quite a few folks in the neighborhood here with frontages which are slightly convex because the road curves put whitewashed basketball sized rocks every 6 feet or so along edge of their lawns to keep cars from "cutting the curve" and tearing up their grass. The lawyer friends I've asked about that all say, "Don't do it."

I'm just glad the town doesn't tell me I have to clear the snow off that "grass sidewalk". :-)

Jeff

I think that that was Mike G., but I don't think he's posted here in a couple of years.

Regarding mailboxes, here's a couple of interesting links:

R, Tom Q.

If the mailbox is on the rightofway then the homeowner is responsible for the damage. Most mail boxes are on the rightofway and therefore should be a break away mounting because anyone that substains damage from hitting the box can sue for damages and win.

John

I haven't had a vandalism problem, but I did make a swinging post so that the snow plow can hit it and it just swings right back where it should be.

If I had a vandalism problem, I would make a stronger box and just put it on my swinging post. It might make a fun target for them to hit with a baseball bat, but probably wouldn't damage the box, which would just swing out of the way. If they managed to hit the box with the car, it probably would do more damage than a standard box because it would be heavier, but it would still swing out of the way.

RWL

******* Recreate gaps in email address to reply *******

I've never been a mailbox vandal, and I've always lived in urban areas where such actions aren't really possible, but it seems to me that mounting the mailbox on a large spring (coil spring from a truck, for example) would make it pretty hard to knock down, but would allow it to yeild to a vehicle.

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Some really Way cool! mail boxes. Im particularly impressed with one be the Chiropractor

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

All I can say is, thank goodness he isn't a gynecologist!

- Michael

On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 08:20:59 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, Gunner quickly quoth:

Yeah, that one was great. There's a large fishing lure up on A Street here in Grass Pants, OR. which cracks me up every time I drive by it. It takes a really avid fisherman to make a mailbox like that. It appears to be made of fiberglass and is painted exactly like a good lure. 'Tis very well done, but the treble hooks have balls on the ends, no good for catching mailbox baseballers or errant kids at all.

----------------------------------------------- I'll apologize for offending someone...right after they apologize for being easily offended.

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