Children+Mailbox= Me not happpy

[John K Jordan]

... This was 50 years ago. I would think hard before putting up such a mail box

I wonder when we'll be sued for not cutting down all the trees on our property.

Or having a non-collapsible house or shop hurt the poor driver who simply runs way off the road.

JKJ

[Barry McFadden]

As a kid, one of my neighbors, and his friends were caught bashing mail boxes. Judge gave them two choices, five years in Federal prison, or five years in military service (this was when we had a "draft") with honorable discharges. As for brick mail boxes, lady at our church whose son was a passenger in a car which struck one of those types of boxes. Car wasn't speeding, simply ran off road. Brick came thru windshield and struck him in forehead. Results were life long brain damage. Homeowner's insurance, along with home owners personally were held responsible for his inability to function in life. This was 50 years ago. I would think hard before putting up such a mail box

The judge must have been on drugs...... people that commit crimes 100% worse than that including things like DUI and killing someone, don't get anywhere near that kind of sentence

[Mike Henderson]

The judge must have been on drugs...... people that commit crimes 100% worse than that including things like DUI and killing someone) don't get anywhere near that kind of sentence

That's too much for kids being stupid. Paying for the repairs and community service would have been better.

Mike

[Yonak Hawkins]

...caught bashing mail boxes ... five years in Federal prison....

That's too much for kids being stupid

That's for sure. All we need is crowding more non-violents in prisons.

[anne watson]

Our mailboxes are at the end of the street cause the mailman can not get turned around by our house.
Had trouble with vandalism, went together with other neighbors and bought heavy duty ones set in cement
Still have problems. Since it is a federal offense to mess with mail, we now have a camera there mounted high enough
that kids can't reach it. The mailman knows we have been having problems so next time vandalism and pic will be reported. Getting tired of stuff other people do to other people.

[Mike Ontko]

I generally agree with you, but this isn't the right hill to die on. I know it's frustrating, but replacing your mailbox now and then is just not that big of a deal.

I agree. Adding protective reinforcement that's visible only raises the bar for the little hoodlums, and encourages them to do it again. You could move to using a PO Box or have the Post Office hold your mail for a period of time (you'd have to pick it up there yourself), then simply leave the current box sitting, untouched and in its destructed state for that time--two or three months maybe--or until the Huns lose interest and move on to another neighborhood.

[Kev Williams]

I don't remember many 'mailbox rules' from 50 years ago, and for that matter, even now, HOA rules notwithstanding. I can probably drive around for 20 minutes and get photos of over 100 'dangerous' mailboxes, at least as described in this thread.

For someone to be found personally responsible and for the other party to win damages in a lawsuit, negligence and/or willful intent to harm must be proven. Failure to control your automobile is negligent, building a brick mailbox post is not, and the only realistic way intent to harm could be proven is if law enforcement or neighbors were aware of past mailbox destruction problems with the person and of his desire 'to get even'; it was built as a booby trap...

But then there's those few judges...

[Brandon Speaks]

Up here in MN some people who regularly loose mailboxes to snow plows make swing away mail boxes. Its mounted on a long pole with a cable spring that brings it back to position after being hit. Im sure a bat would still dent it up but not totally destroy it.

Anyway it sucks getting the mail box messed with, made me mad as heck in that same position. On the other hand filling it with bricks in a way that could kill a kid is just not worth it.

[Rollie Meyers]

I set 6X6 square tube 3 feet in the ground for my mailboxes, after setting the post in concrete filled the tube also, someone did hit it & moved it a bit damaging one of the mailboxes, have no idea who did it but had to do some damage to their vehicle.

As to protection against mailbox bashing have heard of buying a extra large mailbox & putting a larger diameter section of PVC pipe then filling the void between the PVC pipe & the mailbox with concrete, anyone bashing the mailbox with a baseball bat will be in a rude surprise.