Mailboxes

[Jim Matthews]

Unfortunately, the likely reasons for so many drop boxes disappearing really are things that cannot be discussed here at SMC...and if they are, this will be yet another thread that moves behind the curtain.

This situation is a "picture perfect" example of how misinformation breeds more misinformation.

Vox covered this. TLDNR version : that viral photo was taken outside the Hartford Finishing company.

https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/8/19...mail-in-voting

[Brian Elfert]

Locally here, drive up drop boxes are often over flowing with mail. Mail looks like a tongue sticking out of box. Then you have to go into PO and request that someone come empty the box, which they usually do. PO really needs some kind of camera to monitor the boxes. But the bottom line is it's about politics. FYI, it has been reported, that the Postmaster General is under criminal investigation here in NC for political contributions scheme.

Postal workers seem to live and die by schedules. If the sign on the boxes says they collect the mail at say 9 am, 1 pm, and 5:30 pm those are the times they will collect the mail even if the boxes are normally full by say 3 pm. It sounds like they need to add another collection time if the boxes are overflowing regularly. I am surprised with mail volume down so much that the boxes are filling up. I never go to the Post Office to mail something that would fit into one of those drive-up boxes. I always have a package that has to go inside.

I stopped at a Post Office yesterday to get a Priority Mail envelope. One side of the retail counter was piled practically to the ceiling with packages. I assume they are packages customers dropped for shipping, but why on the counter instead of in the back unless they just don't have room? This Post Office is only a retail location in a strip mall so maybe they don't have enough storage room in the back?

[Ed Aumiller]

In VA there is a lot of vandalism to boxes outside... Prying them open, etc... FYI

[Frederick Skelly]

We still have them at the post office itself, but they have been removed everywhere else around town for 10 years.

[Kev Williams]

I stopped at a Post Office yesterday to get a Priority Mail envelope. One side of the retail counter was piled practically to the ceiling with packages. I assume they are packages customers dropped for shipping, but why on the counter instead of in the back unless they just don't have room?

The packages DO eventually go to the back, but sometimes they pile up pretty good before someone finds time to gather 'em up

[Jim Becker]

My local PO where I send packages from and have a box for the business sometimes has piles of stuff at or near the counter when they are busy servicing customers. They deal with that during breaks in traffic when they are not sorting into boxes and while they are preparing for the pickup.

[Bill Dufour]

I read that Ben Frankilin invented the "modern" mail sorting bench still used today.
Bill D

[lowell holmes]

There is a drive in box at our post office.

I find our carriers to be polite and prompt.

[Michael Weber]

Today’s local papers lead story is about mail stolen from drop boxes. These are just outside the main post office. Checks stolen are being cashed. In most cases the amounts have been modified to a much larger amount. The story doesn’t mention how a check for say $95.50 is changed to $9000 but it can’t be simple. Also, nothing in the story indicates who cashes such large checks. Nor any details about how the contents of the drop boxes was achieved. Seemed kind of negligent from a journalistic viewpoint. But our paper is slowly dying and it’s Editor is some young hipster dude.

[Doug Dawson]

Today’s local papers lead story is about mail stolen from drop boxes. These are just outside the main post office. Checks stolen are being cashed. In most cases the amounts have been modified to a much larger amount. The story doesn’t mention how a check for say $95.50 is changed to $9000 but it can’t be simple. Also, nothing in the story indicates who cashes such large checks. Nor any details about how the contents of the drop boxes was achieved. Seemed kind of negligent from a journalistic viewpoint. But our paper is slowly dying and it’s Editor is some young hipster dude.

Apparently the postal police (no pun intended) have been withdrawn from patrol duty, so I can understand how this would be happening.

You can google for the latest news on that.

[Bill Dufour]

Probably in the 1970's thieves broke into a mail drop box and took all the checks. tossed the other mail. They took a counter check, invented a company name, used my fathers account number and forged his signature. Cashed it on a busy Friday afternoon in downtown Oakland for about 500$.
The postal inspector came by and turns out this was a gang traveling up and down the state changing cities every week. Every Friday payday, Multiple checks, multiple banks, multiple accounts all within minutes of each other. They had a good forger in the crew. I thought it was my dad's signature. He could tell it was not.
They gave my dad a letter so he did not have to pay any late fees for unpaid bills since the checks had been stolen in transit proving he had mailed them
Bill D