US Postal Service Mail Boxes removed

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Author Message   mlj Citizen Username: Mlj Post Number: 150 Registered: 6-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 4:37 pm:        I called the 800 # for the US postal service (since the # I had for our Maplewood Post Office is no longer valid). Anyway, I inquired about the mail box which was removed from my corner. I was informed that 20 mail boxes have been removed from Maplewood due to lack of use. I was further informed as to the location of the nearest mail boxes, which are blocks and hills away. Of course, I need the exercise, but....now I have no mailbox (and landmark on my corner when driving home and when directing company to our home! Sorry if this topic has been previously posted. I don't visit MOL too often anymore because of all the unending bickering. I have enough of that at the office and at home Cheers!   Tommy Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 265 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 4:44 pm:        The post office seems to be doing this all over. I could easily believe that people use these mailboxes less than ever, now that junk mail dominates the postal service. Also, email and faxes have replaced a lot of first class mail. Is the post office supposed to pick up mail from our our personal mail boxes? My wife left mail there, and it got picked up, and I thought, "class act!" I've only lived in apartments, and I knew they do this for some houses, but I don't know where they do and where they don't. Tom Reingold   #9Dream Citizen Username: 9dream Post Number: 498 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 4:54 pm:        I don't think they're supposed to but our mailman does it, which is very nice of him. I'd imagine the volume of mail has dropped significantly. We now pay most of our bills online, and hardly ever send anything via US mail anymore. Remember that episode of Seinfeld in which Kramer wanted to cancel his mail? Newman was insisting "You NEED your mail!" and when pressed, couldn't come up with one reason why.   sac Citizen Username: Sac Post Number: 28 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 7:50 pm:        My outgoing letter mail is always picked up from my mailbox and I never heard that this wasn't supposed to happen. I fact, I thought that it was part of the duty of the mail carrier. However, I did once leave a package (with proper Priority mail postage on it) and received a note that indicated I needed to bring it to the PO. This seemed to confirm my assumption that it was OK to put out letters.   Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 1781 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 8:24 pm:        Our mail carrier encourages us to leave our outgoing letters in our mail slot. We seldom do this because it so convenient for us to place letters in the mail box by the train station (we both take the train every weekday). Does anyone know if the post office is still requiring customers to mail letters above a certain size and/or weight directly at the post office?   tupperjo Citizen Username: Tupperjo Post Number: 54 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 10:26 pm:        Our mail carrier picks up our letters also. I have them clipped to the front of our mailbox. He has even taken the 37 cents taped to the envelope and put a stamp on it.   jgberkeley Supporter Username: Jgberkeley Post Number: 3064 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 9:28 am:        It is a requirement for Letter Carriers to pickup out going mail from your home. Source: Father, letter carrier for 36 years.   kevin Citizen Username: Kevin Post Number: 67 Registered: 2-2002 Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 9:41 am:        I grew up slighly out west (meaning 15 minute drive) where mailboxes were at the end of your driveway. If you are not familiar with these mailboxes, most have a flag attached to them. When you put the flag up, it was meant as a signal to the postal carrier that you had outgoing mail. So yes, the carriers pick up outgoing letters from your mailbox.   millie Citizen Username: Millie Post Number: 68 Registered: 6-2001 Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 4:37 pm:        Joan, Yes, if you're mailing 17 or 18 ounces or more (can't recall which), you have to present to the PO in person.   Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 1800 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 4:44 pm:        I just took a walk to check and sure enough my favorite mail box (corner of Prospect and Tuscan) which has always proven to be so convenient being on the way to so many destinations: a community meeting at Prospect Church, Springfield Avenue, the main branch of the library, the village, etc. has been removed. The closest mail box which was still standing as of about an hour ago is very much up hill at Prospect Street opposite Burnett Terrace and not nearly as convenient to any of the aforementioned destinations.   Musetta Citizen Username: Musetta Post Number: 7 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 7:12 am:        ok..dumb question....where do you leave mail to be picked up with a mail slot on your door? Do you clip it or something? We moved from NYC to a rural area with a mail box at the end of the drive - you know...put the letters in and put up the little red flag so the mailman knows there is mail to be picked up? The home we are buying in Maplewood has a slot in the door. I hope I can still mail things from home!   Iaowks Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 354 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 5:18 pm:        Does someone have an answer to Musetta's question? If not, I suggest you post your question in the "Please help" section. Tom Reingold   woodstock Citizen Username: Woodstock Post Number: 281 Registered: 9-2002 Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 5:30 pm:        I've seen people with a clothespin on their door (or doorpost) for outbound mail. I'm not sure if that's the Postal Service sanctioned way of putting out mail, but it does seem to get picked up. Waiting For The Electrician, Or Someone Like Him   ffof Citizen Username: Ffof Post Number: 1348 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 5:32 pm:        Ay carumba - stick letters halfway through slot so they stick out.   amandacat Citizen Username: Amandacat Post Number: 189 Registered: 8-2001 Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 5:33 pm:        When I want something picked up from my house, I usually wedge my outgoing mail half in/half out of my mail slot, or else I lay it on the top step of my stoop, in front of the slot. Both methods are vulnerable to wind/weather/thieves (the latter is the only one that hasn't been a problem so far), so more often than not I usually end up just mailing my letters from the USPS mailbox I pass on my way to the train station. If I REALLY wanted to mail things exclusively from my home, I think I'd invest in a mail box (not the driveway kind, but the mount-on-the-house kind) to use in lieu of the slot.   sac Citizen Username: Sac Post Number: 650 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 8:35 pm:        One big advantage of a slot is that you don't have to worry about stopping the mail when you go on vacation. It can just pile up in your entryway or whatever is on the inside side of the slot. I had a slot in my previous home and I do miss it!   Musetta Citizen Username: Musetta Post Number: 9 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - 7:20 am:        Thanks! It was just one of those nagging little questions in the back of my head :-) Actually, I really do love the idea of the slot...my mail box is not close to my door at all (in this house, it is down the drive and across the street grouped with a bunch of other boxes) and I have actually seen kids opening the boxes to check out what's inside - makes my worried if I am expecting something important...feel like I have to be home to get it right away! My mailwomen also leaves ALL packages in a plastic Shoprite bag (I guess she collects these from home! :-) and hangs it on the box. I've filled out forms to give her permission to leave things on my porch; when that didn't work, I signed a something at the post office saying not to deliver anything that does not fit in the box - I'd gladly pick it up at the post office myself....no luck...she still leaves everything out hanging on the box in a big, bright yellow bag that says "PLEASE come steal me! (If I don't get ruined in the rain.) Anyway...see guys? Could be much worse! I will be SO hapy to leave my mailwoman behind and move on to Maplewood! :-) I am having a bit of a freak-out though - MY buyers do not have their mortgage commitment yet...and we are supossed to close on Friday! My husband has fobidden any more packing in case it jinx (sp?) it! Somehow, he thinks if we are totally unrepared and have to scramble at the last minute, there's a better chance of it happening on Friday! Not really the place for me to ramble on...but I needed to vent *laugh* Wish me luck.   kathy Citizen Username: Kathy Post Number: 580 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 10:18 pm:        Good luck, Musetta!