I have a RANT .

[HEC]

I live in northern Maine so we don't have to many driving problems up here unless you want to count moose in the road . I do have a rant though about our broke postal service . We have a mail box at the side of the road and our mailman is so lazy he can't even be bothered to close the door even when it is pouring rain . News paper and mail soaking wet today again .

 

[aczlan]

I live in northern Maine so we don't have to many driving problems up here unless you want to count moose in the road . I do have a rant though about our broke postal service . We have a mail box at the side of the road and our mailman is so lazy he can't even be bothered to close the door even when it is pouring rain . News paper and mail soaking wet today again .

Mount a screen door spring inside (such as: MINTCRAFT LR100 Screen Door/Gate Spring, 5/16-Inch - Screen Door Hardware - Amazon.com ) so that it pulls the door shut?

Aaron Z

 

[HEC]

Mount a screen door spring inside (such as: MINTCRAFT LR100 Screen Door/Gate Spring, 5/16-Inch - Screen Door Hardware - Amazon.com ) so that it pulls the door shut?

Aaron Z

He would have to use both hands out his car window , can you imagine his complaints then . He would break that in no time short.

 

[Bird]

It's not unusual for the most common kind of mailboxes to have the little latch bent just a little so it doesn't stay shut when you close it, but it's a relatively easy fix by bending it just a tiny bit. Of course, since I've not seen your box, I sure can't say that's the problem. You may be right about the mail carrier not closing it, but in my experience that would be very unusual; not impossible, but unusual.

 

[HEC]

It's not unusual for the most common kind of mailboxes to have the little latch bent just a little so it doesn't stay shut when you close it, but it's a relatively easy fix by bending it just a tiny bit. Of course, since I've not seen your box, I sure can't say that's the problem. You may be right about the mail carrier not closing it, but in my experience that would be very unusual; not impossible, but unusual.

Oh I make sure everything is in working order and when we have snow storms I make sure he has no problem getting to the box . In the summer when the weather is nice he gets better .

 

[dave1949]

It's not unusual for the most common kind of mailboxes to have the little latch bent just a little so it doesn't stay shut when you close it, but it's a relatively easy fix by bending it just a tiny bit. Of course, since I've not seen your box, I sure can't say that's the problem. You may be right about the mail carrier not closing it, but in my experience that would be very unusual; not impossible, but unusual.

Most of the mail boxes at HD and the local hardware have plastic latch clips. You can find all-metal mailboxes but around here you have to hunt them, or pay quite a bit more for fancier snowplow bait. :laughing: Our mailboxes take a beating in winter and for that reason people don't like to spend much on them. My last box was rusting through from road salt.

 

[HEC]

I do have the metal kind and yes they can take a beating or two during the winter months . I know the plow driver on my road so he is as careful as he can be ,not just with mine but everyones .

 

[Buggs67]

Stop flashing your lights at me - it distracts me from texting!

Good one!

 

[300UGUY]

Most of the mail boxes at HD and the local hardware have plastic latch clips. You can find all-metal mailboxes but around here you have to hunt them, or pay quite a bit more for fancier snowplow bait. :laughing: Our mailboxes take a beating in winter and for that reason people don't like to spend much on them. My last box was rusting through from road salt.

I changed over to a Rubbermaid plastic thingy. It's survived the local rednecks and their baseball bats longer than any metal one has.

 

[Bird]

Most of the mail boxes at HD and the local hardware have plastic latch clips. You can find all-metal mailboxes but around here you have to hunt them, or pay quite a bit more for fancier snowplow bait. :laughing: Our mailboxes take a beating in winter and for that reason people don't like to spend much on them. My last box was rusting through from road salt.

I don't have those problems.

 

[dave1949]

I changed over to a Rubbermaid plastic thingy. It's survived the local rednecks and their baseball bats longer than any metal one has.

Never tried the Rubbermaid boxes, could be worth a shot.

I've always thought the only real solution is some plate steel and a welder, but one time my mailbox was taken down by a pickup truck that lost control on the ice. He must have been flying because he left scars on the trees at the side of the road, bounced off those and rolled several times. The engine and transmission totally separated from the truck. He was hauled off in an ambulance lucky to be alive. Not sure any box would survive that and my mailbox was the first thing he hit.

Maybe there is a place to buy used airplane 'black boxes'?

 

[dave1949]

I don't have those problems.

I reckon not. I don't think that would be allowed in the road right-of-way here. My mailbox has to be in the right-of-way for the driver to get to it. It's a State road too where the DOT could get involved.

Our lot boundaries are at the edge of the right-of-way, not to the middle of the street like some places. We don't own any of the right-of-way in other words.

 

[Mace Canute]

One of my bigger complaints in this area is those who "creep" slowly through the entrance onto a freeway, causing traffic already on the freeway to brake and slow. And you can almost bet that once onto the freeway and having slowed other traffic, that person will very gradually accelerate to at least 10 mph over the speed limit.

There's also their cousins who get onto a merge lane and then stop until the traffic lane is clear for a huge distance so they can "safely" get onto it. Makes it exciting for the people coming up behind them who are accelerating so they can smoothly merge with traffic.

 

[s219]

Yeah, around here you have to put roadside mailboxes on a 4x4 post, no exceptions, per state DOT. I cheated a little though. A store bought 4x4 to most people is really 3.5x3.5. I milled my own to true 4" dimensions.

 

[Jstpssng]

There's also their cousins who get onto a merge lane and then stop until the traffic lane is clear for a huge distance so they can "safely" get onto it. Makes it exciting for the people coming up behind them who are accelerating so they can smoothly merge with traffic.

Traffic was backed up all the way down the off ramp to the mall into the right lane of I95, so I was passing on the left. Suddenly the driver in front of me decided he needed to go shopping so he stopped.
Dead.
In the passing lane.

Luckily there was nobody behind me.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

If you're behind me and I can read a newspaper on my dash by your headlights, you're wrong.

 

[turnkey4099]

Traffic was backed up all the way down the off ramp to the mall into the right lane of I95, so I was passing on the left. Suddenly the driver in front of me decided he needed to go shopping so he stopped.
Dead.
In the passing lane.


Luckily there was nobody behind me.

Came up behind a box van this morning who was a bit under the posted on Washington SR195 I lagged back until I got tired of waiting for him to either speed up or take a side road. Finally decided to step it up a little and close up so I could pass him (2 lane highway). Suddenly he slowed down (foot off gas), then stepped on brake and when he was down to about 30 finally turned on his left turn signal. Fortunately there was a wide turnout on his right so I didn't have to lay down black stripes but it was close. There was someone behind me but far enough back they didn't have to clean the seat off.

Harry K

 

[Jim Nelson]

I got rear ended today by a sweet young thing who was busy texting.I was the third vehicle in a left turn lane waiting for the light to turn and she smacked into the backend of my 3/4 ton Dodge with her little Hyundai, hard enough to knock my cap into the back seat. When she got out of her car she still had the phone in her hand working away with her thumb. I said you need to throw that thing away and she agreed but couldn't get it un attached from her hand. I think it had grown in.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

If you're behind me and I can read a newspaper on my dash by your headlights, you're wrong.

How about when they are so close you can't even see the headlights behind you... That was a couple nights ago.
tonight I was passed on the right, and I was in the right lane, they passed on the shoulder and forced their way in front of me.
The other day someone coming up an on ramp behind another car got into the right lane and passed the car that was getting on ahead of it. The culprit was a county cop. It's an everyday occurance.

 

[Buggs67]

Who said anything about speed limits? I'm pretty sure I my average speed is below the speed limit. :laughing:

You are correct though, the least stressful and safest driving is done at 2-3 mph below a highway's speed limit.

You have got to be kidding. 62-63 on an Interstate? I hope you at least stay in the right lane.