I also would like to see the baseball bat attempts on such mailboxes... ouch!
Rural Mailboxes
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JimBinMI
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Wen,
About two years ago our metal mailbox was blown up by a bottle bomb. That was the first vandalism in 7 years, felt pretty lucky. I have a back up mailbox in the barn from the previous house and was planning on using it. Wife called the police, they warned about clean-up with the chemicals but said they couldn't do much. Then, about when I'm ready to use the replacement box, the neighbor lady down the street calls and said that her sons buddies did it. She reamed them up one side and down the other, said we were their friends and neighbors and what they did to us they did to them, and made them replace it, numbers and all. They even mounted it, did a good job too! I always thought she was a good neighbor/friend/mom/carpool partner but she won more stars for this action!
Not to get political, but sometimes I do agree with Hillary Clinton when she says it takes a village to raise a child. We all have a responsibility, but some parents do a better job than others.
JimBinMI
We boys and our toys!
About two years ago our metal mailbox was blown up by a bottle bomb. That was the first vandalism in 7 years, felt pretty lucky. I have a back up mailbox in the barn from the previous house and was planning on using it. Wife called the police, they warned about clean-up with the chemicals but said they couldn't do much. Then, about when I'm ready to use the replacement box, the neighbor lady down the street calls and said that her sons buddies did it. She reamed them up one side and down the other, said we were their friends and neighbors and what they did to us they did to them, and made them replace it, numbers and all. They even mounted it, did a good job too! I always thought she was a good neighbor/friend/mom/carpool partner but she won more stars for this action!
Not to get political, but sometimes I do agree with Hillary Clinton when she says it takes a village to raise a child. We all have a responsibility, but some parents do a better job than others.
JimBinMI
We boys and our toys!
Roy
Platinum Member
I haven't found that sweet spot! Over 12 years, I have lost 2 to plows, non to vandals. Problem with the plows is they just can't tell were the road edge is, so they set their own course. So far I have been surviving (current box has lasted 8 years) by making sure that I clear the area before the plows come. This is not a problem, since I usually get the plows 24 to 48 hours after the snow fall stops.
Regarding the vandals. Was once told a story (so it's hearsay, so I can't validate it) about a guy who was sick of the destruction, used concrete in a decoy box. The kids hit it with a bat, the bat's recoil broke the car's glass, the car hit a tree. Well, per this story, the culprits successfully sued the mailbox builder for all damages to the car plus personal injuries. Don't know if it's true, but believe it could happen. After all, in the USA, we are not responsible for knowing that coffee is hot /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.
Regarding the vandals. Was once told a story (so it's hearsay, so I can't validate it) about a guy who was sick of the destruction, used concrete in a decoy box. The kids hit it with a bat, the bat's recoil broke the car's glass, the car hit a tree. Well, per this story, the culprits successfully sued the mailbox builder for all damages to the car plus personal injuries. Don't know if it's true, but believe it could happen. After all, in the USA, we are not responsible for knowing that coffee is hot /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.
MarkV
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Wen-Thats a great story!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Kids will be kids, but, I wonder if that dad kicks butt as hard as mine did. If I had lost a camper off a truck I don't know if I would have ever gone home.
gordon
Veteran Member
At my last house I was pretty far off the road and replaced two mailboxes to baseball bats.
Then I made one out of a piece of scrap 8" steel pipe welded a back on and a hinged front. I welded this onto a 4" steel pipe and set in quickcrete. Over the next few years a few dings in the paint HA HA but thats all.
Where I live now so far I've been lucky just a regular box lets hope it stays that way. But if it doesn't I've got a welder and torches and I'm not afraid to use them /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon
Then I made one out of a piece of scrap 8" steel pipe welded a back on and a hinged front. I welded this onto a 4" steel pipe and set in quickcrete. Over the next few years a few dings in the paint HA HA but thats all.
Where I live now so far I've been lucky just a regular box lets hope it stays that way. But if it doesn't I've got a welder and torches and I'm not afraid to use them /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon
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For a second job I do home inspections when people are purchacing a new (used) house. While doing an inspection the home owner suggested I look at the mailbox. From even a few feet away it looked like any other mailbox, but I noticed it was mounted on a 6"x6" I-beam for a post. A closer inspection revealed it was made of 5/16" thick steel plate, complete with working door. It's shape and size were identical to the standard mailbox.
The owner explained that over two years he had replaced about 30 mailboxes due to vandals. The police were no help at all. He even hid in the bushes at night in the hope of catching them, but never did. They were smashing the boxes with a 1" iron bar about 5 ft long.
He had finally had enough and went to a welding shop to have this mailbox made. It cost $300 but he decided it was less expensive than continuous replacement. The mailbox was welded to the I-beam post and the post was 7 ft long.
Next step was to mount the post. He said he purchaced about 25 bags of concrete mix. He planned a hole about 3 ft in diameter. He got down 2 ft deep and hit solid rock and he had 4 ft of post to plant. Next he rented a jackhammer and made a 2 ft deep hole in the rock. He filled everything up with concrete.
About a week after this at 3:00 AM he heard a really loud clang followed by a scream and then lots of cussing and the truck sped off. He went out to find a small nick in the paint on the mailbox and the iron bar on the ground beside it. It never was touched by vandals again.
When winter came, one day during a storm the plow got to close and hit the mail box post. It stopped the truck dead in it's tracks and even stalled the engine. This was a large dump truck with a 10 or 12 ft plow. The plow driver didn't understand what had happened. The post did not even move. The plow steared clear of his mailbox after that.
Andy
The owner explained that over two years he had replaced about 30 mailboxes due to vandals. The police were no help at all. He even hid in the bushes at night in the hope of catching them, but never did. They were smashing the boxes with a 1" iron bar about 5 ft long.
He had finally had enough and went to a welding shop to have this mailbox made. It cost $300 but he decided it was less expensive than continuous replacement. The mailbox was welded to the I-beam post and the post was 7 ft long.
Next step was to mount the post. He said he purchaced about 25 bags of concrete mix. He planned a hole about 3 ft in diameter. He got down 2 ft deep and hit solid rock and he had 4 ft of post to plant. Next he rented a jackhammer and made a 2 ft deep hole in the rock. He filled everything up with concrete.
About a week after this at 3:00 AM he heard a really loud clang followed by a scream and then lots of cussing and the truck sped off. He went out to find a small nick in the paint on the mailbox and the iron bar on the ground beside it. It never was touched by vandals again.
When winter came, one day during a storm the plow got to close and hit the mail box post. It stopped the truck dead in it's tracks and even stalled the engine. This was a large dump truck with a 10 or 12 ft plow. The plow driver didn't understand what had happened. The post did not even move. The plow steared clear of his mailbox after that.
Andy
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W5FL
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Great story Andy,
You can't make them indestructable, but you can make them where it is easier to go somewhere else. That is probably the best we can hope for. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I lost another mailbox when a Tornado hit our house. It tore out a 100 year old Oak tree that was about 24 inches in diameter. It went through the back fence and took my other mailbox out level with the ground.
Two more limbs from the tree came in through the windows and was in the Family Room! /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif
You can't make them indestructable, but you can make them where it is easier to go somewhere else. That is probably the best we can hope for. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I lost another mailbox when a Tornado hit our house. It tore out a 100 year old Oak tree that was about 24 inches in diameter. It went through the back fence and took my other mailbox out level with the ground.
Two more limbs from the tree came in through the windows and was in the Family Room! /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif
OP
W5FL
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Roy,
The Rural Postmaster was concerned about someone hitting the heavy mailbox. I set it as far off the road as possible and he admitted that there was no other way to solve the problem.
Take out lots of liability insurance and your insurance company will defend you. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
The Rural Postmaster was concerned about someone hitting the heavy mailbox. I set it as far off the road as possible and he admitted that there was no other way to solve the problem.
Take out lots of liability insurance and your insurance company will defend you. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
JimBinMI
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Roy,
I've also been told that if your mailbox does damage to someone else that you could be held responsible.
My neighbor across the road and I have our boxes within 3' of each other. Mine is on a 4"x4" and his is on a length of old telephone pole. Somebody tried, accidentally or on purpose, to back over them, mine was pushed a little because his stopped them.
If you ever wondered what kind of kid does this, my high school class valedictorian used to do it with some other seemingly intelligent yet bored friends. I remember hearing about it back in school. Wonder if he's ever had his banged up and what he thought of it? What comes around goes around! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
JimBinMI
We boys and our toys!
I've also been told that if your mailbox does damage to someone else that you could be held responsible.
My neighbor across the road and I have our boxes within 3' of each other. Mine is on a 4"x4" and his is on a length of old telephone pole. Somebody tried, accidentally or on purpose, to back over them, mine was pushed a little because his stopped them.
If you ever wondered what kind of kid does this, my high school class valedictorian used to do it with some other seemingly intelligent yet bored friends. I remember hearing about it back in school. Wonder if he's ever had his banged up and what he thought of it? What comes around goes around! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
JimBinMI
We boys and our toys!
richh
Gold Member
Andy I want one just like that. Do you know anyone that installs?
Rich/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Rich/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif