(WSB photo)
Thanks for the tips! No months-long absence this time for the West Seattle Junction U.S. Post Office‘s drive-up/ride-up mailbox. Three weeks after it was taped up and marked “out of order” (reportedly damaged by a driver) and two weeks after it was taken away, the mailbox returned this morning. We just went to check after multiple tips and were told it’s been back in service for about 15 minutes.
Given the history of damage to such mailboxes (intentional or not) it seems really odd there are no bollards installed near it to encourage drivers to stay a few extra inches away from it.
Why don’t they have those concrete posts surrounding the mail box to prevent cars from hitting it like they have at gas stations. Seems like a pretty easy solution to an ongoing problem.
Was coming to post about why there aren’t any bollards to keep people from running into the box, as they would have certainly paid for themselves by now, and see that I’ve already been beaten by two other people.It’s rising to the definition of insanity level, considering the frequency that the box gets taken out now, yet they just put a new one out without any protection each time.
The USPS is a giant bureaucracy with financial problems. They probably don’t have anyone local with bollard installation in their job description, so now that they have procedures in place to deal with the damaged mailbox slot, probably the fastest and easiest way to get the mailbox back in service is to just keep repairing it and putting it back out without bollards.
The “G B” USPS , has managed to delivered this old Varmits mail pretty damned good, for over 62 YEARZ, thankya vry mooch!
That’s because delivering mail is a standard process. Installing bollards is not a ‘standard’ procedure, and that’s why it doesn’t get done if there isn’t a standard process established for how to make a “change” to a station.
That mailbox is either brand new or the best repair job I have ever seen. In any case, it’s good to know we can drop off mail at that location again.
This thing has the lifespan of tuna salad. Hope drivers can steer clear this time!
Why aren’t the people destroying this mailbox being charged to replace it?
Maybe some caution tape or reflective stickers might help? Glad to see it is back in operation.
Without a bollard on its SE corner, this new bin is on borrowed time. Hope I’m wrong, but…
I think there should be bollards around power poles, fire hydrants, street signs, houses and buildings, and parked cars. Just for starters.
There used to be bollards next to most fire hydrants but they were removed as they defeated the breakaway functions, that may apply here as a safety issue as well.
Don’t think there’s much of a “safety issue” at the approach speed to the mailbox.
I agree with Q – the person(s) who hit the box should be charged for its repair/replacement.
I hope this puts a rest to the silly conspiracy theories that this was somehow a form of voter suppression.
Do you think the persons who hit the box actually stop and fess up? Oh ya, cameras.
I’m Not Sparticus -Nobody theorized a silly conspiracy to suppress voting . The worry was that some voters wouldn’t have known the mailbox was missing until it was too late for them to mail their ballot somewhere else.
Alvis, go check out the second comment on this post: https://westseattleblog.com/2018/10/followup-west-seattle-junction-outdoor-mailbox-gone/
Besides putting some type of raised curb around the nice, new mailbox, I would like to recommend the post office restripe the drive-through area. People who are not savvy to the drive-through try to drive into the exit driveway from the street. This has happened to me twice and it’s not pleasant especially when the offending driver is blocking the driveway to exit and the sidewalk.
I’m Not Sparticus – Thanks for sharing the link. I hadn’t seen that comment from someone who I think was being sarcastic in suggesting a voter suppression conspiracy by the West Seattle Post Office. But maybe the commenter was serious, in which case I apologize for saying that nobody theorized a silly voter suppression conspiracy.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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