Sound Off: Is it legal to park in front of mailboxes? If ... / LJWorld.com

Sound Off

Parking in front of a mailbox is perfectly legal within Lawrence and Douglas County as long as cars are allowed to park along the street in the area. However, park there at your own risk. The U.S. Postal Service does not require employees to exit their vehicles to put mail into obstructed mailboxes. So unless you want to miss out on your mail, or anger the owner of the mailbox you are blocking, find a different parking spot.

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KS 1 year ago

Lazy mail carrier!

paul85 1 year ago

Agreed. Just because you can't reach the mailbox from the comfort of your mail vehicle doesn't mean that you don't have to deliver the mail. It is still your responsibility as the mail carrier to ensure the mail gets to the homeowner. If you don't feel that this is your job, then you shouldn't be employed as a mail carrier.

Had this discussion with our old mail carrier once. Due to circumstances outside our control, our neighbor would sometimes park in front of our mailbox. Surely not our fault, but she commented that she didn't have to get out to put the mail in our mailbox, but was doing so from the kindness of her heart. Never wanted to smack someone so much before in my life.

It would be like me driving to work and not being able to park in the closest spot so I go home because its inconvenient of me to walk half a block to get to my building because the closer spots were already taken.

question4u 1 year ago

"It would be like me driving to work and not being able to park in the closest spot so I go home because its inconvenient of me to walk half a block to get to my building because the closer spots were already taken."

Analogies need to refer to something comparable. In what way is skipping one mailbox equivalent to you not showing up for work for the day? What if your employer specifically told you that you did not have to come into work if the parking lot was full? Would you come in anyway? If you did, would you say that it was not out of the "goodness of your heart"?

Do you think that your mailbox is the only one that has ever been blocked by parked cars? What happens if you multiply the time that it takes for the carrier to find a place to park and walk back to a mailbox by 20 or 30? If that adds an extra half hour to the carrier's day, do you think that the cost of delivery should be increased or that the carrier should just accept that without complaint? But, of course that still wouldn't be out of "the goodness of her heart" and she'd better watch out so that you don't "smack" her.

pace 1 year ago

So you think how you feel is the truth, and the regulations should be different. I appreciate how you feel. but the truth is the postperson isn't required to get out of their vehicle. Get over your anger at the postperson, thank her if she did this service. You are entitled to your anger at the regulation, the regulation does not accommodate the reality that someone's car that is legally parked can block another person getting their mail put in their mail box. Your anger and rancor at the post person is just shallow self serving, and the abuse you fantasize about giving her is disgusting.

staceymn 1 year ago

You do not know what you are talking about. We are doing our job, by not stopping if the box does not have a safe area to drive up and then drive away from. It would be like you going to work and having a car parked in front of your desk. Or a pile of snow in front of it to leap over to get to your chair. It is all about safety. I feel sorry for you people who are so quick to judge, and really you wanted to hit some one that was doing something nice for you? There is NO pleasing such a negative person. You would not last a Week being a USPS employee.

themiddlechild 1 year ago

Agree, our mailman will not even ring the door bell when he delivers package, he just put a note on the door that says," Sorry we missed you today." If he has time to put the note on the door why can't he just ring the door bell?

Tomato 1 year ago

We actually complained to the Post Master about this, because we'd end up with the slips even when we were home.

Now, our carrier stands at the door, fills out the slip and THEN rings the doorbell, driving off before we can get to the door.

I've actually caught her doing it. I saw her pull up, so I got up and opened the door, only to find her actively filling out the slip without having rung the doorbell.

I don't at all understand why it's so hard to ring the doorbell, then fill the slip out and leave if we're too slow. It has to be an intentional effort to not give us the package.

I've learned that our mail carrier is always back at the Post Office by 4pm. Every time, the counter people look at the slip and say "You're supposed to come tomorrow, they won't be back yet." And I have to laugh and say, "Trust me. They're back."

staceymn 1 year ago

If You know she is there open the door. She was filing out the slip because that is her job, and then she was going to ring the bell.....but you just happened to open the door first. Why would she go to the door and Not ring it.....Maybe you should get a Post Office Box and go in every day. If you have that many packages that need to be signed for and you are not home when the carrier gets to your home. Trust me you would still complain. Because I have a feeling you are pretty Good at it.

Tomato 1 year ago

Why wouldn't she ring the doorbell first, then fill out the slip while she gives me time to open it? The only reason I caught her, and didn't just find the slip (like usual), was that I happened to see her.

I don't see her every time. I don't sit by my window waiting for the mailman.

And the fact is, if I didn't get that many packages, this person wouldn't have a job. Generally, the package mail person is not the same as the regular mail person.

If I need to get a post office box in order to get my packages - then I'm doing this mailperson's job for her.

That said - it sounds like you might be her.

Maybe I'll complain some more. The truth is, it helps. The first time I complained because she never bothered to even leave the slip - I would get a final notice and that was all, and would find out that my packages had been sitting at the post office for three weeks. The second time, I complained because she didn't ever ring the doorbell, just left a slip. Now she rings the doorbell and runs - not much of an improvement.

But hey, one more complaint, and maybe she'd do her actual job, instead of heading to the post office two hours early.

staceymn 1 year ago

Because you must of had to have to sign for it Or the Carrier would leave it. What you wrote does not make sense. We do not leave notes on the doors. We leave notes in your mailbox if we go to the door and you do not answer to sign for a package that we can not leave without you signing for. Otherwise the package would be just left by your door. Sounds like you just want to complain....

Take_a_letter_Maria 1 year ago

From the USPS web page. It would appear from this that a mail carrier does not have to get out of their vehicle if your box is blocked.

3.2.6 Location Subject to state laws and regulations, a curbside mailbox must be placed to allow safe and convenient delivery by carriers without leaving their vehicles. The box must be on the right-hand side of the road in the direction of travel of the carriers on any new rural route or highway contract route, in all cases where traffic conditions are dangerous for the carriers to drive to the left to reach the box, or where their doing so would violate traffic laws and regulations.

staceymn 1 year ago

You have no idea what a mail carrier does. Because lazy is not it.

JackMcKee 1 year ago

Is it legal to park your car for weeks in the same spot?

dulcinea47 1 year ago

No. The legal time limit is something ridiculously short like 48 hours. But if there is a broken down car just sitting there for weeks on end you can probably call the city and get it towed.

JackMcKee 1 year ago

what kind of proof do I need? Got some out of state SUV that's been in the same spot (in front on the neighborhood mailbox no less) for 4 months.

KRichards 1 year ago

No proof. Just call and tell them. They will mark the car and tow it in a day or two if it hasn't been moved.

JackMcKee 1 year ago

might be Al Quida. Posting the tag number in a bit in case the NSA is monitoring

KRichards 1 year ago

The system works good if you just make a call to the police department. They will come out and flag the car. If it still hasn't moved by a day or two later, they will make it disappear.

DillonBarnes 1 year ago

Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night can stay these messengers about their duty, but I ain't getting out of this seat!

grammaddy 1 year ago

Can you get a letter across the country in a few days for less than the price of a postage stamp?

tomatogrower 1 year ago

My thoughts exactly, grammdaddy. Our postage rates are really cheap, especially with the price of gas.

parrothead8 1 year ago

No, but I can send an email anywhere in the world almost instantly for next to nothing.

DillonBarnes 1 year ago

It's like a Little Ceasar's hot n ready $5 pizza.

Where else can you get a $5 pizza in 5 minutes or less? No where, but you get one of the worst pizza's imaginable (IMO).

Sure, it's relatively cheap to mail a letter across the country, but the demand for that has fallen drastically, and USPS has drastically cut in quality to try and maintain a cheap price. For me, it's usually not worth it. Sure, if I've got an unimportant letter to mail, USPS usually works, but if I'm shipping anything in a box, it's worth it to me to UPS it. Better service and faster shipping times is well worth the very slight increase in price for shipping.

staceymn 1 year ago

What's wrong is you have no idea, or you would not make such a silly comment.

budwhysir 1 year ago

if yer in front of the box, and the wind might blow my locks, I have to wait till the next day for there is no other way. So if its for bills you are waitin or a post card from vacation, move yer van, or take yer truck, cause if yer parked in front of the box, yer just out a luck

staceymn 1 year ago

You got it. So just do it.

guppypunkhead 1 year ago

We had a neighbor who would park in front of our mailbox, even though we asked him nicely not to. Our mail was rarely being delivered because of this. So, I called the post office and told them what was going on and that we had made an effort to try to get the person not to park there. The post office people were very nice and left a note for our carrier to please try to deliver our mail anyway, and he did.

somedude20 1 year ago

Maybe the U.S. Postal Service can charge a $5 convenience fee to put the mail in your box otherwise, you can pick it off the driveway

staceymn 1 year ago

Sounds like a plan.

ozmaster2 1 year ago

In Texas, I was told that the mail carrier isn't allowed to get out of the vehicle to deliver mail when a car is blocking the mailbox.

CWGOKU 1 year ago

Shoot, I'm going to start parking in front of my mailbox so I don't get any more bills. Seems that is all I get in the mail

Frankie8 1 year ago

Mail carriers have to obey the regulations they work under same as everyone else. I do wonder about passing a law stating that it is legal to park in front of a mailbox and then put a regulation is place that says the carrier does not have to deliver the mail in such a case.

Ron Holzwarth 1 year ago

I doubt very much that a law was passed stating that it is legal to park in front of a mailbox. It's much more likely that the subject was simply never addressed.

It would be very simple for the city of Lawrence to mark areas in front of mailboxes as 'No Parking' areas.

Cant_have_it_both_ways 1 year ago

Obviously there are two sides, but methinks, they are paid to deliver the mail, so they should deliver the mail. The selfish neighbor that parks in front of the mailbox should get a blanket party.

staceymn 1 year ago

Methinks they would if they could....

verity 1 year ago

If people leave their cars parked in front of or close to a mailbox overnight, it's not a problem as mail carriers rarely work at night. I asked the Police Dept once about putting out orange cones in front of my house so a moving van would be able to park there in the morning and it seems they can't do that, I think they said only the city could do that. The moving people brought their truck the evening before and I parked my vehicle behind them overnight so there would be room for them to maneuver.

These rants about lazy mail carriers are passing ridiculous. By the time the carrier finds a place to park and walks back to the box, it could take more than a few minutes and multiply that by even a few episodes and you get a significant amount of time. Apparently they are not paid to deliver around a parked vehicle.

In my neighborhood people are polite and considerate and generally make sure not to park where it inconveniences the mail carrier. When someone does, she still delivers the mail and quite often I see her carrying packages up to a house instead of making the person go to the Post Office to pick it up. She deserves credit and appreciation for this, not a smack.

Pywacket 1 year ago

The postal carrier would not have to take time to find a place to park ... They could just put their emergency blinkers on, walk up to the mailbox, and walk back. For that matter, they could pull into the driveway for the few SECONDS required to complete this task.

Beer trucks seem to have no problem stopping in the middle of DOWNTOWN streets while the driver dolleys cases of beer into the local bars and traffic has to figure out how to get around them without a head-on collision, so there shouldn't be a problem with a mail car or truck occasionally stopping in the street to run the mail up to a house.

How nice for you that you live in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and everyone is polite and considerate. Obviously, from reading the comments here, it would seem that others have rude or selfish neighbors--or maybe the neighbors just have guests who don't think about mailbox logistics. There's not necessarily a villain in the mix.

Unless this happens every day, it hardly seems unreasonable to expect the carrier (now, that's an anachronistic term!!) to figure out how to get the mail to the box or to the house if there's a package.

My brother is a mail carrier who actually carries the mail. He has a foot route--and, yes, manages to complete his work, come rain, sleet, or biting dog. He's been bitten at least twice over the years. He has a bit of an attitude toward those with motor routes who won't get off their duffs to solve a minor problem.

staceymn 1 year ago

Sound like your family has Too much Attitude and Not enough sense.

staceymn 1 year ago

Thank you, I really appreciate your kind words. I really enjoy seeing the words, polite and considerate. So many people lack these quilities. Thank you again.

bornon7 1 year ago

My mail carrier delivers the wrong mail to us, so my neighbors and I go around deliviering to the correct house. I called about this, and the next time I had mail to go out, and I put my flag up, the carrier left my outgoing mail and put the new mail right on top of them!! I go to a big blue drop off box if I need something sent. I guess I got punished by the carrier.

Lynn731 1 year ago

Mail service is bad enough already. It should be illegal to park in front of a mailbox. Thank you, Lynn

a_flock_of_jayhawks 1 year ago

I came home after being gone for about a week to find my mailbox stuffed with wet mail and laying in the driveway

bender 1 year ago

Should have asked your neighbor to park their car in front of your box!

Pywacket 1 year ago

Some of the comments here are great examples of why the USPS is in trouble. As their prices rise, their service drops. While there are some considerate carriers who will make an effort, there are many more who are sloppy, careless, inconsiderate, and wouldn't get out of their vehicle for love nor money.

We don't have parking on our semi-rural street (houses are all on at least one acre) but the carriers over the years have ranged from adequate to deplorable when it comes to placing the right mail in the right box. We have frequently had to deliver our neighbors' mail to them and have also gotten lots of mail for people who don't live anywhere near us. In some cases, the recipient had the same last name as us--everything else was different--first name, house number, street name.... Very careless!

When I send packages, I use FedEx or UPS. I'd rather pay more for better service. Most businesses, if they're struggling, try harder. The post office arrogantly seems to try less, then they wonder why they're in a bad situation.

deec 1 year ago

USPS is 8 billion dollars in the red last year, because the volume of first class mail has dropped over the last several years. It costs usps about 70 cents to process and deliver a 1 oz. first class letter. Congress declined last year to authorize a raise in rates necessary to cover those expenses. Instead, rates were raised 1 cent.

Carriers are not obligated to violate their work rules and policies, just as any other worker is not required to violate their work rules. Auto routes are analyzed for every move they make. The number of starts, stops, u-turns, steps taken, etc are all counted so that routes can be adjusted when necessary. Postal carriers have no right to park in the public right of way to wander up to someone's home and deliver a package or whatnot. I'd guess blocking the road would be a violation of policy and could lead to discipline or firing.

staceymn 1 year ago

I know you could not last a week being a Rural Carrier. Besides you would only be a Bad Mix to the situation.

JackMcKee 1 year ago

Here's my next Sound Off!

"How do you submit a question to Sound Off!"?

Bill_Slu 1 year ago

Next question, How do you throw away a garbage can? I have been leaving it by the curb but they never take it.

Tomato 1 year ago

Tape a note to it stating: "Garbage pick up - please remove can. It is garbage."

That's what I did.

riverdrifter 1 year ago

A friend had this problem with a local neighborhood jerk parking in front of her mailbox. He could've parked a lot of other places, but this mailbox was in the shade. Anyway, when his windshield got smashed for the second time he figured it out.

oxymoron 1 year ago

I live in an older neighborhood and our letter carrier has a foot route. I have a rather steep drive and these men and women walk up my drive, usually in good cheer, put the mail in my mailbox and any boxes on the porch. And this is in rain, snow or ice. I think they are terrific.

ssteve1 12 months ago

Yes, they have the right to skip it! And, when this happens, not only can they skip that box but they can skip the next three boxes, then mix up the mail in the next... Who is the moron that thinks up this crap????

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