I Wish My Letterbox Was Bigger!
By Janey1966
@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
August 11, 2010 7:08am CST
Yes, folks, most people in the UK have a letterbox within the front door (usually in the middle but it really can be placed anywhere) and I should know because I used to have to deliver free newspapers and had to perform like a gymnast to deliver the goods. Postman's nightmare!
Anyway, our letterbox is the bog-standard one most people have in their uPVC doors..not very wide and not that deep so the postman has to knock on the door if he needs to deliver anything more than a couple of inches deep. Luckily, the collection office is open until 8pm so John can drive me up there later on to pick up a parcel the postman could not deliver.
I have a funny story related to a letterbox. Years ago, Dad had a large, wooden door installed at the front of the house and his friend "Nutty Neil" did all the work, including sorting out a letterbox. Mum remembers him hacking away at the door for what seemed like an eternity and when it came for the time to slot the letterbox in...it fell straight through the hole and clattered onto the carpet on the inside!! He wasn't called "Nutty Neil" for nothing! Dad spent ages trawling the shops for a letterbox that was big enough to fit the hole. He finally found one and it was brilliant because big items like catalogues and the Yellow Pages could fit through this letterbox, no problem at all. I was a member of a Book Club and no matter how big the book was it would fit through this letterbox. A postman's dream! My parents have the bog-standard uPVC door now so they have the same problem we do...letterbox not deep enough.
How I wish all letterboxes were massive. It would save the postman a lot of grief taking stuff back to the depot and it would save our grief by not having to pick up parcels that - quite frankly, are miniscule.
Why can't we have a sliding-door contraption that senses movement, allowing large items to be deposited with the least amount of fuss. To stop burglars it could have a postman sensor mode whereby the postman flashes a pass with a barcode on it..or something..and hey! Presto! the sliding door opens.
I really should be an inventor!
Anyway, our letterbox is the bog-standard one most people have in their uPVC doors..not very wide and not that deep so the postman has to knock on the door if he needs to deliver anything more than a couple of inches deep. Luckily, the collection office is open until 8pm so John can drive me up there later on to pick up a parcel the postman could not deliver.
I have a funny story related to a letterbox. Years ago, Dad had a large, wooden door installed at the front of the house and his friend "Nutty Neil" did all the work, including sorting out a letterbox. Mum remembers him hacking away at the door for what seemed like an eternity and when it came for the time to slot the letterbox in...it fell straight through the hole and clattered onto the carpet on the inside!! He wasn't called "Nutty Neil" for nothing! Dad spent ages trawling the shops for a letterbox that was big enough to fit the hole. He finally found one and it was brilliant because big items like catalogues and the Yellow Pages could fit through this letterbox, no problem at all. I was a member of a Book Club and no matter how big the book was it would fit through this letterbox. A postman's dream! My parents have the bog-standard uPVC door now so they have the same problem we do...letterbox not deep enough.
How I wish all letterboxes were massive. It would save the postman a lot of grief taking stuff back to the depot and it would save our grief by not having to pick up parcels that - quite frankly, are miniscule.
Why can't we have a sliding-door contraption that senses movement, allowing large items to be deposited with the least amount of fuss. To stop burglars it could have a postman sensor mode whereby the postman flashes a pass with a barcode on it..or something..and hey! Presto! the sliding door opens.
I really should be an inventor!5 responses
@derek_a (10873)
•
12 Aug 10
I couldn't agree with you more on that! I have lost count of the number of times I have had to go chasing up the post-office depot to pick up parcels that wouldn't fit through my letter box, and sometimes I find that they are only junk! And that's another gripe of mine.. Why do charities insist on sending unsolicited "gifts" that I do not want? Perhaps they think I'll feel guilty and make a donation, but it only annoys me. And then, when I have to drive a couple of miles to pick it up, well... all I can say is that it feels like emotional blackmail and I never respond to that! 
)_Derek
)_Derek@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
12 Aug 10
There's a way of being struck off mailing lists. I'm not sure if you contact Royal Mail about it or the companies concerned - possibly both to be on the safe side. We very rarely get junk mail, fortunately. Just the Lidl woman coming round with her bloody leaflets!
If you get any more ring the companies up. I once ordered some shoes online and - consequently was included on their mailing list. Every other month I would receive a catalogue that I had not asked for. So I rang the number on the back and it was sorted; don't receive them anymore.
If you get any more ring the companies up. I once ordered some shoes online and - consequently was included on their mailing list. Every other month I would receive a catalogue that I had not asked for. So I rang the number on the back and it was sorted; don't receive them anymore.1 person likes this
@derek_a (10873)
•
12 Aug 10
Thanks Janey. I did fill something on-line at one time to stop mail coming and it did stop for a while, but then it crept back up again. Will have to try it again. I stop the nuisance telephone calls with TPS, so at least I am not getting asked if I want double-glazing or insurance every other day! _Derek
_Derek
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
11 Aug 10
My mother had a house with a door slot in it for mail - because it is no longer legal to have them, she got away with it because of the "grandfather" clause - meaning that if the house had it before the law, it can still be used - happily she had a carport and a porch so that larger things - to a limit - could be safely left - the mail man used to leave thing behind the trash can or in the recycling bin...
it was a pretty safe neighborhood
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
11 Aug 10
Wow, I like the idea of having mail left and no-one pinches it! The Royal Mail have got into trouble down in London because their postmen weren't trained properly (usually casual workers) and they tended to leave parcels in allsorts of weird and not so wonderful places if the residents weren't in. It's improved somewhat after a telly programme was shown of undercover postmen so at least the power of television has worked in this instance.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169474)
• United States
11 Aug 10
This does sound rather annoying. You know, there are companies that will let you patent your idea, but you have to do the research and have a prototype built, etc. Or you could let Nutty Neal do it for you.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
11 Aug 10
I know it sounds futuristic but we're in the 21st Century now. I mean, Star Trek had sliding doors and er, mobile phones, way back in the 60s which is where I got my idea from. I'd been thinking about the sliding doors on the Starship Enterprise, such is my wayward imagination!!
Dad knows lots of people with strange nicknames. You would think a guy calling himself "Carpet Face" lays carpets for a living. Well, he doesn't, apparently he has a beard that virtually covers his face resembling a carpet.
There's another guy calling himself "Seawall Steve" and I can only assume he works on Blackpool's sea wall.
Haha!
Dad knows lots of people with strange nicknames. You would think a guy calling himself "Carpet Face" lays carpets for a living. Well, he doesn't, apparently he has a beard that virtually covers his face resembling a carpet.
There's another guy calling himself "Seawall Steve" and I can only assume he works on Blackpool's sea wall.
Haha!
@margerydaw14 (735)
•
11 Aug 10
when i was a supporter of a political party i used to deliver leaflets a lot and yes some letter boxes did 'bite' back. they were spring loaded and really snapped back. I laughed about your dads giant letter box, but a really morbid thought, bearing in mind , door latches are near the vicinity of the letter box, i have awful visions of a hand sliding through the letter box, to undo the latch and let burglars and all sorts of nasties in!!
.
Before we had our white upvc front door we used to have a wooden front door with a little cage inside to catch the post. This was because, our shih tzu (the thug from hell
) takes it as a personal insult every time post flies through the letter box he takes it upon himself to attack it. I have received a bank card with tooth marks, birthday cards and letters for the hospital all with tooth marks. he seems to ignore junk mail. now we have the new plastic door , mail gets chewed again, ho hum. Like your invention though, our postman would probably drop the sensor through the letter box though and the dog would chew it up. hahah
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Before we had our white upvc front door we used to have a wooden front door with a little cage inside to catch the post. This was because, our shih tzu (the thug from hell) takes it as a personal insult every time post flies through the letter box he takes it upon himself to attack it. I have received a bank card with tooth marks, birthday cards and letters for the hospital all with tooth marks. he seems to ignore junk mail. now we have the new plastic door , mail gets chewed again, ho hum. Like your invention though, our postman would probably drop the sensor through the letter box though and the dog would chew it up. hahah@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
11 Aug 10
Yes, I have a friend who's labrador chews up mail. In fact, she has another box fitted outside with a note on the front door politely asking the postman NOT to put anything through that letterbox but to use the seperate box instead. She says that not everyone complies with disastrous consequences if the dog gets to the mail first!
Ironically, in all the years of having the large letterbox the only time(s) we were burgled was at the BACK door!! Strange that, isn't it?
The letterboxes that are (truely) a total waste of time are those narrow, vertical ones that lie underneath the door handle. I used to hate trying to put a paper through those. They are quite rare now, thankfully!
Ironically, in all the years of having the large letterbox the only time(s) we were burgled was at the BACK door!! Strange that, isn't it?
The letterboxes that are (truely) a total waste of time are those narrow, vertical ones that lie underneath the door handle. I used to hate trying to put a paper through those. They are quite rare now, thankfully!
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
12 Aug 10
For me, that would be weird having a letter box in my door! All of the letter boxes here are at the front of the properties, usually next to the driveway or a path. Ours is set into one of the brick pillars in our front fence.
I guess they put them in the doors over there as it is always raining and this way your mail does not get wet and you do not have to get wet retrieving it!
I like your invention. It does sound good. We have our parcels left on the decking at the side of our house under cover.
I like your invention. It does sound good. We have our parcels left on the decking at the side of our house under cover. @Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
12 Aug 10
Yes, I suppose we're kind of old-fashioned over here. Set in our ways! Some of the letterboxes have bristles so you have to push the parcel (or whatever) very hard through the hole in order for it to get through. God knows why they are there; possibly to stop draughts perhaps? I'm sure, whoever invented that could've put a better thinking-cap on and come up with my invention.
I can feel an email coming on. I wonder if there's an inventors' site..
I can feel an email coming on. I wonder if there's an inventors' site..