What to do about the 1/2 in my mailing address?
November 4, 2009 3:42 PM Subscribe
I have a 1/2 in my mailing address, and it's driving me crazy. How can I enter it into fields (online) that don't accept symbols?
(I searched for this in vain, so feel free to point me in the right direction if I missed something!).
My address is 1905 1/2 [street]. Many places I enter my address online do not accept the slash, nor other punctuation marks. Usually I just give up and enter 1905, but that's the address of my neighbor and though she's very nice, I don't want my mail to constantly go into her box.
Dashes are occasionally allowed, but 1905 1-2 can be confusing to a letter carrier. And plus, in some cases there is no punctuation of any kind allowed. I've thought of literally writing "1905 and a half" but I'm worried that will also cause confusion. "1905.5" is also out because periods are not usually allowed.
Any tips, personal experience, brilliant ideas welcome!
(I searched for this in vain, so feel free to point me in the right direction if I missed something!).
My address is 1905 1/2 [street]. Many places I enter my address online do not accept the slash, nor other punctuation marks. Usually I just give up and enter 1905, but that's the address of my neighbor and though she's very nice, I don't want my mail to constantly go into her box.
Dashes are occasionally allowed, but 1905 1-2 can be confusing to a letter carrier. And plus, in some cases there is no punctuation of any kind allowed. I've thought of literally writing "1905 and a half" but I'm worried that will also cause confusion. "1905.5" is also out because periods are not usually allowed.
Any tips, personal experience, brilliant ideas welcome!
In the UK we use letter suffixes. As in 221b Baker Street, formed from a subdivision of plot 221 into two units, 221a and 221b.
posted by Beautiful Screaming Lady at 3:46 PM on November 4, 2009
posted by Beautiful Screaming Lady at 3:46 PM on November 4, 2009
1905 half?
posted by spinifex23 at 3:47 PM on November 4, 2009
posted by spinifex23 at 3:47 PM on November 4, 2009
Decimal is the way to go. 1905.5 in your case.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 3:49 PM on November 4, 2009
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 3:49 PM on November 4, 2009
I used a "B" when I was in your situation - seemed to work OK.
posted by tristeza at 3:50 PM on November 4, 2009
posted by tristeza at 3:50 PM on November 4, 2009
Are you located in in the rear or to the left or right of the "official" 1905? My old apartment was the top floor of a multi-family home and we had the same address, but my mailbox was on the side of the building (at my entrance) and I wrote it as "4203 REAR."
posted by banannafish at 3:53 PM on November 4, 2009
posted by banannafish at 3:53 PM on November 4, 2009
Response by poster: Oh man, the Alt-0189 is a great idea but it was rejected! (I'm in the middle of filling something out at the moment).
1905.5 won't work as it often doesn't allow periods.
I suppose 1905b might work, but there is a cottage behind the house and it might be confusing.
posted by ORthey at 3:53 PM on November 4, 2009
1905.5 won't work as it often doesn't allow periods.
I suppose 1905b might work, but there is a cottage behind the house and it might be confusing.
posted by ORthey at 3:53 PM on November 4, 2009
Ask your mail carrier.
posted by Doofus Magoo at 3:56 PM on November 4, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by Doofus Magoo at 3:56 PM on November 4, 2009 [3 favorites]
Thanks to MegoSteve, I learned a new keyboard shortcut today!
However, I don't know how such online forms capture and store this input, particularly if they use a database. It might break something on the backend, that's not prepared for special characters (on preview, what just happened).
Ideally a nice note to the site developer to kindly fix their online forms would be a win for everyone, but who knows how long that would take.
In the meantime, I think "1905 one half [street]" could work, if I think about it from a postal carrier's point of view.
posted by CancerMan at 3:57 PM on November 4, 2009
However, I don't know how such online forms capture and store this input, particularly if they use a database. It might break something on the backend, that's not prepared for special characters (on preview, what just happened).
Ideally a nice note to the site developer to kindly fix their online forms would be a win for everyone, but who knows how long that would take.
In the meantime, I think "1905 one half [street]" could work, if I think about it from a postal carrier's point of view.
posted by CancerMan at 3:57 PM on November 4, 2009
I used to have this problem, and I, too, found it crazy-making. As I recall, I eventually gave up on attempting to include "1/2" alongside the house number itself; instead, I would put it in the separate field for Apt. number (or letter) that many forms include. Even there I'd have to get creative, esp. as they wouldn't necessarily accept the slash in those fields (though sometimes they would!), so sometimes I'd spell out "HALF" there, or go with 1-2, or even 12. (I'd also sometimes use TOP or UPPER.) That seemed to help... somewhat.
posted by scody at 4:22 PM on November 4, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by scody at 4:22 PM on November 4, 2009 [1 favorite]
Many (not all, I know) online forms offer a secondary address line, either for an apartment number or other information. Can you spell out HALF or ONE HALF there?
Also, I'd recommend checking with your local post office for the official address format. Mine is a number plus A, and I had a heck of a time getting a postal address change submitted online because their system didn't recognize the formatting. I'm not 1234A, or 1234-A, to their mindset - I'm 1234 1st Street, Apt A. You might be 1234 1st Street, Apt Half.
posted by chez shoes at 4:27 PM on November 4, 2009
Also, I'd recommend checking with your local post office for the official address format. Mine is a number plus A, and I had a heck of a time getting a postal address change submitted online because their system didn't recognize the formatting. I'm not 1234A, or 1234-A, to their mindset - I'm 1234 1st Street, Apt A. You might be 1234 1st Street, Apt Half.
posted by chez shoes at 4:27 PM on November 4, 2009
Response by poster: I like the "Apt HALF" in the secondary address line idea. I'll try that! Thanks!
I'll check with the post office too. Thanks all.
posted by ORthey at 4:32 PM on November 4, 2009
I'll check with the post office too. Thanks all.
posted by ORthey at 4:32 PM on November 4, 2009
I lived at 3124 1/2 [street] St. for a couple of years, and I dealt with this problem by putting 3124 [street] St., Apt 1/2. It usually worked.
posted by matildaben at 4:47 PM on November 4, 2009
posted by matildaben at 4:47 PM on November 4, 2009
Have you tried the USPS ZIP code lookup form? Just enter your address and it should give it back to you in the "Standard Format" the post office prefers.
posted by kittydelsol at 4:52 PM on November 4, 2009
posted by kittydelsol at 4:52 PM on November 4, 2009
Use A or B... and ALSO put that designation on your door or mailbox so the mail carrier sees it.
Just do it. The Post Office will say that's not official or allowed or yadda yadda, but do it. It works.
I made up 355-B once, by which I mean I stuck the numbers on the wall and started using it as my official address online. The real address was actually 349, but because the buildings were in a foolish order that was confusing everyone, including mailmen and couriers, I'd often not get things or they'd go to the neighbor. Making up my own more logical number fixed this.
In an extreme example, I have a friend in Japan, part of whose address translates literally as "the red house next to the school", town name.
Think of the address as instructions for the delivery person, and it all becomes clear.
posted by rokusan at 4:55 PM on November 4, 2009
Just do it. The Post Office will say that's not official or allowed or yadda yadda, but do it. It works.
I made up 355-B once, by which I mean I stuck the numbers on the wall and started using it as my official address online. The real address was actually 349, but because the buildings were in a foolish order that was confusing everyone, including mailmen and couriers, I'd often not get things or they'd go to the neighbor. Making up my own more logical number fixed this.
In an extreme example, I have a friend in Japan, part of whose address translates literally as "the red house next to the school", town name.
Think of the address as instructions for the delivery person, and it all becomes clear.
posted by rokusan at 4:55 PM on November 4, 2009
Check to see if you can physically add a B after your house number on your mailbox (or wherever the number is.) That will help distinguish it from the cottage.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 5:55 PM on November 4, 2009
posted by Solon and Thanks at 5:55 PM on November 4, 2009
I'm with Kittydelsol: use the USPS service that normalizes postal addresses and see what it gives you. Fedex does the same thing.
posted by alms at 6:09 PM on November 4, 2009
posted by alms at 6:09 PM on November 4, 2009
I've live at a 1/2 for almost three years and haven't had any issues. Most online forms that I fill out take 3529 1/2 N. Street Apt. 2E just fine. In the rare case that they don't, I go with 3529.5, which hasn't caused me any trouble either.
posted by corpse at 6:25 PM on November 4, 2009
posted by corpse at 6:25 PM on November 4, 2009
I work in a data shop that processes USPS addresses. As long as the street address and zip code is correct, and you include something in the Address line 2 / apartment field provided, there is an extremely high probability the mail will get to your address.
Think of it like an apartment building with 2 units.
posted by spatula at 7:32 PM on November 4, 2009
Think of it like an apartment building with 2 units.
posted by spatula at 7:32 PM on November 4, 2009
They get plenty of horribly confusing addresses, and I doubt your ½ would trip them up. If you leave off the ½, they'll default to matching the name on the envelope to the name on your box.
posted by heyho at 8:17 PM on November 4, 2009
posted by heyho at 8:17 PM on November 4, 2009
1905.5 won't work as it often doesn't allow periods.
Well, good thing most people don't live on a ST. or an AVE. or live in an APT. or have a P.O. Box number, then!
And just for the record, according to the U.S. Postal Service, Publication 28 (PSN 7610-03-000-3688), Postal Address Standards, Section 23 (Delivery Address Line), Sub-Section 232 (Street Name), the preferred nomenclature for fractional addresses is a slash (/).
I realize this doesn't preclude some idiotic web designer from creating their own set of standards and Javascript chicanery to prevent you from using punctuation, but you might want to send a friendly email to any website performing such craptacularity that they're doing it wrong.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:43 PM on November 4, 2009 [1 favorite]
Well, good thing most people don't live on a ST. or an AVE. or live in an APT. or have a P.O. Box number, then!
And just for the record, according to the U.S. Postal Service, Publication 28 (PSN 7610-03-000-3688), Postal Address Standards, Section 23 (Delivery Address Line), Sub-Section 232 (Street Name), the preferred nomenclature for fractional addresses is a slash (/).
I realize this doesn't preclude some idiotic web designer from creating their own set of standards and Javascript chicanery to prevent you from using punctuation, but you might want to send a friendly email to any website performing such craptacularity that they're doing it wrong.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:43 PM on November 4, 2009 [1 favorite]
I have the 1/2 curse as well. The electric company here doesn't accept 1/2 addresses, so they designated my unit 123 Main St. Apt. 2. I use that on any web forms that won't accept symbols. I do also get mail that has my street number in the 123 1 2 Main St. formula as well.
Luckily I've never had any problems with the mail, but the electric company did cut off my service once due to an address confusion. Just make sure your neighbors know they are Apt. 1.
posted by frippsie at 4:23 AM on November 5, 2009
Luckily I've never had any problems with the mail, but the electric company did cut off my service once due to an address confusion. Just make sure your neighbors know they are Apt. 1.
posted by frippsie at 4:23 AM on November 5, 2009
½ - alt 171
¼ - alt 172
may work where it won't allow alt 0189
posted by peekorama at 5:55 AM on November 5, 2009
¼ - alt 172
may work where it won't allow alt 0189
posted by peekorama at 5:55 AM on November 5, 2009
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posted by R. Mutt at 3:44 PM on November 4, 2009