How to get mail delivered rurally?
April 17, 2022 9:46 AM Subscribe
We recently moved to a rural area, in a development with about 12 homes. There's an apartment-style mailbox at the road with a package locker. Everyone else gets USPS packages delivered to their doors. We do not. FedEx and UPS do deliver to our door. Is there anything to be done?
Every package sent via USPS to our house gets a status of "recipient not at home" and we get a tag in our mailbox to drive 20 miles to the Post Office to get our package. The timing is such that we know they don't even bring the package out. Even with packages that would fit in the mailbox at the road, or the package locker, we get told to come to town to pick it up. We have seen USPS delivering packages to other homes on our street.
When I was at the Post Office a few weeks ago I asked what the deal was, and the dude explained the rural contract carriers aren't required to deliver packages if the home is more than 0.5 miles from the mailbox. Our house is at 0.5 miles plus a few feet.
So far, our solution has been to rent a PO Box at another town's Post Office, which is only 6 miles away, and have things shipped there if the shipping method is USPS or is otherwise unknown and the item is not too large.
Not looking to get anyone in trouble; yes, I know the USPS has had some Trump-era funding issues. But is there anything to be done? The USPS Postal Inspector's office very explicitly does not handle these issues. Surely it's fraud to offer mail service to shippers and then say "oh they're not home," when we are, in fact, home all the time? If the answer is "0.5 miles or suck it," then I guess that's it.
Every package sent via USPS to our house gets a status of "recipient not at home" and we get a tag in our mailbox to drive 20 miles to the Post Office to get our package. The timing is such that we know they don't even bring the package out. Even with packages that would fit in the mailbox at the road, or the package locker, we get told to come to town to pick it up. We have seen USPS delivering packages to other homes on our street.
When I was at the Post Office a few weeks ago I asked what the deal was, and the dude explained the rural contract carriers aren't required to deliver packages if the home is more than 0.5 miles from the mailbox. Our house is at 0.5 miles plus a few feet.
So far, our solution has been to rent a PO Box at another town's Post Office, which is only 6 miles away, and have things shipped there if the shipping method is USPS or is otherwise unknown and the item is not too large.
Not looking to get anyone in trouble; yes, I know the USPS has had some Trump-era funding issues. But is there anything to be done? The USPS Postal Inspector's office very explicitly does not handle these issues. Surely it's fraud to offer mail service to shippers and then say "oh they're not home," when we are, in fact, home all the time? If the answer is "0.5 miles or suck it," then I guess that's it.
Also, I had an experience somewhat like this when I was renting a cottage for a month in a rural small development. When I went in to the post office to talk to them I was told that the postal carrier thought that no one lived at my address, because it had been empty for a while previously, and that's why they weren't delivering things. Was your house empty before you moved in? I would try talking to someone else at the post office who can talk to the regular carrier and make sure they know your house is occupied, especially if other people who are far from the mailbox get theirs delivered to their doors.
posted by needs more cowbell at 10:02 AM on April 17, 2022
posted by needs more cowbell at 10:02 AM on April 17, 2022
Response by poster: I should clarify that we are the last house on the road. Everyone else is under 0.5 miles from the mailbox.
posted by MonsieurBon at 10:07 AM on April 17, 2022
posted by MonsieurBon at 10:07 AM on April 17, 2022
What was the explanation for not using the package locker, which would not require your carrier to deliver the package to the door?
posted by Spathe Cadet at 10:31 AM on April 17, 2022
posted by Spathe Cadet at 10:31 AM on April 17, 2022
Response by poster: Further clarification:
They know we live here. We filled out the form. They leave paper mail in the box and we take it.
Based on the timing of when we receive the packages slips and the tracking history, it appears they never bring the packages out here to begin with, to see if they might fit in the locker.
posted by MonsieurBon at 10:38 AM on April 17, 2022
They know we live here. We filled out the form. They leave paper mail in the box and we take it.
Based on the timing of when we receive the packages slips and the tracking history, it appears they never bring the packages out here to begin with, to see if they might fit in the locker.
posted by MonsieurBon at 10:38 AM on April 17, 2022
My two thoughts are probably not helpful, but here they are:
1) move the mailbox closer to your house;
2) hang out at the mailbox, meet the actual person delivering the mail, and get their perspective -- after giving them a full batch of freshly-baked brownies, half with nuts and half without. I recommend the Best Recipe Cookbook version.
posted by amtho at 10:39 AM on April 17, 2022 [5 favorites]
1) move the mailbox closer to your house;
2) hang out at the mailbox, meet the actual person delivering the mail, and get their perspective -- after giving them a full batch of freshly-baked brownies, half with nuts and half without. I recommend the Best Recipe Cookbook version.
posted by amtho at 10:39 AM on April 17, 2022 [5 favorites]
I would do a stakeout to meet the post carrier and give them a gift. Chocolate or cookies, and introduce yourself and explain where you live. Give them a holiday card with a little gift ($20 Starbucks card?), too.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:39 AM on April 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:39 AM on April 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Meeting the mail carrier & having a friendly in-person conversation would be ideal. If that's not practical, can you leave a note for your mail carrier? Possibly just a "Hello we've just moved here and are now occupying House XXX. You might see mail or packages addressed to Bobby, Billy, Sue, and Sally and that's us! We appreciate your service and are looking forward to meeting you! When possible, we would love to use the locker for package delivery. We would also welcome package delivery on our porch/at our front stoop/next to the garage. If there is anything we can do to make package delivery to our house easier please let us know!"
posted by countrymod at 10:45 AM on April 17, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by countrymod at 10:45 AM on April 17, 2022 [3 favorites]
I have worked as a Canadian postie as a backup. I was amazed at how much leeway there was and how much work to rule there was, except when doing favours for neighbours. The suggestions to get to know the carrier and hopefully make friends are your best bet to the solution you want here.
posted by miles1972 at 10:58 AM on April 17, 2022
posted by miles1972 at 10:58 AM on April 17, 2022
Based on the timing of when we receive the packages slips and the tracking history, it appears they never bring the packages out here to begin with, to see if they might fit in the locker.
countrymod's suggestion is probably better and definitely a lot nicer, but if it were me, I'd be calling the post office 20 miles away to ask why they don't use the package locker, since that's what it's there for. If other people are getting packages delivered to their house, it's possible to bring the packages in the delivery vehicle, and the mailbox is definitely not more than half a mile away from itself. Maybe it leaks, maybe it's been broken into in the past, I don't know, but I'd want someone to give me some kind of reason.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 10:59 AM on April 17, 2022 [4 favorites]
countrymod's suggestion is probably better and definitely a lot nicer, but if it were me, I'd be calling the post office 20 miles away to ask why they don't use the package locker, since that's what it's there for. If other people are getting packages delivered to their house, it's possible to bring the packages in the delivery vehicle, and the mailbox is definitely not more than half a mile away from itself. Maybe it leaks, maybe it's been broken into in the past, I don't know, but I'd want someone to give me some kind of reason.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 10:59 AM on April 17, 2022 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Having lived in rural areas before, one of the reasons I'd strongly recommend starting with the note/gift/polite conversation is because there can be pretty high barriers for "new people". Starting with nice first & offering some personal detail to provide context can help to break down the barriers. Rural communities tend to be really tightly bonded and the people in them very settled into routine. I found openings when I started with niceness, appreciation, and an openness to things continuing to happen "the way they always have". New folks tend to bring new ideas (like apparently using the provided package locker!) which means change. Making a connection & engaging on a human level will go a long way toward socializing yourself as a part of the community.
Community "rules" do work a little bit different in big cities/urban areas where a transaction can be just a transaction. In the rural world the reduced number of humans means every interaction is with a person you're likely to encounter again who is effectively a part of your social community. Whatever route you take, be Mister Roger's Neighborhood polite because literally, you're all neighbors in small towns.
posted by countrymod at 6:01 PM on April 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
Community "rules" do work a little bit different in big cities/urban areas where a transaction can be just a transaction. In the rural world the reduced number of humans means every interaction is with a person you're likely to encounter again who is effectively a part of your social community. Whatever route you take, be Mister Roger's Neighborhood polite because literally, you're all neighbors in small towns.
posted by countrymod at 6:01 PM on April 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Much appreciated everyone. I’ll hang out at the mailbox some morning.
posted by MonsieurBon at 8:34 AM on April 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by MonsieurBon at 8:34 AM on April 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
Any update on mail mystery?
posted by countrymod at 7:18 PM on May 3, 2022
posted by countrymod at 7:18 PM on May 3, 2022
Response by poster: Update: I confirmed that USPS does use the locker for everyone on our road but us (or deliver in person). This is additional confirmation they don't even bring packages for us out here to see if they fit in the locker. I'm on our HOA board and working on replacing the mailboxes with a larger, more sturdy option, as the existing ones are getting old and the PO asked us to replace them. This may include more package lockers, and may involve relocating one of the multi mailbox units further down the road to get it closer to our house.
posted by MonsieurBon at 7:55 AM on May 6, 2022
posted by MonsieurBon at 7:55 AM on May 6, 2022
Response by poster: Well, I met the mail carrier. It didn't go well, but it didn't go poorly. I introduced myself, chatted a bit, and we talked about our plan to replace the mail boxes. She was pretty clear that her delivering *any* packages to anyone else on our road isn't something she's paid to do, so they're lucky she does that, and that our house is just outside her contractually obligated mail zone, and there's nothing to be done about that.
She did suggest we get bigger parcel lockers, or build a much bigger one ourselves. She even said, "well we don't want you to have to rent a PO Box in the other town or drive 20 miles to the main Post Office in our town." Yes, we don't want that either.
So... I don't know if cookies are going to cut it.
posted by MonsieurBon at 11:21 AM on July 1, 2022
She did suggest we get bigger parcel lockers, or build a much bigger one ourselves. She even said, "well we don't want you to have to rent a PO Box in the other town or drive 20 miles to the main Post Office in our town." Yes, we don't want that either.
So... I don't know if cookies are going to cut it.
posted by MonsieurBon at 11:21 AM on July 1, 2022
Response by poster: Whoops, hit Post too soon.
I should have also explained that *she* started the conversation about how we can't get packages down there.
posted by MonsieurBon at 11:23 AM on July 1, 2022
I should have also explained that *she* started the conversation about how we can't get packages down there.
posted by MonsieurBon at 11:23 AM on July 1, 2022
Wowwwwwwwwww.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:21 PM on July 1, 2022
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:21 PM on July 1, 2022
Mod note: Final update from the OP:
"Well, after spending $6,000 on fancy new mailboxes and spending dozens of hours in the heat and rain excavating and pouring a new pad, we got the new mailboxes put in, with six package lockers for 18 boxes. This also required a lot of coordination with the Postmaster and Postal Maintenance folks, since they do the transfer of their special keys. At first they were still holding my packages at the PO, but I went to the PO and talked to the Postmaster and asked her to clear whatever note in the system told people to hold mail. Now we are actually getting packages in the package lockers! Yay!"posted by taz (staff) at 10:46 PM on November 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
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posted by needs more cowbell at 9:57 AM on April 17, 2022 [1 favorite]