Blocked Mailbox

 It has been an ongoing issue for some time.  The mailman has decided that because we park on the opposite side of our driveway from the mailbox that we are blocking our mailbox. Now there are times where it legitimately is blocked and we are fine with not getting our mail on those rare occasions.  But we are down to not getting any mail and it has been only being delivered once or twice a week for weeks now.  My personal theory is  one of the days we get mail is the substitute's day.  

Awhile back someone (oh, I wonder who) made a complaint to code enforcement about cars parked in our cul-de-sac.  The sheriff's dept. came out and marked a bunch of cars to see if they move.  We checked with them right then about how our cars are parked by our driveway and we were told it was fine.  We aren't parallel parking but kind of angle parking to get three cars where only two would fit otherwise.  All our cars are tagged and in running condition and they move all the time as we  go about daily life.  A few days after that the mailman told me we could not park like that because we are impeding fire trucks from turning around in our cul-de-sac. And then he told me that if my mail goes missing because we are blocking our mailbox that it is on me.  

Well we kept parking where we park.  And we started getting pink placards about not blocking the mailbox.  So I took a picture and took it to his boss.  He said he would look into it.  My point is and always has been.....how is it that he can pull right up to the mailbox to leave the placard with our mailbox blocked.  We got another placard and then an actual notice from the postmaster.  Oh you know it. I had watched him pull right up to leave the notice but he didn't leave any mail including a package that tracking said was out for delivery.  I took a tape measure out and measured how far from the back of the closest car to the mailbox.  32 feet.  Took another picture and again went to talk to the postmaster.  

The mailman had also taken a picture that I did not get to see, but it showed a different angle.  The postmaster seemed shocked when I told him I measured and what it was.  He decided he really needed to come out and see because the mailman and I have two very different tales to tell.  I can not ask for more and decided if the postmaster says we are blocking we will figure something else out, but I'm waiting for that.  When I got home I checked my tracking on my package and the mailman scanned it as delivered.  I took a screenshot and emailed it to the postmaster.  That beyond pissed me off.  It truly was no longer a test of wills between a man who thinks we and our neighbors should not park on the street and me.  

Today the postmaster came out.  I just happened to be walking outside.  He looked at me and shook his head.  He could see absolutely no problem with how we were parking and that our mailbox is not blocked at all.  How it is is not how the mailman portrayed it to be. He also told me he asked about my package and got a hemhaw for an answer.  Mail will resume tomorrow and there should be no repercussions to us. If there are we are to let him know.  He does expect the mailman will take this issue to the union, but there isn't a leg to stand on.  

I think we just have a very sad mailman who needs some joy added to his life.  But obviously that isn't happening.  I just want my mail and I don't want to argue about it.