Peeved Postal Patron Caves In, Re-Exposes His Mailbox

He’s still mad as hell about it, but Reed Powell gave in last week and moved his mailbox about 9 inches to end a weeks-long boycott of his box by Escondido postal carriers.

Powell’s rural mailbox got out of line in October when he moved it 4 feet in from the road, aiming to avoid the swing of Escondido’s notorious mailbox-bashers and bombers.

Over the past five years, Powell says he’s lost three nice mailboxes to the vandals. Powell’s neighbors had also been bugging him to move the box; it blocked their view when they backed out their car.

So Powell moved the box. Well, actually, the bashers bashed the box first. Then Powell decided to put up the new one in a more strategic spot.

“It’s very discouraging to keep losing them,” he said. “I was thinking, at least people driving by with their bats can’t reach out and bash it.”

But that simple act caused problems almost as bad as getting bashed. The postal carrier stopped delivering the mail, explaining that he would have to leave his truck to reach the mailbox. And he couldn’t do that. Regulations.

Powell pleaded and cajoled, but nothing worked. The mailman, Powell says, insisted that the extra 4 feet wasn’t by-the-book; it added to his mileage, lengthened his workday and wasn’t safe.

“He’s a rod of steel in terms of flexibility,” Powell said.

So Powell embarked on a higher quest to get his mail service reinstated. He claims he made 21 calls to the post office before he got to the correct official. On two different days, he said, postal officials promised “to get right back to me” but never did.

In desperation, Powell called the local newspaper, which last week ran a front-page article about his plight.

The same day, a team of four postal officials (including the unyielding mailman) appeared at Powell’s house.

During a 15-minute conference on the berm beside his nonconforming mailbox, Powell jumped in the mail carrier’s truck and simulated delivering his own mail to prove that the box’s new placement worked.

“I went in and delivered myself mail and moved right out slick as a whistle,” he said.

But, after watching the re-enactment, Gary Williams, Escondido’s postmaster, disagreed. Yes, Powell could deliver the mail, Williams noted, but the box was at such an odd angle that he couldn’t have picked any up.

“The mail receptacle wasn’t perpendicular to the road,” the postmaster said.

After more negotiations, the five people decided to move the box 9 inches and turn it to face the road.

Despite the embarrassing publicity, Williams said he stands behind his postal carrier for sticking to rules that are supposed to ensure smooth, cost-effective mail delivery and safety. He admitted, however, that he’s not sure where that “don’t-get-out-of-your-truck” rule came from.

But, for his part, Powell would rather see more customer-orientation and less bureaucracy.

“This is a small incident, but it uncovers a large problem, the government’s failure to serve,” said Powell, a semi-retired professor who teaches business management courses at Claremont College and UCLA. “They might not have thought of this, but they’re in business to meet the needs of the customer. And I’m a taxpaying customer.”