Mailbox Challenges

The replacement of home delivery with a community mailbox has been met with much opposition. Too many people believe that the current government's “promise” to return to home delivery will make it all right again. The cynics, like me, are not holding our breaths until this happens. I have resigned myself to the change. What to me is more frustrating is the ill conceived, poorly designed boxes that many of us are now forced to use. To start off - the location of many of the community boxes are inappropriate. Many are in poorly lit locations, where it is assumed that those picking up their mail will arrive by car. So much for the argument that citizens will get an added dose of physical activity each time they walk to pick up their mail. Then there is the design of the boxes themselves. The height of each individual box makes it almost impossible to get your arm far enough into the box to pick up the mail. This is made even worse when you have a heavy coat on. Did someone forget we have winter in this country?  I’m lucky because our box is near the top of the group box. Those who have a box on the lower levels find it almost impossible to bend over and retrieve their mail, again because the boxes are not high enough. For anyone with mobility problems this becomes a serious impediment. And now we are hearing about frozen locks! Not just one, but whole banks of boxes. Poor locks, location too exposed, unexpected weather conditions. Who knows the reason?  But more importantly, no-one appears to know the solution.