The Case of the Missing Mailbox

I noticed that the US Postal drop box on 40th and Sunnyside Ave North has been missing for the last couple of months. When I reached out to the Wallingford post office branch to find out what gives, Supervisor Madir Yussef informed me that the box in that location is being replaced, within a couple of weeks. He said others throughout the neighborhood would also be replaced, gradually, but was not able to give me a timetable.

The new mailboxes will have letter slits, instead of pull-down openings, making them more secure against thieves. The downside is that mail patrons won’t be able to deposit thicker envelopes or small packages in them. I took a photo of the older style mail box, on 46th and Sunnyside Ave and one of the newer mailboxes on 46th and Wallingford Ave North. The new ones certainly look more secure.

In addition to prevent thefts, the post office is installing electronic scanner locks that will supplement the current key system that mail carriers use to access the boxes. According to the USPS website, the postal service has launched a nationwide initiative to replace 12,000 drop boxes and 49,000 locks. I came across news reports of of mail carriers across the country being subjected to robberies, with criminals targeting their keys to gain access to checks that were deposited in the boxes.

While I was waiting at the front counter of the Wallingford branch to speak to Mr. Yussef, a patron was inquiring about the disappearance of her neighborhood drop box on 37th and Wallingford Ave. She made it clear to the clerk that she was eagerly awaiting it’s return. In these times, when so many people rely on electronic mail to pay bills, it was refreshing to be reminded of our dependence on something as basic as these big blue boxes. I hope they are able to replace most of them by November, as these are the closest thing to a ballot box for many of us.