U.S. Postal Service Asks New Yorkers for a Favor

Are New Yorkers willing and able to help the USPS with a big "ask"?

In a world where many of us don't receive as much mail in our mailboxes today as we used to years ago, it might surprise some that the United States Postal Service is asking that homeowners upgrade the size of their mailboxes.

USPS Wants Bigger Mailboxes

Did you know that the Postal Service celebrates something called "Mailbox Improvement Week" every year? Honestly, I've never heard of it before but apparently every year during the third week of May the folks at the USPS ask people to consider upgrading their mailboxes. The big upgrade the USPS is asking for this year is for customers to upgrade their current mailbox to one of the "newer larger capacity boxes" according to USPS.

"Today’s newer mailboxes are wider and taller to accommodate delivery of items you’ve ordered online and reduce the need for notices left and trips to the Post Office to retrieve a package"

 

SEE ALSO: New York is Now the 2nd Worst Place for These

I'm not sure if they make a mailbox big enough to fit all of the packages that arrive at my house on random days! I think I would need something like this...LOL!

Mailbox Upgrades

The USPS is asking customers to make sure their mailboxes check these 7 boxes:

1. Approved by the Postmaster General
2. Fully operational.
3. Designed to protect the mail from weather.
4. Safe to use.
5. Conveniently located. (USPS recommends installing mailboxes three and a half to four feet tall from the road surface.)
6. Neat in appearance.
7. Large enough within allowable size limits to support the customer’s daily mail and package volume

Mailbox Maintenance

The USPS is also asking everyone to maintain their mailboxes by replacing loose hinges on a mailbox door, repainting a mailbox that may have rusted or has started to peel, and if necessary remounting a loosened mailbox post. Customers are also encouraged to make sure their house numbers are on the mailbox and are clearly visible to the mail carrier.