outgoing mail - the red flag on the box

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rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
Only recently was I told that it was for outgoing mail. It would certainly make trading netflix discs a lot more convenient if I could just leave it in there. I don't think leaving outgoing mail with checks using the flag would be wise though - mail fraud and all that - telling thieves come take a look. Do you use your red flag? Do mail carriers think it's for the lazy? :D
 
kranky

kranky

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
21,019
156
106
I do it all the time, never had a problem. But you'd have to judge by the neighborhood. If there were a lot of pedestrians passing my mailbox I probably wouldn't leave mail in it.
 
rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
rcpratt said:
People don't know what the flag is for? Really?
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Never had a flag on a mailbox till we moved to this house... we re-did nearly the whole house, but using the same (good condition) mailbox. I thought it was neat to do that. Even put together a new stand for it.
 
G

Garet Jax

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2000
6,369
0
71
rh71 said:
Only recently was I told that it was for outgoing mail. It would certainly make trading netflix discs a lot more convenient if I could just leave it in there. I don't think leaving outgoing mail with checks using the flag would be wise though - mail fraud and all that - telling thieves come take a look. Do you use your red flag? Do mail carriers think it's for the lazy? :D
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Do it all the time. Not too sure what mail carriers think because I haven't asked them. When I was doing Netflix, I dropped my return discs in there all the time and never had an issue.
 
rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
OutHouse said:
you are kidding right? how old are you? as a kid your parents never told you to go put the mail in the box and raise the flag?
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see above. I doubt my parents know either... they still don't have a red flag. Mailboxes everywhere on every other big street, has never been all that much bother.
 
S

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
I'm thinking most of the population under 25 has not idea how to even address en envelope. Of course I use the flag, no worries about checks either. It's a serious crime to mess with somebody's mailbox or remove/place things in them.
 
rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
bignateyk said:
So what did you do before? Just stand there waiting for the mail guy to show up?
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Umm no there's mailboxes all over town. This isn't rural country. There's no "going into town". We are the town. I typically drop it off at the box near the train station I drive my wife to every morning. It's also one of those drive-up boxes that you can reach from your car.
 
SandEagle

SandEagle

Lifer
Aug 4, 2007
16,809
13
0
and all this time i thought it was for a Follow Up reminder. :)

but seriously, wouldn't that flag be a security risk now? some stranger will notice it and jack your mail. they'll have access to all your personal info after a few times. and you will think that the mailman was picking it up all along.
 
rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
SandEagle said:
and all this time i thought it was for a Follow Up reminder. :)

but seriously, wouldn't that flag be a security risk now? some stranger will notice it and jack your mail. they'll have access to all your personal info after a few times. and you will think that the mailman was picking it up all along.
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probably where the term raise a red flag came from...

anyway, I just used it to let the guy know there's mail in there that I notated "no such person". Still consistently getting mail for previous owners after a couple years. Maybe they'll do something about it if I make them do extra work.
 
allisolm

allisolm

Elite Member
Administrator
Jan 2, 2001
25,328
4,993
136
If you think it's a risk, you don't have to put the flag up. Without the flag up, though, the mail carrier isn't going to pick up your outgoing mail unless he has mail to deliver to you.
 
sixone

sixone

Lifer
May 3, 2004
25,030
5
61
I don't have a flag, and my mail carrier has picked up outgoing mail without anything to deliver.

The last time he did that was the day after he left me an envelope addressed to someone who shares my initials, even though the address doesn't exist. He had to know it was the wrong place, but maybe he needed someone to mark it "Addressee Not Known" in order to send it back. The PO is goofy about stuff like that.
 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
LOL

I guess its understandable if you lived in the city all your life. Where you don't have roadside post box's.

though hell i don't have that. i have to walk to the fucking post office to get and send mail! though they been saying they are going to shut down that post office now for 3 years.
 
T

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
Had one in our prior place. It was worthless because the apartment was situated in a place where the mailman would have no reason to go by and notice it unless they already had mail for us. It was often raised for more than one day as a result.

Our new house doesn't have one, but that's fine because it is in a location where it would again be worthless.
 
edro

edro

Lifer
Apr 5, 2002
24,326
68
91
The button on the front of your house rings a bell.
It is used to notify the occupants that guests have arrived.
 
T

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
Mixolydian said:
Haha, I'm sure some people in this thread didn't know that. :awe:
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Roughly 1/3 of our house guests appear to not know this, as they always knock on the front door probably less than 3 inches from the location of said button.
 
EagleKeeper

EagleKeeper

Discussion Club Moderator<br>Elite Member
Staff member
Oct 30, 2000
42,589
5
0
SandEagle said:
and all this time i thought it was for a Follow Up reminder. :)

but seriously, wouldn't that flag be a security risk now? some stranger will notice it and jack your mail. they'll have access to all your personal info after a few times. and you will think that the mailman was picking it up all along.
Click to expand...

A serious Federal crime to tamper with the US mail.
 
Spungo

Spungo

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2012
3,217
2
81
I don't think I have ever seen a mailbox with a flag. Which country are you guys in?
 
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