Is This an Okay Geocache location?

[WinterICE]

I have this mailbox with the perfect little place to hid a small cache in the back. I'm almost positive that the mailman would not find it because it is on the back of the mailbox, and he opens it up from the front. On the Back there is a sticker that says "This is property of the mail company". Can I hide it there or not? (by the way, it is one of those mailboxes that have numbered slots so It supplies mail for all the houses around it, not a personal one).

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Do you know who owns it? If so, you should ask them for permission. If not, then you probably should look elsewhere.

[+wesleykey]

Tampering with the mail or with postal receptacles is illegal.

[+briansnat]

Can I hide it there or not?

 

No you can't.

[WinterICE]

ITs not tampering with the mail, Its not actually in the mailbox, Its just right next to it.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

I have this mailbox with the perfect little place to hid a small cache in the back. I'm almost positive that the mailman would not find it because it is on the back of the mailbox, and he opens it up from the front. On the Back there is a sticker that says "This is property of the mail company". Can I hide it there or not? (by the way, it is one of those mailboxes that have numbered slots so It supplies mail for all the houses around it, not a personal one).

 

So, is the bolded part of your first post inaccurate?

[WinterICE]

I have this mailbox with the perfect little place to hid a small cache in the back. I'm almost positive that the mailman would not find it because it is on the back of the mailbox, and he opens it up from the front. On the Back there is a sticker that says "This is property of the mail company". Can I hide it there or not? (by the way, it is one of those mailboxes that have numbered slots so It supplies mail for all the houses around it, not a personal one).

 

So, is the bolded part of your first post inaccurate?

No, It's kinda hard to explain, but there is a little ... "indent" on the mailbox, so it actually would just be "obscured by the mailbox.

Edited September 8, 2007 by WinterICE

[+Kit Fox]

I have this mailbox with the perfect little place to hid a small cache in the back. I'm almost positive that the mailman would not find it because it is on the back of the mailbox, and he opens it up from the front. On the Back there is a sticker that says "This is property of the mail company". Can I hide it there or not? (by the way, it is one of those mailboxes that have numbered slots so It supplies mail for all the houses around it, not a personal one).

 

So, is the bolded part of your first post inaccurate?

No, It's kinda hard to explain, but there is a little ... "indent" on the mailbox, so it actually would just be "obscured by the mailbox.

 

In other words, it is on the back of the mailbox right? This violates GC guidelines. Try to envision a cacher looking for your cache, but not knowing where it is. Their GPS points them to a mailbox. Most sensible Americans know better than to tamper with someone elses mailbox, but your cache idea encourages mail box tampering. Tampering with mailboxes is a crime.

[+Renegade Knight]

If you own the mail box, Yes you can. If you don't, No you can't.

[+Team Cotati]

I have this mailbox with the perfect little place to hid a small cache in the back. I'm almost positive that the mailman would not find it because it is on the back of the mailbox, and he opens it up from the front. On the Back there is a sticker that says "This is property of the mail company". Can I hide it there or not? (by the way, it is one of those mailboxes that have numbered slots so It supplies mail for all the houses around it, not a personal one).

 

What "mail company" would that be? FedEx?

[WinterICE]

If you own the mail box, Yes you can. If you don't, No you can't.

It is my mailbox, but it is also the mailboxes of other houses around me. I'll probably ask the mailman or find a different spot.

[+CSpenceFLY]

Do you own the mailbox and the property it is on?

[+briansnat]

If you own the mail box, Yes you can. If you don't, No you can't.

It is my mailbox, but it is also the mailboxes of other houses around me. I'll probably ask the mailman or find a different spot.

 

You should ask yourself what is so compelling about this spot that it simply must have a geocache. If you really can't come up with an answer finding a different spot is a good idea.

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

To be honest, thought it probably sounds like it would be a pretty simple "feel and grab", I'd be kind of uncomfortable feeling around a mailbox. Find a better place, in my view.....

[Keystone]

I can't improve on my response the last time this question was asked, so I will simply quote myself. The same reasoning applies both to mailboxes and to post office locations.

 

Why?

Ever hear of this guy?

Do you know of this social behavior phenomenon?

Remember when these letters were mailed?

 

Imagine a guy in his mid-40's wearing camo pants and a dirty sweatshirt (hey! that's me!) is seen rooting around in the bushes outside a post office while holding an electronic device. A post office employee, nosy neighbor or law enforcement officer may associate his presence with the examples I linked. If you go find a few geocaches in urban environments you will understand what I mean.

 

The listing guidelines used to be much shorter. As more and more law enforcement incidents and land manager complaints occurred, the listing guidelines got longer.

 

I do not knowingly publish caches hidden at or near (within sight) of post office buildings or parking lots. Ditto that for schools, court houses, city halls and police departments. If the cache owner produces clear evidence of permission, I am happy to make an exception.

[+GeoScooter1]

"Mailboxes are considered federal property, and federal law (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1705), makes it a crime to vandalize them (or to injure, deface or destroy any mail deposited in them)."

 

Another example of the federal interest in your mailbox is the limitation placed on its use. DMM 508 section 3.1.3 says a mailbox "may be used only for matter bearing postage." It's a federal crime to deposit mailable matter without postage into a letterbox, and many items are officially nonmailable.

 

Even if you buy a mailbox and put it on your property, it belongs to them.

[WinterICE]

Did some research, It is illegal to put "Trackable" Items of any kind in or around a mailbox. I'll just find a different place.

[+potshot]

Aside from the legal matters. Do you want strangers poking around your mailbox? Do your neighbors like this idea?

 

In my neighborhood mail and ID theft is common. I have my mail sent to a private P.O. box just in case but other tenants in my building have had problems. Occasionally while emptying the junk mail that builds up in my box I find all the boxes opened and obviously rummaged through.

 

Cachers wouldn't be a problem but who knows who is a cacher or not? If I see a stranger messing with mine or the other tenants boxes the least I will do is call the cops. The worst I would do might occur if there were no witnesses around and they were obviously up to something.

 

I'd say hide it somewhere else. You'll most likely get more finds that way. I wouldn't search for it if it was on a private mailbox. You never know some joker might set up a shill account and publish a hide on someones box just to annoy the box owner and maybe get a cacher in trouble.

 

Happy Hunting!

Edited September 8, 2007 by potshot

[+Renegade Knight]

If you own the mail box, Yes you can. If you don't, No you can't.

It is my mailbox, but it is also the mailboxes of other houses around me. I'll probably ask the mailman or find a different spot.

 

The odds are that it's jointly owned either by all of you, or your homeowners association. It's possible that it's owned by the post office and was installed by the developer.

 

The one thing that its true is that you don't own it directly.

[+Bushlight]

Around here we have a guy that has two mailboxs .One for his mail and the other as the cache itself.You dont even have to get out of the car.

[+GeoScooter1]

Around here we have a guy that has two mailboxs .One for his mail and the other as the cache itself.You dont even have to get out of the car.

 

And yet, neither of the mailboxes LEGALLY belongs to him. They are property of the USPS so a cache should not and would not be allowed. But this is just IMHO.

 

I haven't found (so far, at least) any cache in my immediate area that would require me to just drive by and grab it without getting out of my car.

[+Bushlight]

Around here we have a guy that has two mailboxs .One for his mail and the other as the cache itself.You dont even have to get out of the car.

 

And yet, neither of the mailboxes LEGALLY belongs to him. They are property of the USPS so a cache should not and would not be allowed. But this is just IMHO.

 

I haven't found (so far, at least) any cache in my immediate area that would require me to just drive by and grab it without getting out of my car.

I'm pretty sure he owns them

[+GeoScooter1]

Around here we have a guy that has two mailboxs .One for his mail and the other as the cache itself.You dont even have to get out of the car.

 

And yet, neither of the mailboxes LEGALLY belongs to him. They are property of the USPS so a cache should not and would not be allowed. But this is just IMHO.

 

I haven't found (so far, at least) any cache in my immediate area that would require me to just drive by and grab it without getting out of my car.

I'm pretty sure he owns them

 

Nope....you or I can buy a mailbox, install it and do whatever we want to them, but when it comes down to it, they are property of the USPS.

[+Prime Suspect]

Around here we have a guy that has two mailboxs .One for his mail and the other as the cache itself.You dont even have to get out of the car.

 

And yet, neither of the mailboxes LEGALLY belongs to him. They are property of the USPS so a cache should not and would not be allowed. But this is just IMHO.

 

I haven't found (so far, at least) any cache in my immediate area that would require me to just drive by and grab it without getting out of my car.

If he bought the box, and it's not being used as the residence's mailbox, then it's just a box, and belongs to him. The phrase used in Sec. 1705 is "any letter box or other receptacle intended or used for the receipt or delivery of mail on any mail route".

 

If you buy a mailbox and turn it into a windowbox planter, it's not being used, or intended to be used, as a mailbox. So it's not a mailbox, and the USPS doesn't own it.

[+GeoScooter1]

Around here we have a guy that has two mailboxs .One for his mail and the other as the cache itself.You dont even have to get out of the car.

 

And yet, neither of the mailboxes LEGALLY belongs to him. They are property of the USPS so a cache should not and would not be allowed. But this is just IMHO.

 

I haven't found (so far, at least) any cache in my immediate area that would require me to just drive by and grab it without getting out of my car.

If he bought the box, and it's not being used as the residence's mailbox, then it's just a box, and belongs to him. The phrase used in Sec. 1705 is "any letter box or other receptacle intended or used for the receipt or delivery of mail on any mail route".

 

If you buy a mailbox and turn it into a windowbox planter, it's not being used, or intended to be used, as a mailbox. So it's not a mailbox, and the USPS doesn't own it.

 

I suppose that would depend on where the mailbox was and what it looked like. If you have one attached to your house and flowers planted in it, that's different. BUT if you have 2 mailboxes and they are close together and look similar and both could be used for mail delivery.....they belong to USPS.

[+Renegade Knight]

... I suppose that would depend on where the mailbox was and what it looked like. If you have one attached to your house and flowers planted in it, that's different. BUT if you have 2 mailboxes and they are close together and look similar and both could be used for mail delivery.....they belong to USPS.

 

If the USPS isn't using it as a mailbox,it's not a mailbox for the purpose of the law. Especially if you purchased it yourself.

 

If you really want to get into nuances, could you have a cache inside your front door accessed via the front mail slot?

[+GeoScooter1]

... I suppose that would depend on where the mailbox was and what it looked like. If you have one attached to your house and flowers planted in it, that's different. BUT if you have 2 mailboxes and they are close together and look similar and both could be used for mail delivery.....they belong to USPS.

 

If the USPS isn't using it as a mailbox,it's not a mailbox for the purpose of the law. Especially if you purchased it yourself.

 

If you really want to get into nuances, could you have a cache inside your front door accessed via the front mail slot?

 

That is an interesting technical question. Probably not, IF it is attached to the actual mail slot. But then again, who is going to enforce it? Trust me, they are really picky about this stuff if they have to be.

[BelchFire]

... I suppose that would depend on where the mailbox was and what it looked like. If you have one attached to your house and flowers planted in it, that's different. BUT if you have 2 mailboxes and they are close together and look similar and both could be used for mail delivery.....they belong to USPS.

 

If the USPS isn't using it as a mailbox,it's not a mailbox for the purpose of the law. Especially if you purchased it yourself.

 

If you really want to get into nuances, could you have a cache inside your front door accessed via the front mail slot?

 

That is an interesting technical question. Probably not, IF it is attached to the actual mail slot. But then again, who is going to enforce it? Trust me, they are really picky about this stuff if they have to be.

.....and who would look there? I wouldn't. Too much risk of buckshot in the face.

[+Wacka]

We were fighting some development in the neighborhood and had a lawyer. We were going to put fliers around the neighborhood to get people to show up at city hall for the hearing. Our lawyer said to make sure we did not put any in any mailboxes or slots. We had to put them in the paper tubes at the street or in between the screen door and solid door.

[+Team Three Boys]

A cache on a mailbox would be VERY lame.

[+Bushlight]

I have no problem with this. If somebody else does then don't look for it. Just like micro's if you don't like them then don't look for them.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Bushlight

[+mtn-man]

The question wasn't whether it was lame or regarding personal opinions regarding the hide, but rather whether it was legal to hide a cache in this location. Since the answer has been given (no, it is not legal), then I am going to close this straying topic.