Cashe on a public mail box?

[+WIIarefamily]

Is it legal to place a cache on a USPS mailbox? I am not talking about a private box, rather the large blue boxes. Just wondering... thanks for the help.

[+ArcherDragoon]

Yep...it is illegal...

[+WIIarefamily]

Could you please point me to a location I could quote to the reviewer who obviously is not aware of this fact. There is a cache here in our town that is a magnetic cache on the bottom of a mail box. I thought it was an illegal cache.

[+ArcherDragoon]

Could you please point me to a location I could quote to the reviewer who obviously is not aware of this fact. There is a cache here in our town that is a magnetic cache on the bottom of a mail box. I thought it was an illegal cache.

The reviewer probably doesn't know it is on the Mailbox...just send an email to the reviewer and he/she will take care of the rest.

[+StarBrand]

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...=162826&hl=

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...ster+permission

 

Here are some previous discussions on the subject - I think it got pretty well established in the end that such caches should not exist without some very explict permission from some higher authority in the postal system.

[+ArcherDragoon]

Yep, those were the threads I was looking for...just couldn't find at the time...

[+Renegade Knight]

Is it legal to place a cache on a USPS mailbox? I am not talking about a private box, rather the large blue boxes. Just wondering... thanks for the help.

 

Digging through the links provided I found a document put out by the USPS that discusses the restriction of the mailbox. The gist is that you can't use a mailbox to deliver things without giving the post office it's due (postage). Which has nothing whatsoever to do with the legaltiy of attaching a magnetic cache to the underside of a mailbox. However the sheer variety of decorations attached to mailboxes that you can see in the world makes it clear that the USPS allows things that don't get in the way of their job.

 

This goes back to adequate permission. Which the cache owner says they have and which you don't seem to have evidence they don't. In other words you are second guessing the cache placement without proof of an actual problem. That's bad busienss.

 

Edit:

 

Upon further reading: Semper Questio pointed out that they worked on a committee and were told that homeowners etc could do things to the mailbox. This directly implies that adequate permission can be had in the world of mailboxes to stick a cache on/around/under it. Just not inside it.

 

That said I'll take it one step further. Since the USPS is holding me accountable for my neighborhood cluster for maintance and I have no doubt replacing this blight (they are ugly and I'd much rather have on by my driveway to be accountable for) I do hearby give permission for anyone in my area to use my cluser for a cache. Just don't stick it inside.

Edited September 10, 2009 by Renegade Knight

[+Prime Suspect]

Is it legal to place a cache on a USPS mailbox? I am not talking about a private box, rather the large blue boxes. Just wondering... thanks for the help.

 

Digging through the links provided I found a document put out by the USPS that discusses the restriction of the mailbox. The gist is that you can't use a mailbox to deliver things without giving the post office it's due (postage). Which has nothing whatsoever to do with the legaltiy of attaching a magnetic cache to the underside of a mailbox. However the sheer variety of decorations attached to mailboxes that you can see in the world makes it clear that the USPS allows things that don't get in the way of their job.

 

This goes back to adequate permission. Which the cache owner says they have and which you don't seem to have evidence they don't. In other words you are second guessing the cache placement without proof of an actual problem. That's bad busienss.

 

Edit:

 

Upon further reading: Semper Questio pointed out that they worked on a committee and were told that homeowners etc could do things to the mailbox. This directly implies that adequate permission can be had in the world of mailboxes to stick a cache on/around/under it. Just not inside it.

 

That said I'll take it one step further. Since the USPS is holding me accountable for my neighborhood cluster for maintance and I have no doubt replacing this blight (they are ugly and I'd much rather have on by my driveway to be accountable for) I do hearby give permission for anyone in my area to use my cluser for a cache. Just don't stick it inside.

 

The law in question has to do with defacement of a mailbox, which is a federal offense, not putting things inside the mailbox.

[+Knight2000]

Could you please point me to a location I could quote to the reviewer who obviously is not aware of this fact. There is a cache here in our town that is a magnetic cache on the bottom of a mail box. I thought it was an illegal cache.

I have one that is on the underside of a mailbox but I can assure you that it is completely legal.

 

I wouldn't even want to mess with the idea of committing a federal crime. They don't full around with that stuff. Especially after all of the terrorist issues. There has to be a law somewhere that would apply to putting a geocache on the mailbox. Think about how it would look for a person holding a handheld device looking suspicious around a mailbox.

[+popokiiti]

We were seeking, and found, a cache that appeared to be on public property...but according to the man from Canada Post, it was on their property. We explained geocaching to him (he'd heard of it - wow!) and he was going to explain to the highest authority that we were all cool. Not sure if the cache is still there - it is accessible from the sidewalk.

 

Edit to add - not on a mailbox, on a lampost outside the main sorting office/post office.

Edited September 11, 2009 by popokiiti

[+WebChimp]

Is it legal to place a cache on a USPS mailbox? I am not talking about a private box, rather the large blue boxes. Just wondering... thanks for the help.

 

Without getting into some of the other questions raised here, unless the hider got permission from the post office, it's not permitted. Post office boxes are in a public arena, but are still private property of the postal service.

[+briansnat]

Could you please point me to a location I could quote to the reviewer who obviously is not aware of this fact. There is a cache here in our town that is a magnetic cache on the bottom of a mail box. I thought it was an illegal cache.

 

All reviewers should be aware of this fact. Some may not be aware that the cache is on a mailbox unless the cache owner (r somebody else) told him so. So if you encounter one, let the reviewer know.

[+Chi-Town Cacher]

I really want to make a comment that would probably be very beneficial to cache reviewers, but if I say much in this open forum it could be construed as providing spoiler info on a cache. So if there are any cache reviewers who'd be interested in some information I'll be happy to provide it to them via E-Mail only. I'd just hate to see caches getting archived when they don't need to be. Have a great weekend everybody!

[+Renegade Knight]

...The law in question has to do with defacement of a mailbox, which is a federal offense, not putting things inside the mailbox.

I didn't find that law to read it, however defacing is just a variation of vandalism which is different than a magnet.

[+Stargazer22]

My dad worked in management for USPS for over 30 years.

 

While you could probably get away with it if it doesn't cause any problems, I wouldn't recommend it.

They are pretty touchy about the boxes.

[+Arrow42]

...The law in question has to do with defacement of a mailbox, which is a federal offense, not putting things inside the mailbox.

I didn't find that law to read it, however defacing is just a variation of vandalism which is different than a magnet.

 

I do wonder how a magnet counts as defacement.

de⋅face

  /dɪˈfeɪs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [di-feys]

–verb (used with object), -faced, -fac⋅ing.

1. to mar the surface or appearance of; disfigure: to deface a wall by writing on it.

2. to efface, obliterate, or injure the surface of, as to make illegible or invalid: to deface a bond.

(link)

 

*shrug*, not a very inspired hide anyway.

[+Prime Suspect]

I do wonder how a magnet counts as defacement.

de⋅face

  /dɪˈfeɪs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [di-feys]

–verb (used with object), -faced, -fac⋅ing.

1. to mar the surface or appearance of; disfigure: to deface a wall by writing on it.

2. to efface, obliterate, or injure the surface of, as to make illegible or invalid: to deface a bond.

(link)

So you agree that it's defacement. After all, unless the cache is crystal clear, it's impossible to attache it without obliterating (covering up up or obscuring) part of the mailbox.