Low Level Letterboxes - Do You Have One?

when our houses were built 20 years ago they all have low letter boxes and so many people have put up post boxes on their walls

If they have 5 or 6 steps up to them, low level letterboxes are okay.

Another vote against low level letter boxes from me! Whoever designs these never thinks of the human element.

The aim of the brushes is to stop howling gales blowing through the letterbox. I have a thick fabric flap on a rod on the inside of mine that causes no problems at all when anything is pushed through the letter box, but does stop draughts.

I would love it if low level letterboxes were banned. I regularly deliver the parish news and they are the bane of my life. I have to kneel down, often on a rock hard step and it plays havoc with my knees. I feel so sorry for the Postie. I try to simply bend down but some letterboxes have such a fierce spring and robust draught excluding brushes as well so its hopeless (not to mention the dogs the other side!). After a horrid incident where a low level letterbox snapped down on my fingers I now always wear thick gloves even in the summer.

I think there should be building regulations requiring us to have postboxes at the nearest point of our property to the street. I have been delivering leaflets lately it really is difficult on some of the properties in our town. Not just difficult but sometimes down right hazardous, with potholed drives, steep slippery slopes, poorly maintain steps etc. That’s before we even start on the letterboxes. My hands get so sore trying to force the leaflets through letterbox with those very stiff brushes behind them. We have a real problem with efficiency of the Postal Service, with suggestions that collections and deliveries are going to be further reduced in their frequency. I think this would really help to make the posties job quick quicker and easier. It’s a health and safety issue - we all have responsibility for the well-being of people who come onto our property, and Royal Mail have a duty of care to the people who work for them.

I deliver a free magazine in my road every couple of months. There are a couple of low letterboxes and I hate the bending to reach them. I wouldn't want to do it more frequently. At least no snappy dogs though!

I had to post a lot of leaflets recently and really felt sorry for posties with all those low letter boxes. Can’t understand why people have them.

Esmay

My neighbours have one and very occasionally I have to post misdirected mail into it .
I feel so sorry for the postman .
It's awkward to access .

Maybe the misdirected mail is intentionally misdirected Esmay silly because of the low level letter box. Take care with your back.

Another reason for using a wooden spatula is because of the resident dog who hurls itself against the door to defend the house from unwanted mail.

I haven’t got a letter box, I have a post box on the gate so the postman does not come to the door. This stops 10 minutes of crazed barking and the chance the postman could get his fingers bitten.

My postie slips letters and small packages through through a small top window in the porch even though we have a normal height letterbox.

When wire free child proof glass became affordable, full size panels became popular, but that was back in the 60s. I guess there are still some around.
Few doormakers offer this now.
Finger traps have moved now to those horrible external wall boxes.

SunnySusie

I would love it if low level letterboxes were banned. I regularly deliver the parish news and they are the bane of my life. I have to kneel down, often on a rock hard step and it plays havoc with my knees. I feel so sorry for the Postie. I try to simply bend down but some letterboxes have such a fierce spring and robust draught excluding brushes as well so its hopeless (not to mention the dogs the other side!). After a horrid incident where a low level letterbox snapped down on my fingers I now always wear thick gloves even in the summer.

SunnySusie Perhaps you are in a position to influence, perhaps an article in the magazine, or not delivering to those homes?

Yes we have one but we put a post box on the wall next to the door some years ago and there's rarely anything coming in via the low letter box now.

We have one - the door is largely small panes of obscured glass. It was there when we bought the house in 1977. Presumably it is the original from the 60s.

mimismo

I used to deliver the Xmas post when I was a student and always hated one particular house which had a glass front door with a floor level letterbox and a Rottweiler who would hurl himself at the door when I bent down to deliver Xmas cards. Very scary!!!

Me too, hated low letter boxes especially trying not to slip on icy doorsteps !

I do not have a letterbox in my front door. When we had building work done on the house we had a large letterbox fitted into the porch wall at waist height. The mail drops into a wooden cupboard in the porch, ideal as it is out of sight and not lying on the floor.

I deliver residents’ association newsletters around the village. I have a few houses on my route that have these selfish letter boxes. I used to bend down to use them. Got fed up with that. So now I just dump the newsletter on their front step. Inconsiderate I know, but so is their letterbox.