Small town mailbox controversy

If you already live in Allegan, you're familiar with the "mailbox controversy."  

If not, sit back, get some popcorn and get ready for a tale of intrigue.

For many, many years a mailbox with a delivery shoot (I think it has an animal name like "turtle or giraffe" but again, as the lazy blogger, I don't feel like looking it up and besides, it's not integral to the story) for easy delivery for patrons who don't want to get out of their cars.

The post office sits (sat) on a one-way street so the box was located across from the building so drivers didn't interfere with the people who needed to angle park (pay close attention to that reference because it comes into play soon - you might want to take notes) and walk into the PO.

So, picture this (a drawing could help here):  as you look up the one-way street, the PO is on the right and the easy-entry mailbox is on the left allowing you, the driver, to pull up, roll down and drop your envelopes into that shoot thing I mentioned earlier.

This practice went on forever until someone decided a change was needed and made that block a two-way.  Can you see the issue here? Did your drawing help you out?

Now you can't pull up for a quick drop because you'd cross the oncoming lane and be facing traffic which is AGAINST THE LAW!

So . . . the box was moved across the street.  Do you see the problem with that?  If you have a passenger along for a ride, they can put their window down and do you a biggie but if you're alone and don't have orangutang arms, you're screwed.

Now you'll just have to put your car in "park", get out and walk around to deposit your mail.  Defeats the whole purpose.

Well, all hell broke loose.  I saw people with red faces, swearing to beat the band.  The staff must have taken all kinds of abuse.

Oh, and that angle parking I talked about?  That's gone.  It's all about parallel now which cut down on available space in front of the PO.  People were breaking the parking ordinances like mad.

Solution:  move the box around the corner into a city parking lot!  

And this is what I saw this morning on my "Augie" walk.

 

The move must have just taken place because it was too cold to do so earlier.  Much more room.  No more swearing.  Easy-peasy.

I wonder if there's going to be a ribbon cutting ceremony sometime this week?