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How are [snail] mail boxes spaced?

R

rs7

macrumors regular
Original poster
I'm doing a paper on a Non-Euclidean geometry called Taxicab geometry and am looking for applications of it. Does anyone know how mailboxes, such as those of the USPS, are spaced throughout towns?

Thanks
 
Most personal mailboxes are placed very carefully depending on the exact point in space that the driveway meets the road.
 
I mean the ones owned by the USPS...probably blue. They're placed on corners.
 
I don't think there's a specific rule. They just place them at wherever they think are convenient locations.
 
yg17 said:
I don't think there's a specific rule. They just place them at wherever they think are convenient locations.
Click to expand...
Yes, and also mostly at each post office. Sometimes, more than one, and sometimes only that you can get to by going inside.

Beyond that, there are some that I've been to with one for in-town and one for out-of-town, some with just one, and some with multiples I don't even make note of.

Also, in newer housing developments there are multi-use boxes with one box per house and a drop slot.

What about Apartment complexes and buildings with more than one occupant, or just stores like Mailboxes, etc?

Do you really need to only consider the blue ones?
 
I mean the blue boxes collected by the USPS, not the boxes belonging to people/businesses where your mail is delivered (though I believe if the carrier can retrieve mail from your box, your mail can be collected from your own mailbox)
 
rs7 said:
I mean the blue boxes collected by the USPS, not the boxes belonging to people/businesses where your mail is delivered (though I believe if the carrier can retrieve mail from your box, your mail can be collected from your own mailbox)
Click to expand...

Ewww. Sorry, no clue.

A quick google suggests that they are called USPS Collection Stations (blue mailboxes), and that you can search for them by zip code:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...+(blue+mailboxes)&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

Beyond that, how they are placed, still no clue, although this: http://www.mailboxmap.com/ allows you to show what's available by city if you zoom in far enough.
 
I don't believe there is a specific spacing. And more recently a lot have been removed for security reasons. Now mostly only in high traffic areas like shopping malls.
 
There are also some places that don't have any ... here, in Killeen, the only place I have seen any of those boxes is outside the Post Offices.
 
rs7 said:
I mean the blue boxes collected by the USPS, not the boxes belonging to people/businesses where your mail is delivered (though I believe if the carrier can retrieve mail from your box, your mail can be collected from your own mailbox)
Click to expand...

Yes, I know what you're talking about. There's absolutely no rhyme or reason to their placement. Like I said, just wherever USPS believes is convenient.
 
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