A mailbox for the ages

What are the rules for a mailbox?

• The regulation height is 42" from the bottom of the mailbox to the ground.
• Your house number should be clearly marked on the mailbox with painted numbers or stickers no less than 1" high.
• The box should be on the right-hand side of the road as traveled by the mail carrier.
• It should be located approximately 2' from the side of the road to ensure the carrier can get off the road enough to clear traffic.

In my town there is another unwritten “suggestion”. That is to make your mailbox vandal-proof. I have had my mailbox smashed numerous times with baseball bats. Once my attention was drawn to a small fire. Somebody had set the newspaper on fire and the plastic newspaper tube was burning in spectacular fashion. For me it was a moment of suspend belief, wondering what why I was seeing this orange glow from the road side.

My neighbor has constructed a mailbox that is truly awe-inspiring, only pictures can do it justice: