At the start of every winter I prepare myself for battle with the natural disaster that comes in the form of the town’s snowplow. During each snowstorm it persistently tries to knock down my mailbox, and I, with similar persistence, try to keep it in decent working condition until the end of winter.
One of the reasons for such destructive practice could be the speed of the afore-mentioned vehicle, since higher speed allows snow to be ejected at a higher velocity, thus causing more damage. Every time the clattering truck passes my house and awakes the household from slumber, I have the opportunity to assure myself that it runs at a speed quite greater than 30 miles per hour—the prescribed speed limit on our road.
Judging by the unsightly appearance of the other mailboxes in my neighborhood, and also by the elaborate measures my neighbors have taken to protect them, I assume that I am not the only one who may want to bring some sort of resolution to this continuous problem.
Our town’s administration has offered me monetary compensation for the damaged mailbox, but I don’t think that this solution makes a lot of sense, for in the end it will still be me who is going to compensate for all damaged mailboxes in town, when the next budget override proposal goes into effect. I see only one way to resolve the problem: make the driver of the truck personally responsible for the property he damages.
Gennady Levitsky
Old Littleton Road
