Seniors still waiting on the Postal Office after accident

On July 4th, a cluster mailbox was hit by a car on Ballast Way in Heritage Harbor and knocked to the ground. Fortunately, a resident was out walking their dog and saw who hit it.

The next morning, seeing the mailbox on the ground it was reported to the United States Postal Service at Legion Avenue and a truck was later sent out and picked it up. No action seemed to be taking place, so after several days a call was made to the post office and the response was that the post office was not responsible, the community had to purchase a new mailbox.

When asked how we would get mail in the meantime we were told we would have to come to the post office and get it. Of the 12 families using the mailbox some had vision problems, some had health problems, and some did not drive. So this presented a problem.

Then we were told we could only get the mail once a week, on Friday, and no guarantee as to what time. Again, a problem for some residents.

One of the workers at Heritage Harbour felt the old box could be put up again, so after repeated calls to the post office they brought it back and dumped it on the sidewalk. The worker did succeed in re-installing the box, but not all the doors closed because of the hard fall to the concrete and then being thrown there a second time.

After taking a hammer, pliers, and screwdriver to some of the boxes, it was possible to close all the doors. However, because of the bent top and sides, some of the mailboxes leaked resulting in wet mail.

After several go-rounds on this idea, it was finally determined the Heritage Harbour community would have to replace the box. After several attempts to get help in purchasing one, the Postal Service finally provided three companies where an acceptable box could be purchased.

Turns out one had gone out of business, one only came with 16 slots, while we needed 12, and the last one had what we could use and the post office would accept.

This saga had been going on from July until a box was ordered in November from a company in Texas that gave a three-week delivery. The box was delivered in December, but could not be installed until someone from the post office came to coordinate the master key and to re-assign mailbox numbers with the correct resident house numbers.

Repeated calls to the post office to set up a time to do this has resulted in unreturned calls or calls going to voice mail and ignored. It is now past January 10 — more than six months since the mailbox was knocked down, and still no solution.

Repeated calls were made to post office officials, to U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin's Office. Promises to investigate the matter, call on the proper authorities to handle the situation, and other promises have all been made and broken.

No one really cares about the plight of 12 residents in an age-restricted community. Believe me, no stone was left unturned. Calls to various post office officials resulted in a new story every time, a denial of what we "thought" we had been told, and utter rudeness and lack of caring about the problem.

The mailbox sits in the lodge, now three weeks., waiting for someone to come and mesh keys and addresses. We have no idea where to go from here. The government seems to look the other way — employees who have safe jobs from which they can't be fired or held responsible don't seem to put the effort into solving a problem.

After living through this situation, I am frustrated, angered, and disappointed. Whatever happened to the old saying, You can count on mail delivery.

It isn't true.