# How to use the drive-thru mailbox **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 31, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418 "2006-01-31T22:24:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/41 "2006-02-01T18:34:13Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Once you have become a species of rotund, legless repletes, we will simply wait until the oil runs out, and return to crush you! Somoene at MAD magazine had the same idea some 35 years ago, only they had the Japanese invading. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/42 "2006-02-01T22:27:16Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > My point actually was that Outback Steakhouse is actually an American thing (They ARE NOT Australian) and IIRC, the only one is in Sydney. I’ve never seen one but I’ve just checked the White Pages and there are two listed. They’re both in the suburbs, not the city. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/43 "2006-02-01T22:34:07Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I’ve never seen one but I’ve just checked the White Pages and there are two listed. They’re both in the suburbs, not the city. I wonder if they’re for tourists who miss “real” Australian food. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/44 "2006-02-02T00:13:37Z")
> [@LilyoftheValley](#): > > I have a two year old. It’s a pain in the rear to take her in and out of the carseat to walk inside the post office just to drop a single bill in a slot that only gets checked twice a day anyway. Makes sense to me to make a drive through box. ::shrug:: [Of course, my unique situation invalidates your entire positiion!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=302643) ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/45 "2006-02-02T01:35:43Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > [Of course, my unique situation invalidates your entire positiion!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=302643) You think it’s unique to have a child in a car seat? I’d say it’s pretty darn common, especially amongst the set of people who get stuck doing chores like mailing crap at the post office. I am actually in agreement that American culture is too car-happy, but I think that claiming that drive-up mailboxes are a sign of the carpocalypse is overstating things. Now if you want to talk about the fact that our government thinks the best place to build post offices and social security offices is outside of downtown areas on major roads with no sidewalks, then go for it. They did that here, which is why I have to get in the car to mail letters in the very first place. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/46 "2006-02-02T01:39:59Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] They fear our geeky wrath if our anime DVDs take too long, and they know we don’t have far to drive. [QUOTE] This cracked me up. I’m currently in the process of trying to figure out exactly which mail drop gets things to Netflix the quickest, because I NEED MY ANIME DVDS IMMEDIATELY IF NOT SOONER. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/47 "2006-02-02T01:41:35Z")
Apparently I’m in such a hurry I forgot how to code properly. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/48 "2006-02-02T03:40:57Z")
> [@LilyoftheValley](#): > > You think it’s unique to have a child in a car seat? I’d say it’s pretty darn common, especially amongst the set of people who get stuck doing chores like mailing crap at the post office. Mangetout’s position was that Americans are too lazy to be wrenched away from their car. Your position (in an attempt to invalidate his position) was that you have a child that you cannot leave the car and must use a drive-through. Of course, unless the majority of people using the post office drive through do in fact have children that they can’t leave, your argument fails. > [@](#): > > I am actually in agreement that American culture is too car-happy, but I think that claiming that drive-up mailboxes are a sign of the carpocalypse is overstating things. Now if you want to talk about the fact that our government thinks the best place to build post offices and social security offices is outside of downtown areas on major roads with no sidewalks, then go for it. They did that here, which is why I have to get in the car to mail letters in the very first place. But that doesn’t explain the drive through, at all. The point of mangetout’s argument was that _you don’t want to get out of your car._ Here, postboxes are roadside, you pull up, get out, post, get back in. Very similar to the drive through, _except you actually have to get out of the car._ ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/49 "2006-02-02T03:46:56Z")
> [@Dag Otto](#): > > Do you at least have drive through ATMs there? I’ve never seen one. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/50 "2006-02-02T03:52:20Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I’ve never seen one. Neither have I. I remember seeing in a thread, (by whoever is the American in Australia) a complaint about us not having drive through ATM’s. My partner refuses to use drive-throughs. And frankly, I have heard a lot of other people wondering what is the American obssession with drive-throughs. Don’t you guys have a drive-through chapel in Las Vegas or something? ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/51 "2006-02-02T07:13:39Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > [Assuming you live in USA, since your location says nothing] > My point actually was that Outback Steakhouse is actually an American thing (They ARE NOT Australian) and IIRC, the only one is in Sydney. Ie; Sydney, in some ways, is more Americanised than the rest of Australia (To the point where they actually have an American frachise specialising in “Australian” food.) > > Of course, I have never actually been to Sydney, so perhaps a Sydney-ite (paging **don’t ask** ) could come inform us. OK, you’re right. I am a Yank and should have said so. And yes, I know that Outback Restaurants are American-born. By the way, I used to chat with some Aussies online and we joked that if they tried out for an Outback commercial, they’d be turned down because they didn’t sound “Aussie” enough, i.e. not Aussie enough by Hollywood standards. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/52 "2006-02-02T08:35:00Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Once you have become a species of rotund, legless repletes, we will simply wait until the oil runs out, and return to crush you! I think we’d be the ones doing the crushing, being so heavy and all. Hold still… > [@Philster](#): > > Skimming through my business mag yesterday, I saw that McDonald’s is now outsourcing its drive thru tellers. Seems like the pathetic ability of the drive thru tellers causes people to complain frequently to McDees. Wow, that’s fucking stupid. According to [this article](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/11/national/main679730.shtml), “the strategy is based on the theory that mistakes come from the order-taker, not the cook line.” As a former McDonald’s drive-thru worker, I can tell you with confidence that mistakes are as common as fucking Big Macs, and can come from anywhere. Well, not so much from me. I was more meticulous about reading back the orders to ensure accuracy, which of course lead to a lot of stress when the kitchen forgot to leave off the onions, or the other drive-thru worker handing the food out the other window grabbed the wrong bag. This theory sucks grill sludge from the grease trap. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/53 "2006-02-02T11:52:25Z")
> [@Tikki](#): > > And yes, I know that Outback Restaurants are American-born. By the way, I used to chat with some Aussies online and we joked that if they tried out for an Outback commercial, they’d be turned down because they didn’t sound “Aussie” enough, i.e. not Aussie enough by Hollywood standards. Apparently that’s the reason why Australian actor Jesse Spencer who plays Chase on house puts on a british accent. He sounds ridiculous to us (him having been a soapie star for quite some time) but he must sound Australian to you guys :). ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/54 "2006-02-02T22:59:37Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > Apparently that’s the reason why Australian actor Jesse Spencer who plays Chase on house puts on a british accent. He sounds ridiculous to us (him having been a soapie star for quite some time) but he must sound Australian to you guys :). I think he sounds more South African. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/55 "2006-02-03T00:54:32Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > Mangetout’s position was that Americans are too lazy to be wrenched away from their car. Your position (in an attempt to invalidate his position) was that you have a child that you cannot leave the car and must use a drive-through. Of course, unless the majority of people using the post office drive through do in fact have children that they can’t leave, your argument fails. Ah, now I get what you were saying. I wasn’t trying to invalidate his position. If I did, I wouldn’t share a useless individual data point (me being one person not representative of the average American). I quoted poorly I guess. Was just giving a :shrug: because I think that there are a ton worse ways in which Americans are car addicts, and I see no reason in particular _not_ to have this convenience, as it works for me and others who don’t want to go into the office. > [@](#): > > But that doesn’t explain the drive through, at all. The point of mangetout’s argument was that _you don’t want to get out of your car._ Here, postboxes are roadside, you pull up, get out, post, get back in. Very similar to the drive through, _except you actually have to get out of the car._ Never heard of roadside boxes without drive-up. Live and learn. All we have are inside the office or drive up. Is there really a significant advantage to making them not drive-up if you have to find a parking space and park anyway? Other than making sure people get out of the car for fifty feet of exercise year-round including snowstorms and rainstorms? Meh. I’d go to Australia to mail my next letter, but I can’t drive there. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/56 "2006-02-03T02:06:04Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > > [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > > > Do you not have mailboxes with a chute on the road-side of the box in Australia? > > Yes, but the chute faces away from the road. > > Drive through mailboxes. Not that I have seen. There is one genuine drive-through mailbox in Canberra (in Woden, for anyone familiar with the city). Only one I’ve ever seen in Australia, but of course I haven’t been everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Anaptyxis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anaptyxis/32/3171_2.png) [@Anaptyxis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaptyxis)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/57 "2006-02-03T02:50:57Z")
> [@sturmhauke](#): > > As a former McDonald’s drive-thru worker, I can tell you with confidence that mistakes are as common as fucking Big Macs Yeesh, good thing I don’t order Big Macs anymore! ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418/58 "2006-02-03T04:40:26Z")
> [@LilyoftheValley](#): > > Is there really a significant advantage to making them not drive-up if you have to find a parking space and park anyway? You don’t park as much as pull up to the side of the road\* (there is normally a space for more than one car in front, or it is a road with a wide long shoulder) and get out and mail. Is there an advantage? Well there wouldn’t be the problem that happens in the OP. I have never seen anyone have to wait to use the mailbox. In fact, the concept seems foreign to me, as much as waiting to use a public bin or something. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-the-drive-thru-mailbox/342418.md?page=2)