# Shock shock surprise? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 20, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937 "2014-10-20T18:18:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/1 "2014-10-20T18:18:26Z")
Okay, so it’s fall. And up here, this year more than any I remember, the yard decorating tip is to buy a huge bundle of corn stalks and tie them to your mailbox post in a shock. A few is one thing. Driving down rural/suburban roads with one of these faux farmy things every hundred feet annoys me. So what can I bundle and tie to my mailbox post that tastefully expresses a demure eye-roll at the practice? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/2 "2014-10-20T18:37:31Z")
Pile up some manure around it. As a courtesy to the mailman, provide an alternative box to deliver the mail. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/3 "2014-10-20T18:53:30Z")
Cans of corn. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/4 "2014-10-20T20:27:52Z")
Tie a small child to your mailbox. That will for sure get the roll-eye! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/5 "2014-10-20T20:35:56Z")
A Christmas tree covered in (fake) snow. Maybe with one or two ornaments stuck in it. Just leave it half laying in the street. ---
**Author:** ![Vita\_Beata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@Vita\_Beata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vita_Beata)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/6 "2014-10-20T20:40:39Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Cans of corn. Yes, this! Or the big industrial size can of corn. Our postal deliverers **scold** us :mad: if we plant flowers, or add anything to the mailboxes. Are we trying to attract stinging insects to kill them, or what? ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/7 "2014-10-20T20:44:37Z")
Well, fall is harvest season, so you could tie half a hog carcass out there. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/8 "2014-10-20T22:20:19Z")
Rural/suburban you say? Definitely time to bring out the inflatable Grinch. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/9 "2014-10-20T23:21:00Z")
How about a dead turkey. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/10 "2014-10-20T23:29:28Z")
I third the big honking cans of corn! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/11 "2014-10-21T00:01:46Z")
Cans of corn. Brilliant. I am usually really good at conceiving shens, but this one stumped me, and that’s such an obvious, gently silly response. “That? That’s how we do it in the city.” ---
**Author:** ![Hopeful\_Crow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/da6949/32.png) [@Hopeful\_Crow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hopeful_Crow)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/12 "2014-10-21T16:10:52Z")
Please take a picture and show us your handiwork! Oh, you could get raffia at the craft store to tie them to the post with for a nice folksy feeling. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shock-shock-surprise/701937/13 "2014-10-21T16:22:10Z")
Cans of corn is the hilarious. Yes, pics please if you do this.