# The neighbors asked me to collect their mail **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574 "2012-08-25T03:42:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574/21 "2012-08-25T23:40:34Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > Why in the **world** would you get in trouble for picking up your neighbors’ mail when they’re on vacation? Because you didn’t give it back to them when they got home? 🙂 Given that it’s not necessarily obvious to the casual observer who sees you taking their mail whether or not you’re authorized to do so, I don’t think the OP’s question is _totally_ unreasonable—though I’m not saying he should worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574/22 "2012-08-25T23:48:49Z")
By the time trouble arrives for you, the neighbours will be home to say “We gave our permission.” ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574/23 "2012-08-26T22:05:48Z")
An FYI. The USPS has an online hold mail form. I needed to leave unexpectedly, filled out the form about 0500hrs and mail was stopped for that day and all was delivered in a bundle on the day the form I provided said to resume delivery. In the recent past hold delivery paper forms have been, more often that not, ignored. Perhaps my experience with the online form was a one off positive. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574/24 "2012-08-28T12:55:57Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > My neighbor asked me for a cup of sugar. What liability am I incurring if she develops diabetes? That’s actually a more complex question than you might think. Your neighbor is ( we presume ) an adult who is aware of her physical conditions. However, you’re not diabetic till the day you are diabetic. While symptoms may emerge over weeks or months, until tested you’re not A Diabetic. If she needed a sugar for baking and was unaware that eating sugar-laden baked goods would drive her into a diabetic coma, I would hope that you would not be responsible. Then again, you are legally liable for providing to outsiders with negative results anything in your home. Give a kid a beer? You’re Providing. Give a 6 year old a peanut butter cookie that results in anaphylaxis and death? You’re liable. Local laws being what they are, I’m painting in broad strokes and am not a lawyer. But fair to say you are liable for your interactions with those who appear at your door step. ETA: In many areas, the information of exactly how long you are aware and the house is empty is NOT information you’d want a heap of utter strangers to have. Me, I’d ask a neighbor. If I had any I knew. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574/25 "2012-08-28T13:37:07Z")
“And in other news, police investigating the mysterious deaths of the neighbor couple are still attempting to trace the mystery woman seen intercepting their mail.” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574/26 "2012-08-28T15:28:10Z")
According to [US Code](http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1708) it’s illegal to “steal” from a mail receptacle, but if you have the neighbor’s permission it wouldn’t be stealing. It’s ridiculous but if you really want to cover your ass you’d need something in writing from them giving you permission, but for all practical purposes picking up a neighbor’s mail is done all the time and you won’t get in any trouble whatsoever for it. ---
**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:** [August 28, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574/27 "2012-08-28T16:41:22Z")
I’m not a fan of allowing pics in the posts here, but this is one of those questions where you just want a to post a “facepalm” or “R U Serious” pic in response. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574/28 "2012-08-28T17:01:13Z")
Oh, come on. It’s not that ridiculous a question. I heard all the time when I was growing up dire warnings about the illegality of “tampering” with the US Mail, including everything from putting stuff in the mailbox that wasn’t mailed (like fliers) to taking stuff out of peoples’ mailboxes, all of which actions were, it was claimed, deeply serious federal crimes. I’m not saying the warnings were accurate, but those ideas are certainly out there in the culture. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574/29 "2012-08-28T20:07:53Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Oh, come on. It’s not that ridiculous a question. Yes it is. ---
**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:** [August 28, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574/30 "2012-08-28T20:09:55Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > It’s not that ridiculous a question. [This](http://implied.facepalm.de/images/facepalm.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-neighbors-asked-me-to-collect-their-mail/632574.md?page=1)