# The teen Mail Jumpers of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 20, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800 "2023-06-20T00:21:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/1 "2023-06-20T00:21:00Z")
I just learned about this from NPR today. It started in the late 19th century, when the lakefront mansions were only accessible by boat. Mail is delivered by a a “mail jumper” who jumps from a moving boat onto the dock, delivers the mail and collects outgoing mail, and jumps back on the boat, all while the boat continues moving. Although the houses are all accessible by road now, they’ve maintained the tradition. > **[The Gravity-Defying Mail Jumpers of Lake Geneva](https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mail-jumping-lake-geneva)** > > Yes, sometimes they fall in the drink. And a video if you want to see them in action [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TWdBDlKJADg/maxresdefault.jpg "Wisconsin Life | Mail Boat Jumpers") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWdBDlKJADg) ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/2 "2023-06-20T00:34:34Z")
Some years ago there were some mail routes that still delivered by boat, and mule - at Grand Canyon national park. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/3 "2023-06-20T00:39:39Z")
Ok, apparently editing my post to say I fixed the embedded video broke the embedded video. Let’s see if this works. No… Ok, fine, [here’s a link again](https://youtu.be/TWdBDlKJADg/). ETA: And now the embedded video in the OP magically fixed itself. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/4 "2023-06-20T00:55:11Z")
I heard that report on NPR and thought that it sounded like fun. Though I don’t have the agility to actually do that job. ---
**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:** [June 20, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/5 "2023-06-20T01:16:38Z")
If you search YouTube for fail videos, examples of amateurs trying this trick seem to feature prominently. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/6 "2023-06-20T01:26:47Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t have the agility to actually do that job. I don’t any more but as a teen, I would have done a great job. This got me thinking about how they deliver the mail to the Northwest Angle of Minnesota. Turns out, it is done by car, through Canada, from Warroad. The NW Angle does have its own tiny post office. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/7 "2023-06-20T02:09:19Z")
Gotta be tough jumping in and out of moving cars. You don’t just get wet if you miss. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/8 "2023-06-20T02:18:53Z")
Tom Scott did a video and tried it himself last year: > **[Delivering mail by jumping from a moving boat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vd8Wfk9im0%2F)** > > On Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, there's a summer tradition: "mail jumping". It's a bit dangerous, a bit ridiculous, and would never be allowed to start today. But... ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/9 "2023-06-20T03:07:42Z")
This was one of my mom’s favorite outings. Her international and even cross-country trips are behind her now (she’s in her 90s), but she loves to get driven around to interesting places. So we did a trip to Lake Geneva\*, and she LOVED the Mailboat Ride. You get to watch those high schoolers up close, and hope they make it (they’ll jump off the bow, fill a dozen mailboxes on a long pier, then race as fast as they can to do a long jump onto the stern of the boat. \*Read up on the history before you go. A train line was constructed from Chicago to the lake, and when the Chicago fire razed many homes, like those of the Macy and Wrigley families, they took refuge on the shores of Lake Geneva. It’s so cool to see those ancient mansions from the lake. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/10 "2023-06-20T18:00:20Z")
That’s where I recently learned of this “job”. Looks like it would be fun…for a bit at least. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/11 "2023-06-21T00:25:43Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > You don’t just get wet if you miss. What’s a little road rash? 😆 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/12 "2023-06-21T03:21:27Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > Some years ago there were some mail routes that still delivered by boat, and mule - at Grand Canyon national park. Still do, as far as I know. I hiked across the Canyon some years ago. There’s a small lodge at the bottom, and you can buy and send a postcard, but I didn’t. I think there might be a special postmark. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/13 "2023-06-21T05:19:50Z")
Is there any particular reason the boat has to be moving? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/14 "2023-06-21T08:45:44Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Is there any particular reason the boat has to be moving? ⁢ It would take a lot more time for them to have to stop and start at each place. Granted, the actual service isn’t really needed anymore. It’s more a fun tradition. But that was the original reason. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/15 "2023-06-21T12:25:16Z")
It’s also pretty dangerous. A fine example of a tradition that shouldn’t be around anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/16 "2023-06-21T12:44:19Z")
What’s the danger? If you land in the lake, you swim. I would hope that only strong swimmers would be doing this. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/17 "2023-06-21T12:49:41Z")
> The Teen Mail Jumpers from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin You can tell I live in Chicagoland because I immediately thought the thread title referred to juvenile criminals jumping and mugging mail carriers. LOL Yes, we actually have that, too. 😳 ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/18 "2023-06-21T12:56:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What’s the danger? Well, let’s see… you’re bringing a decently sized boat (for lake purposes) along side a dock, so off the top of my head, having spent many years working around boats and docks… Someone could fall between the boat and the dock and be crushed. There are, presumably, propellers driving the boat, so that’s a danger to anyone who ends up in the water. Boats may have underwater intakes, generating suction, which—depending on the strength—could be enough to trap someone to the hull underwater. And… the boat itself. You could be struck in the head by the very heavy boat moving through the water right next to you. And that’s ignoring the danger of running on a wet/slick dock. Like, I’m just focusing on the boat right now. Nothing about this is safe. It’s a great example of how flipping dangerous life was a hundred years ago, and why safety regulations are a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/19 "2023-06-21T13:24:35Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Nothing about this is safe. And of course, that is exactly why the teens like the challenge. They get to show off athleticism, daring, and practice skills that will serve them in future jobs too. They aren’t worried about slivers, sprains, bruises, or dangerous lake water. If this wasn’t a paying job, they’d be doing it without the job because teens. I grew up lakeside. We did insane things if we knew we wouldn’t get caught. This one is relatively mild. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800/20 "2023-06-21T18:16:35Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Nothing about this is safe. Yet many of us ride motorcycles and bicycles. I wonder what the death toll is for the mail jumpers vs those far more common activities (even averaged out to number of deaths per thousand participants)? Heck, I live near Spokane, WA and it seems at least one pedestrian is sadly killed each week in that town. I would speculate that walking in Spokane is more dangerous than mail jumping. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teen-mail-jumpers-of-lake-geneva-wisconsin/985800.md?page=2)