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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To hate those bastard letterboxes with bristles in them?

37 replies

grimbletart · 27/09/2015 19:26

Just that really.

I had to deliver some single sheet flyers around our area for a local campaign. The choice seemed to be to end up with a load of flyers crumpled up like concertinas or having my knuckles scraped raw by the bloody bristles as I tried to protect the flyers by laying my hand on top to keep the bristles out of the way.

Bastard things.

(If it's draughts the owners are worried about do what we did and install a wooden flap on the inside).

OP posts:
gamerchick · 27/09/2015 19:31

I dunno, I don't like random stuff being posted through the door. I'm not about to make it easier Wink

Florriesma · 27/09/2015 19:32

Nope it's to keep out leafletsGrin
I had a similar experience when I delivered leaflets though so you have some sympathy.

summerainbow · 27/09/2015 19:45

wear gloves next time

incogKNEEto · 27/09/2015 19:48

If you roll them into a cylinder that helps! Those bristles are the bane of postie's days!

sproketmx · 27/09/2015 19:50

It's actually more about protecting the posties fingers from the dogs Grin

stopfaffing · 27/09/2015 20:04

Yes. I too had to deliver leaflets for a local shop recently and quickly started to hate (a) brush letterboxes (b) letterboxes on springs (ow) and (c) letterboxes at the bottom of doors. Who the hell thought that was a good design? Murder on my back.

I have a brush letterbox Blush and wonder whether I should post a wee note on it with "sorry" written on it Wink.

londonrach · 27/09/2015 20:15

Gamer...i do feel sorry for people who dont want to know about activities and events in the local area. Op you not yanbu. Everyone who owes a letterbox should post something though the letterbox and feel for their local postman.

lljkk · 27/09/2015 20:16

The bristles stop dogs from biting your fingers, so on the whole I like the bristles. hth.

gamerchick · 27/09/2015 20:20

Save your pity I don't like piles of crap posted through the door.

londonrach · 27/09/2015 20:23

Stop..like your comment re the bottom ones. I do feel sorry for those saying no junk as they miss information re local events. One lady with children waved me away. I smiled, shrugged my shoulders and didnt post my leaflet re free children fun day in local park. (I didnt get paid as volunteer). Not all junk is junk..builder the other day said as much to me when he caught me in street and why i didnt deliver to him as his wife like to know. Also those letter boxes on the side...

stopfaffing · 27/09/2015 20:32

I might add that I didn't post anything in a door with a notice that said "no junk mail" or similar. The leaflets were money-off coupons for a local cafe in the village.

jevoudrais · 27/09/2015 21:18

Bristles on ours keep your hand safe from my dog's tongue! Obviously a hand through the door is there to say hi to him and give him a present...

frikadela01 · 27/09/2015 21:23

I used to have to post a lot of leaflets for a local childrens group... best tip I got was to use a wooden spoon to push the leaflets through, the group leader even decorated one so that if it accidently got posted we'd get it back.

Fyi I too hate lots of junk but I'd rather get leaflets about local events than all the bloody takeaway menus we get at my new address.

MyNightWithMaud · 27/09/2015 21:25

Having just leafleted our street for as community event, I have to agree. Best/worse of all are the be-bristled letterboxes at ground level.

wowfudge · 27/09/2015 21:49

Use a spatula or wooden spoon to push the leaflets through.

BlackeyedSusan · 27/09/2015 22:09

when we tried to buy a new letter box we were told it is a new regulation to do with insulating front doors. I did not want a bristly one having delivered leaflets myself.

BlackeyedSusan · 27/09/2015 22:10

I particularly hate flap, stiff bristles, flap, curtain combinations.

teatowel · 27/09/2015 22:16

I have delivered a local newsletter for years. It should be against the law to have a letter box at the bottom of your door!

lighteningirl · 27/09/2015 22:27

Flat wooden spatula or ruler fold leaflet over push thru letterbox I do 2000 a couple of times a year saves me ages and stops leaflets crumpling

Penfold007 · 27/09/2015 22:31

I'd prefer no one posted junk/unsolicited post through my letter box. I don't have a bristle letter box but junk mail is a pain.

Samcro · 27/09/2015 22:39

i have a new door, and now have one of those letter boxes. yay no more shite junk mail.

5Foot5 · 27/09/2015 23:35

Oh I do sympathise. I sometimes deliver a leaflet advertising local events ( OK some of you might technically call it junk mail but then again it might turn out you would enjoy these events if you knew about them so there you go) I quickly got to dislike the ones with bristles but I will follow some of the tips I hae seen here about using a wooden spoon.

Worse though are the really snappy letter boxees. Nearly lost the end of a finger to one. Those of you chuntering about junk mail - do you never ever get mail that isn't junk. On your birthday perhaps? And what about the poor postman?

sproketmx · 28/09/2015 00:03

I had an argument with the betterware woman at the shops over this. She snidely commented loudly that she never gets her book back from me so I told her to stop shoving the shite through my letterbox coz my dogs shred it and I should be making her clean it up. She's not even from here

BertieBotts · 28/09/2015 00:05

Oh no the brush ones make it MORE likely to get killed by insane dogs! Because with the normal ones you can sort of shove it through from several centimetres away and run. With bristly ones you actually have to shove the leaflet through and hence expose hand to dog.

I just used to skip any houses with crap letterboxes or manic barking dogs, HTH :o

BertieBotts · 28/09/2015 00:07

Wooden spoon is hilarious. Can now imagine mumsnetters carefully posting leaflets with wooden spoons.

Letters, cards etc tend to have a bit more substance than a single sheet of paper so they go through bristles with less hassle.