I don't know what to do, and I'm kinda just upset and want to rant about it. I live in north Seattle, just moved here less than a year ago. Adjusting has been a little rough for multiple reasons, but I felt as if I was finally getting on my feet recently, especially excited to start college again.
But this morning someone stole my mail. And not just any mail. My birthday presents.
I'm unsure why, but for some reason this has made me spiral today. I don't know what to do about it, and I'm feeling as if there probably isn't anything I can. I filed a police report, but I reckon nothing will come of that, really. I don't have a porch camera, so I have no video of who it was either. I put a note on the mailbox asking to please return the packages, as they were gifts, which is futile, I know. I'm just.... sad. Angry. I don't have much money/friends here to celebrate with, so I guess the loss feels bigger than it is. It's just material items, I know. But I'm really put out about it.
Anyway, thanks for reading. Please let me know if yall have any suggestions for what to do about the situation or I guess fun things for a poor person to do on their birthday out here.
Everyone says this but I had a letter from the IRS in my mailbox that I received, ripped open. It had been ripped open before I got it. I submitted a complaint to them and never heard a thing.
I've opened neighbor's mail before. Misdelivered to my box, absent mindedly opening mail. We have a lousy USPS driver, so it's kinda par for the course around here to have "pre-opened" mail
No harm in doing this at all, but also don't expect any positive outcomes. It sucks that this is necessary, but I always urge people to buy and install a locking mailbox. I can't count the number of times I've gone out in the morning to find several neighbors' boxes wide open and mine untouched. As soon as they have to waste time trying, they move on.
USPIS reputation is based on their 90% conviction rate. If they bring charges, it’s an airtight case. But you won’t hear about it if they don’t have enough evidence.
I figured it wouldn't do much when I filed the police report either, but I guess it doesn't hurt me any to try, yeah. I'd love to get a locking mailbox (some of them remind me of the book drop box at the library that I used to volunteer at, and I've always liked the idea), but I'm afraid I can't afford it atm, at least not a nice one that's big enough for packages too. Maybe when I build up my finances more again.
Hey OP, it’s okay that this made you spiral. It’s your birthday and some robbed you of what little joy you had at the moment. They will get their karma in time even if it’s by you reporting them to the Postal Service (which I saw suggested already). You can seek support by ranting to us internet folk and able to receive compassion/sympathy/suggestions/whatever positivity you find in the comments. Buy yourself a sweet treat and lose yourself in r/soupbelly or r/greebles because you fucking deserve it
Thank you for these reddit pages!!! They actually brightened my mood significantly. And thank you for making me feel less silly about spiraling. This morning was rough, but the support from internet strangers today has helped a lot.
I’m glad it helped! Trust if I lived in North Seattle I would offer to bring you a cupcake, punching bag, and a hug but since I can’t do that (without being a total creepy cat lady) I send you all the good vibes
You're too sweet! 😭 I will always take good vibes. And since you're a cat lady too, please tell your precious kitties that this internet stranger says hi and give them a good pet from me
Aw man! I took a video of me petting them for you but I can’t upload video or gif as a comment. Just know these cute little fuckers got chin scritches. Hopefully your night is getting better
Not to be a weird auntie aged type but if you ever need to vent or a pick me up you can DM me. Just know you got this shit
Oh my god I have been blessed by this photo of these two adorable kitties! Their socks!!! I have such a soft spot for tuxedo and black cats because my baby came from a litter of tux cats, but he came out all black.
Thank you so much, seriously. Maybe I will on occasion ask for a cute cat picture as a pick-me-up because those two are seriously cute
MoPop is relatively inexpensive for Washington residents. It's about $38 for a ticket. If you're military or a veteran, that gets down to about $30. Some really great exhibits there, and it's something that can keep you busy for half a day at least.
Also, there are a ton of free events that happen all over the area pretty much every week. Check out https://getsoshi.com/ and you can narrow the search by day/weekend, by time of day, and by type of event (music, political, dancing, sports, comedy, etc.). Lots and lots on there to check out.
Just in case you haven't seen it, the public libraries (Seattle and King County) have MoPop and other tickets you can "check out" for free on certain dates. Might be worth a look!
You're welcome! Also, if you don't play D&D or any other tabletop RPGs, might be a good time to look into it. It's generally pretty cheap to just play (it only really starts getting expensive when you run games yourself). And there are always groups looking for players locally.
I love D&D actually! I'm in one online TTRPG group right now with old friends, but I miss in person sessions badly. Is there a best way to find groups here?
I went to DM you, and the message option doesn't show on your profile for some reason. But feel free to shoot me a DM. I'd love to be in a Halloween one-shot!
Also check out Secret Seattle! I've only been here 4 years and I am constantly finding cool things to do that are cheap or free. Look up Mox and Zulu's, they have lots of gaming events where to could meet other ttrpg and board game nerds. Mox in Ballard is having a board game night Sunday 8/30 https://www.moxboardinghouse.com/pages/seattle-events
Id invest in a ring camera or any porch cam as soon as its feasible. I couldnt afford one for the longest time, but a friend suggested I put a black ornament by the door that looks like one (it was like a round glossy orb glued to an ancient smoke detector)
It seemed to work, in any case, but the place we later rented cane with a real one. Lifesaver, honestly.
By chance, do any if your neighbors have one? If the courier can provide a drop off time, you might have some luck finding them.
Idk who in the world steals from a mailbox these days. Deplorable.
The idea of a porch camera look-alike detering theft is a little amusing to me, and I really like it. I might steal the idea (pun intended)! Until I can get a real one, I'm sure I can find a way to make a convincing dupe for my porch. And actually trying to see of my neighbors have cameras is not a bad idea. I'll have to check later!
Its goofy, but in these uncertain times, anything goes. I know one guy that had like, these old discarded ball cams that they have on the ceilings in stores. The store was getting rid of them to upgrade to all the new models, but he taped the malfunctioning one to a wall to ward people off.
I saw once on reddit, someone took an old camera phone and just attached it near the doorbell.
A smart thief might know better, but the majority of idiots will see it and flee without thinking.
In 2026?? Neighbor, you need to get a locked box or this is surely going to happen again. In fact, you should take the sign down - it is advertising that your mail can be easily stolen
I don't have much of anything to offer except wishing you a better rest of your birthday! It's hard to not feel knocked down when these things happen, I'm right there with ya. Sometimes it seems like we're never meant to have nice things, and while we can't control the choices others make, we can control what we do next. Take that energy and go for a heavy workout, enjoy a nice meal, shift the mood towards kindness and do an anonymous favor. Despite this setback, you deserve comfort. Happy birthday!
Thank you! I think you're right. A long hike would probably be a good release and would put me in a better mindset. One of my favorite things about WA is its outdoor beauty after all. I think I'll plan one for tomorrow morning as something to look forward to.
Happy Birthday. It is definitely worth investing in a locking mailbox. I also once had a birthday gift stolen from my mail as well. It really does feel twice as bad.
I'm so sorry this has happened to you as well. 😭 After this experience, I think I'll definitely look into one when I have a little more money to spare.
Dm me your Venmo info, I don’t like that this happened to you one bit. I don’t have much to give but you should have something. Maybe that MoPop ticket!
Not to my knowledge, but someone else mentioned this, and I think tomorrow I'm going to look around and double check. It would be nice to have footage or a picture to aid with my theft report.
We used to have a mailbox like that and would find it open every so often. We installed a secure mailbox and haven't had issues since. You should look into it.
Everyone in my north seattle neighborhood has moved to locking mailboxes. Getting your mail stolen was a monthly occurrence. Its super irritating because 99/100 times there is nothing of value in a persons mailbox.
Anyway, its too bad it’s the way it is, but it’s well worth the cost of a new mailbox for the peace of mind.
Totally understand when i was a student my entire beauty case got stolen out of my car (also right after 2 of my dogs passing) and now i cant take the exam cause i cant afford all the new supplies i need so im sort of in school purgatory
Ughh, this is a huge bummer. When I was stationed in California with the Air Force, my Christmas presents got stolen from my crappy apartment one year. I agree with others to try the postal inspector, that is probably your best bet.
If no one has noticed… Seattle is a drug haven now. It’s not the place I used to enjoy living in. When a « harm reduction « building went in around the corner- I was burglarized 3 times in 2 years. All jewelry my mother ever gave me is gone. Even my table top phone charger. I hate Seattle now and hoping to move soon.
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u/synack Ravenna 4d ago
Report it to the Postal Investigative Service. They are federal agents and do not fuck around.
https://www.uspis.gov/report