Posties Destroying Front Lawns with Their Bikes - What to Do?

dogboy on 27/05/2022 - 21:59

The postie(s) in my area are ruining everyone's front lawns by riding over them with their postie bikes when wet and leaving deep, muddy tracks. A number of us have complained to AusPost and while sympathetic it doesn't look like they will actually do anything about it. On my walk to the bus stop recently I noticed a lot of people's front lawns are in a similar state in my area. While myself and neighbours try and maintain a nice lawn it is impossible with inconsiderate posties doing the damage without seemingly any care or repercussions. I will need to buy dirt to try and fill in the ruts in my lawn at this point they are so deep.

Looking for any potential solutions to try and remediate this issue from the OzBargain community.

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Comments

  • SF3 on 27/05/2022 - 22:03
    +67

    You mean the nature strip? Maybe try your council as that is public land anyways.

    • Euphemistic on 28/05/2022 - 07:13

      Council are unlikely to do anything unless the damage makes it dangerous. If council do do something it would only be simple as chucking in whatever dirt they can find nearby or stomping the ruts back to flat-ish.

      It is up to the residents to maintain.

      • pegaxs on 28/05/2022 - 08:12
        +12

        Up to the resident to “maintain” not “repair”.

        It’s my job to mow it and trim the edges, not hire a roller and flatten it out because the postman’s new 500kg, 3 wheeled electric pseudo-delivery truck leaves massive wheel track lines across it.

      • SF3 on 28/05/2022 - 13:14

        If council do do something

        Let them earn their council rates :).

      • DrScavenger on 29/05/2022 - 10:51

        Why is it residents responsibility to maintain something they do not own?

        • Euphemistic on 29/05/2022 - 11:08
          +7

          It’s just the way it is.

          Would you rather pay enough in rates for the council to mow all of them?

          • DrScavenger on 29/05/2022 - 11:17
            -1

            @Euphemistic: No. Leave it as is. Either its mine and i do as i wish or its yours and you do it. Socialize when its convenient for them but capitalize otherwise. Like a smaller scale of large corporations being bailed out by taxpayers money

            • Euphemistic on 29/05/2022 - 12:28
              +2

              @DrScavenger: The nature strip tends to be a corridor for infrastructure so they don’t need to rip up the road for repairs. Where do you suggest the boundary is? Let the owners ‘own’ it and have their gardens destroyed and replaced by council rate $ if repairs are needed?

              Council would likely mow with a tractor every 6 weeks or so (like parks etc) so residents wouldn’t be happy the quality of the work or have to pay a fortune in rates to have it done more often.

              I know I’d rather mow the corridor beside my property to keep it neat than rely on the council to slash it when they do the rest of the suburb after the grass is knee deep.

              • DrScavenger on 29/05/2022 - 18:31
                -7

                @Euphemistic: Good, you are happy. I'm not. Come mow mine then. Make it voluntary. People at Council are already paid ridiculously high yet they don't even work.

          • philart on 29/05/2022 - 14:01
            +1

            @Euphemistic: There's no such thing as a free lunch. If people want better local services we're going to have to be prepared to shell out.

        • [Deactivated] on 29/05/2022 - 12:45
          +1

          It's not. The resident bears no legal obligation to maintain "their" nature strip. It's just one of the "unwritten rules", that helps to keep the rates down.

          It's funny to even use the word "their" because it's not under their ownership. A point further, I find it ridiculous when people get mad when someone parks their car in front of others' nature strips, like as if they own the public road in front of their land.

          • Euphemistic on 29/05/2022 - 13:11

            @[Deactivated]: People are weird, there’s no doubt about that.

            I also believe the council are under no obligation to maintain the grass on a nature strip, but can’t remember if it’s writtwn in legislation anywhere or is just another part of the unwritten rules.

          • philart on 29/05/2022 - 14:02

            @[Deactivated]: It's not permitted to park on the nature strip - technically.

            • Euphemistic on 29/05/2022 - 14:06

              @philart: You don’t even need to say technically. It’s either park on the road or fully within the property.

            • dcash on 31/05/2022 - 09:43

              @philart: He meant park on the road, adjacent to the council owned nature strip outside somebody's home.

      • pwnd on 30/05/2022 - 16:35
        +3

        Worked for Brisbane City Council in the road and garden maintenance team.
        We would get sent out to repair divots in the ground in front of letter boxes if people logged them…
        Would come with a bag of dirt and some generic grass seeds. Fill the divot, flatten it, throw seeds down, then some more dirt over it.
        It would take 2 of us, with a truck, around 2 hours to do this 4 minute job as we had to drive down the the storage area to pick up dirt and seeds, as we don't normally carry those in the trucks and only get them for specific jobs.

      • dcash on 31/05/2022 - 09:41

        Maintain generally means 'mow it once a month' - nothing more.

        • Euphemistic on 31/05/2022 - 12:15

          For who?

          Most residents prefer to mow more frequently so it looks decent.

          Councils would mow less frequently because they could get away with it. Or local council mows maintained parks/ovals about fortnightly. roadsides etc get mowed 6weeks or longer.

          • dcash on 01/06/2022 - 09:48

            @Euphemistic: For who? The residents, obviously. Naturally you can mow it as frequently as you'd like, but most councils bylaws I've investigated place an expectation on the homeowner that they will mow the nature strip at least monthly. And again, it's not a legal obligation, but more of a moral one. There is no expectation that the resident will repair the nature strip (fill holes, replace grass, etc) for the majority of councils I've come across (in NSW). Other states may vary, so obviously check your local council as to what your obligations are.

  • bobbified on 27/05/2022 - 22:03
    +8

    The postie(s) in my area are ruining everyone's front lawns by riding over them with their postie bikes when wet and leaving deep, muddy tracks.

    Is it your front lawn or the council-owned nature strip (that's typically in front of the letter box)?

  • rektrading on 27/05/2022 - 22:10
    +38

    Posties are allowed to ride on the footpath and nature strip.

    Any damage left behind is unfortunate but unavoidable.

    • WhyAmICommenting on 29/05/2022 - 09:16
      +7

      I was mowing yesterday and wondering what the diagonal line was from. Some detective I would make!

  • miwahni on 27/05/2022 - 22:16
    +13

    One possible solution is to rent a PO box from your local post office, then update your address with all of your bills. Posties can't help but ride on lawn if that's where your letter box is.

    • pegaxs on 28/05/2022 - 08:14
      +18

      Doesn’t stop them. They will still deliver to your neighbours house, ride over your nature strip and deliver to the house on your opposite side.

      • mr fox on 28/05/2022 - 22:29
        +17

        Get the whole suburb onto PO Boxes. That'll show em.

  • mskeggs on 27/05/2022 - 22:17
    +13

    Redirect your mail to a po box until it stops raining?
    Posties have to hit delivery metrics which mean they can't muck around, parking on the street and walking your letters to you.
    Maybe ask the CEO to consider your damp lawn when setting KPIs?

  • Muzeeb on 27/05/2022 - 22:55
    +26

    Purchase a Honda CT110 and join them.

    Sounds like a hoot.

  • Quantumcat on 27/05/2022 - 23:04
    +24

    Move your mailbox forward so it is accessible from the footpath.

    • Archi on 28/05/2022 - 00:31
      +4

      Not all streets have footpaths

      • Quantumcat on 28/05/2022 - 07:32
        +5

        Then the road

        • mapax on 28/05/2022 - 07:36
          +8

          You don’t own the nature strip and generally can’t install any fixtures or obstructions without council approval.

            • Euphemistic on 28/05/2022 - 09:11
              +8

              @Quantumcat: Yeah… No. the property boundary defines it. Wether the owner has delineated that or not doesn’t change that there will be a nature strip owned by the gov between the road and the property in any standard sort of block.

            • brendanm on 28/05/2022 - 11:51
              +4

              @Quantumcat:

              If there is no footpath how is the OPs front yard and the nature strip divided?

              By a legal boundary.

              • trapper on 30/05/2022 - 11:55

                @brendanm: The posite is unlikely to have any survey map on him though. Just put something in the way and be done with this problem.

          • smartazz104 on 28/05/2022 - 18:15
            +2

            @mapax: And yet you are expected to maintain it, councils really a rort.

        • Archi on 28/05/2022 - 08:02

          LOL

    • corky on 30/05/2022 - 18:38
      +2

      I had mine moved from the middle of the block to beside the driveway on the boundary fence. Haven't had an issue since

  • randomusername2017 on 27/05/2022 - 23:12
    +2

    Get the detective on the case…

  • dixy on 27/05/2022 - 23:41
    +15

    Tyre spikes.

  • penguincat on 28/05/2022 - 00:15
    +2

    Looking for any potential solutions to try and remediate this issue from the OzBargain community.

    Everyone in the area get a PO box until it dries out?
    You don't own the nature strip so you can't block their access. Or you could but council will happily fine you several hundred $ for it.
    Jump all over it and level it out that way? would be the only OzBargain way to fix it. lol

    The big issue is drainage but even the best drainage yards aren't designed to have 1542.6mm of rain in 5 months. My house got 1100mm of rain in 6 days when Brisbane flooded. My yard still has no sign of drying out even just a sprinkle and I get a swimming pool or 2.
    I went to look for an Australia Post parcel on the 23rd of May and sunk 3 inches into the footpath. So it would be pretty easy to destroy with just people walking on it.
    So even if they didn't ride on the footpath eventually the posties foot prints would become visible.

    • DrScavenger on 29/05/2022 - 11:01

      They demand you to look after it but they won't allow you to have any say in it. (about strips(

  • GrueHunter on 28/05/2022 - 00:23
    +57

    Have you tried clutching your pearls?

    • Ryanek on 28/05/2022 - 08:34
      +5

      Lol this is great

  • El cheepo on 28/05/2022 - 00:42
    -2

    Don’t get your mail delivered.
    Problem solved!

    It’s not inconsiderate, they are just doing their job.

    If he starts doing a few doughies on your front lawn, then come back and complain (but please bring video proof for us to enjoy pass judgement)

    • RSmith on 28/05/2022 - 15:08
      +4

      It's not. Postie will ride to the neighbours house without stopping at OPs.

  • Benoffie on 28/05/2022 - 01:18

    We have a rock retaining wall along our front border. Doesn't have to be high, just a row of rocks or even concrete kerbing. Whatever stops their run.

    Assuming all else is as it should be of course.

    • p3nf0ld on 28/05/2022 - 17:00
      +7

      That would be an illegal modification to the council's nature strip

      • Benoffie on 29/05/2022 - 08:53
        +2

        our front border

        Also ots not illegal to plant out council strips. Certainly not in SA.

        They label them 'no mow'.

        • Euphemistic on 29/05/2022 - 11:10
          +2

          Each council probably has slightly different rules on what you can plant or install.

      • easybreezy on 29/05/2022 - 13:26

        Who cares

  • netjock on 28/05/2022 - 01:21
    +2

    when wet and leaving deep, muddy tracks.

    Pray for a drought. Or you can all lay out carpet for the postie. Or just all get PO boxes and save the Postie the trip?

  • Cube00 on 28/05/2022 - 02:29
    +5

    My postie cuts through the box hedge and crushed the mental edging on the way though. Planted more box hedge to fill in the gaps to slow them down.

    • onetwothreefour on 28/05/2022 - 07:53
      +8

      That's mental.

      • xtremehell on 28/05/2022 - 23:47
        +11

        Gone postal.

    • ihbh on 28/05/2022 - 09:03
      +11

      Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Why no plant cacti?

    • Gareth on 30/05/2022 - 00:47
      +1

      Try roses next time :-)

  • Euphemistic on 28/05/2022 - 07:14
    +1

    Move your mailbox to where they don’t need to ride on the grass or direct your mail to a PO Box for a while.

    Suck it up princess, can’t do anything about the weather

  • BOGOF on 28/05/2022 - 07:30
    +4

    I notice you are in Brisbane (like me). With all the rain we have ben getting, the ground is completely waterlogged everywhere. I and all my neighbours have 'postie ruts' on our nature strips/grass.
    Once the ground surface dries out, the problem will go away. Then just stamp down the high ruts and fill in with 'top dressing' the grass will grow back in a couple of weeks.

  • ihbh on 28/05/2022 - 07:46
    1. Go to Bunnings
    2. Buy some cheap plywood
    3. Lay it on the council strip over the tyre tracks for the postie to ride over.
    4. Win-win - nice lawns for you, no muddy tyres, pants for the postie.
    • Archi on 28/05/2022 - 08:16
      +13

      I live on one of these Street where the footpath is only on one side of the Street and on my side of the road I have lawn that goes from my house all the way to the curb with no fence or foot path.

      The posties in my area ride these 3 wheel electric things with a canopy

      And on the midst of all this rain and wet weather in my state I just walked out and said to him.. could he go a little slower over the grass so it doesn't tear up and get muddy my kids would appreciate it as they like kicking the footy on the front lawn…

      He said sure thing buddy. I'll try to be more careful.

      I said great appreciate the understanding have a good day

      Even though it's been wet here in Sydney for like 4 months mine and my neighbours lawn look fine
      You could try that approach.

      • dogboy on 28/05/2022 - 15:48
        +1

        This is my situation as well in terms of the footpath only being on the other side of road. Thanks for your advice, this seems like a good approach.

      • WhyAmICommenting on 29/05/2022 - 09:10

        @Archi - You should write a book on life :)

        • Archi on 29/05/2022 - 10:51
          +1

          Yeah… it shall be called

          "common sense. Speak thy neighbour"

          • WhyAmICommenting on 29/05/2022 - 11:23

            @Archi: Common sense being not so common.

          • kiriakoz on 08/06/2022 - 00:01

            @Archi: People don't talk to others nowadays, they try to communicate passive aggressively or expect people to be mind readers. Must be a terrible life as nothing gets done that way IMO.

      • Devastator0 on 29/05/2022 - 12:29

        Yeah, I tried to speak very politely to the postie that services my street. His exact response "F-Off, you're not my boss, don't tell me how to do my job"

        • KSMLJ on 31/05/2022 - 00:45
          +1

          Classy AF!

        • kiriakoz on 08/06/2022 - 12:01

          I don't believe that. Most people don't respond that aggressively when spoken to politely, especially blokes, we know if that's how we interact, it's a countdown to someone punching us in the face.

          • Devastator0 on 09/06/2022 - 09:15

            @kiriakoz: My dude, straight up it is what he said to me. Every time I see the dude, he always looks angry/pissed off, it's why when I spoke to him I was as polite as humanly possible but that is what he threw at me.

  • voiletmay on 28/05/2022 - 08:23
    +6

    I have big gashes in my nature strip from posties too, but I don't care LOL!! More important things to worry about in life.

  • teacherer on 28/05/2022 - 08:45
    +2

    Put a cheap mail box closter to the curb

  • Derrick Crane on 28/05/2022 - 09:08
    +6

    Claymore mine. Extra benefit when dogs go for a dump on your grass.

  • Andy22 on 28/05/2022 - 09:52
    +2

    Get a bigger dog :)

  • wei13 on 28/05/2022 - 10:01
    +6

    Admittedly I also sympathise with the postie here.

    The alternative is that they leave their bikes at on the road , and walk to each mailbox. That is simply not practical.

    • funnysht on 28/05/2022 - 17:57
      -3

      Why not..like a lot of ppl do walk in their day to day jobs…

      • cookie2 on 29/05/2022 - 07:33
        +6

        You might find that your mail turnaround time blows out even further than current.

    • Tr0jan on 30/05/2022 - 11:12
      -2

      Funny how they manage it elsewhere in the world. In the UK for example most houses have the mailbox in the front door itself, and therefore there is no choice but for the postman to walk to the front door to post the mail.

      • Euphemistic on 30/05/2022 - 15:52
        -1

        Pretty sure the entire UK doesn’t have mailbox in the front door. It’s only be inner city terrace type housing where the postie walks the entire route. Funnily enough, our inter city posties use a little walk trolley but we still tend to have a letterbox on the fence.

        • Tr0jan on 05/06/2022 - 18:33

          The vast majority do indeed have their letterbox in the front door, whether terraced, semi, or full detached, and whether inner city or out in towns and country. Not sure why you believe otherwise? Go pick some random UK towns in google maps and have a look at the houses; the vast majority will have a letter slot on the front door rather than a mailbox at the perimeter

        • kiriakoz on 08/06/2022 - 00:02

          Can confirm most English houses have mailbox in the front door.

          • Euphemistic on 08/06/2022 - 08:22

            @kiriakoz: I can see it would be the norm in small villages, big cities etc where the population density means the postie rote can be done on foot.

            Didn’t make sense where the postie would use motorised methods and need to one and walk at near every house.

  • Tee Rex Arms on 28/05/2022 - 10:13
    +3

    You mean destroying council owned nature strips?

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 28/05/2022 - 10:52
    +5

    Stand out the front of your property every single day and have a whinge, rather than here.

  • c64 on 28/05/2022 - 10:59

    yeah, after 2 weeks of rain in brisbane the lawn on the foothpath outside my house looks like sh*t with motorbike tracks all over it

  • elgrande on 28/05/2022 - 11:28
    +5

    Leave some soft drink bottles with water in them on your front lawn. This generally stops any posties from making a mess on my lawn.

  • tonka on 28/05/2022 - 13:47

    I have the same problem, I would be OK, all the postie has to do is not ride on the grass after heavy rain when it's a dangerous soggy mess. My letterbox is accessable from the driveway. In fact when it's wet it would be easier to drive in and out of the driveways instead. But he doesn't. So, I have a bush at my front fence line. I've stopped trimming it and letting it grow out across the nature strip. It's slowly crowding him off the grass.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/05/2022 - 15:33
    +3

    If your letterbox is accessible from your driveway then put up wooden stakes and rope off the entire nature strip (crime scene style) so that it's not accessible. Place signs on the lawn "Keep Off Grass" to make it extra clear.

  • George2021 on 28/05/2022 - 16:07
    +4

    It’s not your front lawn

  • banana365 on 28/05/2022 - 16:10

    Our neighbours on both sides and us gave up on lawns on the verge and dug them out. One side went with low growing plants (many councils allow it) and the rest have thick bark mulch. Works perfectly, though since then we've got a new postie who's fantastic and would probably not leave a mark on a bowling green.

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