The Outside Collection Box At The Cantonment Post Office Was Broken For Months. We Asked Why. They Fixed It Before Answering.

March 6, 2020

The outside collection box at the Cantonment Post Office had been neatly wrapped in plastic for months. Since at least early November.

A sign taped over the mail chute said “Box Vandalized. Do Not Use. Broken.”

Numerous NorthEscambia.com readers have asked us why or if the post office ever planned to reopen the box. We stopped by and snapped photos of the box Tuesday afternoon, and we emailed an official U.S. Postal Service spokesperson Tuesday night. He read and acknowledged the email Wednesday morning.

The box was fixed by Wednesday afternoon, over four months after it was taken out of service.

“The Postal Service strives to provide the best possible service to our valued customers,” wrote USPS Strategic Communications Specialist Floyd Wagoner wrote in an email dated Wednesday to NorthEscambia.com. “We apologize for any inconvenience that may have been experienced, due to the temporarily damaged blue collection box located at the Cantonment Post Office. An unforeseen delay in replacement components caused the blue collection box to be out-of-service longer than first anticipated. However, we are pleased to inform our customers that blue collection box service at the Cantonment Post Office has resumed today.

Have a question about something we could help with in the North Escambia area? Email news@northescambia.com.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

22 Responses to “The Outside Collection Box At The Cantonment Post Office Was Broken For Months. We Asked Why. They Fixed It Before Answering.”

  1. Bax on March 7th, 2020 11:35 am

    The Cantonment post office has always been good until the older postmaster gentlemen left. The one they have had since then they seam like they were thrown into the position and never trained. They dont know how to talk to people. One talks really loud and getto and will not help. The other one will make you think she cares but she will never do anything about the problem but will swear she will take care of it. When they get good honest management back in there I’ll go back until then I’ll just use Gonzales post office.

  2. Andrew on March 7th, 2020 10:15 am

    I’ve been dealing with the Cantonment post office for about 5 years now and they are by far the best branch I’ve ever had to deal with. Funny everyone is talking about the postal workers being lazy, meanwhile you can’t get out of your car and walk inside?? HAHA I would thank the post office for ensuring an unsecured mail box wasn’t in use to prevent theft. Keep up the good work Cantonment post office!

  3. Paul C on March 7th, 2020 7:48 am

    Interestingly enough, I noticed the Post Office at 3001 N Davis Hwy in Pensacola also had the same plastic bag placed over the outside collection drop(s).

  4. Jennifer Finch on March 7th, 2020 2:34 am

    Well isn’t it interesting that the outside boxes at Old Corry Field Road Post Office have also been in this same condition for the same time frame. What is really going on here? Three sets of boxes in completely different sections of town were all “vandalized” at the same time and unable to be repaired for five months? Sounds fishy. I wish someone would get to the bottom of it.

  5. Jacqueline Bashaw on March 6th, 2020 2:08 pm

    The outdoor boxes at the Myrtle Grove office have been shut down or covered for at least 2 months also. It just says take mail inside. Is this at all drop boxes or just this one?

  6. Linda on March 6th, 2020 2:07 pm

    Also, they do not have any cameras up our car was involved in a hit and run while I was inside the post office. We asked if they had cameras and was told “no”. I thought every Federal Building was to have cameras. Crazy!

  7. mq on March 6th, 2020 1:22 pm

    Need a camera or something to catch the vandals. I believe it is a federal offense to tamper with a mail box.
    This is the second time this box has been out of comission. It was only usable for less than two weeks and it was wrapped again.

  8. mat on March 6th, 2020 12:55 pm

    Lucky,
    It seems like they have always had problems with those doors.
    I was there yesterday and noticed cardboard boxes taped to the
    drive thru mail boxes.

  9. B Phillips on March 6th, 2020 12:21 pm

    I am retired and usually around the house every day. Why do i always get these slips in my mailbox saying,”Sorry we missed you” Are they supposed to be delivering these packages to my house and are not doing it because it’s a lot easier for them to have me come to the post office and pick them up????? I would like an answer from the USPS about this.

  10. James Robinette on March 6th, 2020 11:35 am

    The Myrtle Grove box was vandalized too and is out of service. Guess if you are going to send important stuff thru USPS it’s better to take it inside. The inconvenience sure beats having your checks altered and other payments missed. I’ll no longer drop them in a box. Use it and you have to assume the risks.

  11. Trisha on March 6th, 2020 11:13 am

    I am sure it has to do with budgeted money. The Postal Service always operates in the red, which means you only spend money on items when you absolutely have no other choice. They may even have to wait until they can order in bulk to save on shipping costs.

  12. Kim on March 6th, 2020 10:22 am

    DO NOT USE THIS DROP BOX. They stole my bills from here and tried to rewrite the checks. One for 500$ was rewritten for over 9,000$. I didn’t have that much in account thankfully. I can’t believe this isn’t a bigger story. They turned my life I now try every way not to use usps. Just take your mail inside to drop it off. I think they should remove the outside box.

  13. fisherman on March 6th, 2020 9:10 am

    They probably didn’t feel like emptying it so they covered it up.It’s amazing the parts to fix it arrived after North Escambia.Com got involved.

  14. Bax on March 6th, 2020 9:02 am

    The post office isn’t any different than any other governmental office they are slow at every thing they do. And every thing they do is ass backwards. The Cantonment post office has the worst management. They will lie to you about anything. I’ve had multiple issues with management there and it is always a mess and i dont know the post masters name but she will lie in a heart beat and just doesn’t care but the lady name Sandra is just stupid and ghetto. She does not know how to talk to people and she doesn’t care. But i will say all the mail carriers that have delivered my mail are out going and friendly and always go the extra mile

  15. Kim on March 6th, 2020 8:59 am

    I have had more mail lost using this post office. I go to another location now.

  16. Lucky on March 6th, 2020 7:58 am

    The PO in Myrtle Grove has had their outside boxes wrapped up & out of commission since at least November also. The doors to the building are stuck in the open position once again for months on end also.

  17. GS on March 6th, 2020 7:57 am

    What a coincidence……both collections boxes outside the East Hill station have been wrapped in same fashion for a few months now.

  18. Resident on March 6th, 2020 7:53 am

    The Post Master of this specific location does not like to deal with issues. She is somewhat lazy in my personal opinion. It is not surprising that this mail drop box was deemed “broken” for months. This was a way to get out of the gathering of mail throughout the day. One less task the employees had to perform. Of course they’re not reporting it to be maintenanced. Hopefully this sheds some light to this postal location to step up.

  19. Kate on March 6th, 2020 7:32 am

    Thank you North Escambia great job!!

  20. area resident on March 6th, 2020 6:42 am

    Several months ago, it was wrapped in plastic. A few weeks ago, I was able to use, then last week, was re-wrapped. Then, all of the sudden, when Northescambia.com investigates, the box is again available. And the drop box is not the only problem with the Cantonment post office…delivery service has been unacceptable, but is getting better, at least, in our neighborhood.

  21. DB on March 6th, 2020 5:49 am

    Strange that they had it “working” for a little while during the Christmas season.

  22. MICHAEL HOLLAND on March 6th, 2020 3:02 am

    I wonder if the vandalism had anything to do with that extremely long walk that was required to empty the box everyday…