A nice, quiet street, a bit off the beaten path. The neighborhood is about 50 years old, with low-keyed people living in the mostly modest homes. Several of the homeowners bought the house they grew up in or are related to each other. And then something that isn't supposed to happen happened.
Our postman, John Pellicci, noted while delivering the mail on our side of the street, that the flag was up on a house on the other side. When he turned his truck and delivered the mail on the other side of the street, there was no mail in it. Rather than dismiss it, he rang the doorbell of the homeowner and asked her if she had put mail in her box. "Yes," she told him. She had paid some bills and put the envelopes in the box. John explained that when he was about to deliver her mail, the box was empty. He suggested that she keep an eye on her finances.
Fast forward to a month later. Jane* got her credit card bill. Guess what? There were all sorts of charges that neither she nor her husband authorized. After years of getting grief from my mother-in-law about my running to the post office for my mail, she understood my concerns. Even on a street such as ours, which gets very little foot or automobile traffic, thieves can lurk. You just can't be too cautious. Watch your back -- and your mailbox.
*Name changed to protect the victim.
