Josh Takacs Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 For starters I want to start by saying I'm sorry. For those of you who don't know me I have been here before and I was and still am an asshole. I stand by the arguments I have made but am deeply sorry for the way that I made them. I have been working on self knowledge and take ownership of my actions. I am sorry for the way I acted and if my language offended anyone please accept apology. Now on to the topic. I own a maintenance business and spring cleaning is around the corner. I printed up flyers and was walking down a public road (I know there should not be such a thing as public but its the world we live in) and putting flyers in mailboxes. A man walked up to me and told me (in a very angry voice) that I need a solicitors licence and that what I was doing was against the law and he would be reporting me. I said I was not on private property and I was simply putting mail (paper with information on it) in the mail box. He said I needed to mail it or get a licence to do what I was doing and again said he WAS going to report me. I said so I can't put mail in your mail box but I can pay a postal working to do it for me or I can bribe the local government to allow me to do what I am doing now and pass the cost on to the people who want my services. I then asked him how this changes things for him in any way. Finally I asked him if he didn't want things like this why he even had a mail box. He got angry and illogical and I'm sure I will have an extra helping of harassment from the local government but that's okay. Still the question stands. Did I do something morally (not legally because legal and moral have nothing to do with each other) wrong? What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neeeel Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 for this guy to think that putting a piece of paper in a mail box is a crime, something that impacts his life, is hilarious. He is so lost in delusion that nothing you say will get through. I dont see how what you did can be anything to do with morality. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Takacs Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 I agree. I am only seeing if there is some way of looking at it that I violated private property in some way. I don't think I did but I thought it would be fun to bend our brains around. Could it be argued that he only wants things in his mail box that have state blood money involved in some way? Again this is not moral on his part but its his property. Even if this where true would it be up to him to produce a sign saying this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Green Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Well, technically you're littering on his property. I personally would not want people leaving flyers for their services anywhere on my property either. This then leaves a positive obligation on my end to eventually handle this piece of paper and recycle it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neeeel Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 sure , but a mailbox isnt exactly property. Its an interface between your property and public property. Do you get to control what goes in and out of the mail box? doesnt make sense to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickC Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Nothing immoral about your actions, absolutely not. However, from a business or aesthetic point of view I'm not sure that engaging this fellow beyond a swift apology and a removal of the flyer from his letter box would not have been your best course of action. You'll meet all kinds of irrationality from actual customers that it's much better for business to try and assuage them (within reason) where you can. As they say, it's not personal when people act like this. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Takacs Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 I totally agree with you Patrick. However I just couldn't resist the chance to ask the questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaVinci Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Nothing immoral about your actions, absolutely not. However, from a business or aesthetic point of view I'm not sure that engaging this fellow beyond a swift apology and a removal of the flyer from his letter box would not have been your best course of action. You'll meet all kinds of irrationality from actual customers that it's much better for business to try and assuage them (within reason) where you can. As they say, it's not personal when people act like this. I will agree with what Patrick said here. The only thing I will add is that the way you described dealing with the guy wouldn't exactly compel me to stand up for you if I had to. Based on your description it almost seems like you were looking for a fight. The "I'm gonna do what I want" attitude is thick in your descritption. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AynRand Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I don't believe you committed any immoral acts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the wandering shaman Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 i don't see the difference between unsolicited companies using the 'official' postal service to convey 'junk mail' and what you're doing, it may be unwanted mail to some but that is about it, it doesn't violate the non aggression principal or UPB or just common sense empirical morality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nadasaki Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 You were just doing your job, the only thing he should have done differently is ask you politely that he doesn't want the thing inside. (no pun) My wife does not care for advertisements in our mailbox so we bought a little sticker that says "We do not accept advertisements in our mailbox, thank you" and pasted it on the front side of the box. We get a significant less amount of ads since then. I on the other hand like an occasional ad or two now and then. Sometimes I get reminded about things or services I need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AjaxTheGiant Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 As long as you didn’t put flyers into letter boxes requesting ‘No Junk Mail’ you’re fine on moral grounds, the fact that you attempted to assist the man to see reason is also admirable. Although if someone is appearing agitated/aggressive it’s important to ensure your personal safety too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drkmdn Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 If he didn't have a sticker on the mailbox, that is his fault and he is placing his anger over that on you. Not fair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdiaz03 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 From a legal standpoint (please check the law on your area on this) it might be a federal offence to do what OP did, in the U.S. the USPS probably claims the mailbox as theirs, and ONLY for mail THEY deliver. Most people in my area hang the ad on the door probably for this reason. NOT agreeing with the law or anything but why be morally right and be locked up or paying the farmers more fines that you have to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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