gavan@mailbox.syr.edu.On January 7th, 1996, at about 11 p.m., I heard a loud noise on the front porch of my house. I went out to investigate and noticed that my mailbox was missing. Just then, a pedestrian happened by. When I told him someone stole my mailbox he reported that he just saw ``two college kids'' laughing and running up a side street.
It was snowing, so I went in and put on my boots. I then went to the side street and found the freshest tracks. There they were, the recent tracks of two males. The strides were long, suggesting they were running. I followed the tracks to a house in which a loud party was reaching a feverish pitch. Just then, a young man came out. I told him about the mailbox and the tracks and asked him whose party it was. He reported that the party was for the SU Ski Racing Team.
As we talked another young man came out. When he heard about the mailbox he asked me to wait a minute and then returned to the party. He soon re-emerged with a mailbox. Unfortunately, it was not my mailbox. Learning this, the young man returned to the house and re-emerged with my mailbox.
After I had imparted a few stern admonitions and they had some imparted earnest apologies and assurances that they had not been the culprits, I returned home to reattach my mailbox.
Later, I informed the Director of Club Sports, the Faculty Advisor of the Ski Racing Team, and the Chair of the Judicial Board of the episode. Soon thereafter I received a written apology from the Ski Racing Team.
As I await an estimate for the cost of repairing the minor damage to the mailbox and the new paint job on my house, I wonder whose was that other mailbox and how many others are missing from my neighborhood.
Back to my home page