Christopher of Seattle writes:
The residents of my apartment building leave our outgoing mail in the lobby, and our mail person takes it when they drop off mail. Maybe not the safest, but ...

USPS • Damaged Mail • Lost Mail • No Mail Delivery • Stolen Mail • Wrong Mail --- • Address Disputes • Change of Address • Dangerous Drivers • Hostility • Prescriptions Mishandled • Privacy Violations • Restricted Substances --- • Priority Mail • Express Mail • Military Mail --- News • Postal Service May Seek Service Cut • Movie Fans Suspect Foul Play at the Post Office

On November 12th I left five enevelopes to various address, four of which contained checks for credit card companies and utilities. There was a pile of outgoing mail. None of those checks have been cashed Which according to all concerned parties, means they never arrived.

Maybe the US Mail didn't lose them, maybe each company did, maybe it's my fault for not putting them in a locked box, but needless to say, my bank wants $25 to stop each check ($100). And my credit card companies and utilities are all charging late fees, even though this is the first time it happened. And on top of that if I don't stop the check, I was told from the bank that if someone fraudulently cashes any of these checks, I will be held responsible.

Chris has learned an expensive lesson that others can profit from. The only safe place to deposit outgoing mail is in a locked mailbox -- the kind you see on nearly every street corner -- or at the post office. If you leave it lying around somewhere and it gets stolen, as apparently happened to Christopher, you're entirely on your own.