[mudman]

So... Saturday night I hear a smash and then a vehicle hard braking while I'm reading a book in the back of my house. I get up and see that my neighbor has turned her front porch lights on but as I make it to the window the vehicle is leaving - no big deal, time for bed. This morning I see I have a smashed mailbox about the same time my neighbor calls me to ask if I can water her gardens while she is away, "...and oh yeah, I saw a green F150 hit your mail box last night, thought you should know."

Well later this morning I went down to the road to inspect the damage, no buffing this one out (it has been hit 5-6 times in the last couple of years, we live on what is technically a [dirt] one lane road). I found the remains of the mirror and housing, sure enough, F150 piece, and I put it in my mailbox with the door half shut.

This afternoon I saw a kid from down the street who drives a F150 missing his driver's mirror. I know I said it is a one lane road but in front of my house two cars can (two dually trucks hauling hay trailers, I live in a very rural area) pass each other without a problem so this kid was totally on the 'wrong' side of the road when he smashed my box, and the dents in the box show his direction of travel.

Just a few minutes ago my wife comes into the house cursing - the punk killed his lights as he approached our box, stopped and took the mirror remnants out of my mailbox, then drove off. She was caught off gaurd otherwise she would've chucked a rock at his car while screaming... temper temper.

Here is my plan: If by tomorrow evening there isn't a new mailbox ( Home Depot is open on Sunday, so he had all of today) sitting down at the road I'm going to post a sign reading 'Hey O'hearn(the kid's name), where is my new mailbox?'. Then if by Tuesday evening I still don't have a comparable replacement for my box I'm going to contact the post office and Sherrif's office about him removing something from MY mailbox. Note: the mirror remnants sat in my yard all morning without being retrieved, and then place IN my mailbox, this would make it a federal offense, yes?

Am I out of line with this, should I expect this kid to step up and take responsibility for his actions? I've lived in this area my entire life, and I know most of my neighbors in a one mile radius. This kid is a punk that regularly speeds down our tight dirt road and used to 'bump' in his previous rides, most likely drunk when he hit our box.

Wuduya think?
Thanks for the advice, I'll post pics of the box when the sun is up tomorrow...