Maine DOT Says When It Comes To Mailbox Height, Keep Star Wars In Mind

As we all get ready for the real possibility of snow soon, the Maine DOT is reminding folks to be mindful of their mailboxes.

There's nothing worse than coming out to check your mailbox after a storm, only to find out that the plow's been by and your box is MIA.

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According to the United States Postal Service, the guideline for the height of a curbside mailbox should be between 41 and 45 inches. So one would hope your mailbox is already good to go.

But the Maine DOT is breaking it down even further, by giving us an out-of-this-world reference for the proper proportion to protect your box from becoming plow-powder!

In a Facebook post they put out, the MDOT said this:

"Make sure your mailbox is ready by ensuring it has a height of 44-45 inches. For reference, Kenny Baker, most famous for his role as R2-D2 in the Star Wars film franchise, was 43 inches tall. So make sure R2-D2 has clearance and you’re good!"

Nobody wants to see a plow take out the world's, dare I say, the universe's favorite droid. So keep him in mind when you place your mailbox, or adjust accordingly, if you know it's too low.

In fact, according to the Maine.gov website, if you don't put your mailbox up correctly, and a plow does hit it and your mailbox causes damage to the vehicle, you could be on the hook for that.

"The mailbox is installed entirely at the owner’s risk.  In other words, if the mailbox incurs damage during any sort of highway operations or maintenance, the property owner is not entitled to replacement or compensation.  In fact, if the mailbox was not installed in accordance with the applicable standards as stated above, the owner may even be held liable for injuries or damages that may have been incurred as a result.

The Maine DOT operates 400 snowplows and is responsible for plowing 8,300 lane miles of road every winter.