[epochwolf]

> Like when I cleverly managed to mail my apartment keys to myself, including my only mailbox key...

If my mailbox key was locked inside my mailbox, I would just wait for the postal person to show up. They have keys that open the entire wall of mailboxes. Just wait in the distance until they open the wall and then go get the mail out of your box. Just act like you don't see anything wrong with grabbing your mail and they probably won't question you.[1] As a backup, have a photo id with your address on it. :)

1: I've done this myself because it was easier than using my key. The postal guy saw me and we exchanged a few pleasantries.

[Cushman]

That did occur to me, but I realized I have no idea when our mailman actually shows up at our building, since our schedules have never crossed. I decided I would feel too silly staking out our building all day :P

Although now I realize that I could have done a binary search over the course of the week by checking if mail was there or not...

[saranagati]

kinda hard to check if the mail is there if you don't have a key to check if they mail is there.

[cryowaffle]

This is bad practice from the mailman. The lock is there so that only the owner of the box can authenticate and retrieve the mail. If he allows people to walk up and select mail from the box then he is allowing a circumvention of the authentication protocol.

[epochwolf]

It's not up to the mailman to prevent theft of mail. Most mailboxes outside of apartments and businesses don't have any security other than the threat of federal charges for mail theft.

[Cushman]

It may be worth reiterating that I (or anyone) can open my (or anyone's) mailbox with a pair of bobby pins. This "authentication protocol" may not be worth making too much hay over.

[john_fushi]

Depending on where you live the mailman can even be fired or sued.

[JoshTriplett]

Depends on the type of mailbox; some styles have a drop-slot for delivery that doesn't allow retrieval.