Shocking behaviour: See what this postie did to an unsuspecting man's lawn!

We often take pride in our homes and gardens; it's disheartening to hear about instances where the care and effort put into maintaining a beautiful lawn are disregarded.

This is precisely what happened to Gold Coast resident Mr Paul Goodwin, a 71-year-old who has dedicated 27 years to creating a home he can be proud of.

His commitment to his property is evident, especially in how he treats his lawn. However, his efforts were recently undermined by the very service meant to bring convenience to his doorstep.


Mr Goodwin was left frustrated and angry when he discovered that his local Australia Post rider had repeatedly driven over his front lawn, leaving unsightly track marks and damage.

The incident, which occurred during the last week of March, affected the appearance of his well-manicured grass and left muddy marks on his newly renovated driveway.

‘They've come across the lawn and just marked the top of it, so it's obvious they have driven across it while it was wet,' Mr Goodwin explained.

'The next day they've come across and just done a bloody burnout across my grass, it dug into the grass by about four inches in some parts,' he lamented.


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Mr Goodwin alleges that his local Australia Post driver is behind the damage to his lawn. Image Source: Yahoo News


The situation was made worse because Mr Goodwin had to personally scrub the driveway to remove the marks, which, he claims, have not disappeared.

His next-door neighbor experienced similar disrespect to their property, although the damage was reportedly not as severe.

Mr Goodwin's bewilderment is understandable.He questioned the necessity of the postie's choice to drive over his lawn when there was ample space to navigate around the letterbox and deliver the mail without causing harm.

'They could have driven round the other side of the letterbox where there's ample room to put some mail... how hard can it be to find an alternate route and avoid this type of damage,' he said, voicing the frustration many homeowners would feel in his position.


Upon reaching out to Australia Post, Mr Goodwin was informed that the specific postie would receive feedback regarding his complaint, but no further action or compensation was offered.

An Australia Post worker responded to Mr Goodwin saying, ‘Please be aware that Australia Post is one of the few organisations that can operate motor vehicles on the footpath or nature strip.’

They continued, saying, ‘This legislation is usually included at both state and council levels. However, this does not mean that our Posties can intentionally cause damage to the nature strip area.’

Mr Goodwin reacted to this by saying, 'To do something like that is absolute vandalism and for no one to come talk to me locally, I thought they [Australia Post] would have had a better response.'

Australia Post has yet to comment further on the matter.


Source: TikTok / @mickey_mouse_bathrooms


Mr Goodwin's experience is not an isolated one. In Coffs Harbour, NSW, another resident took matters into their own hands by creating a makeshift fence out of bright orange plastic material, stretched between their mailbox and a bin, to deter posties from driving over their lawn after similar incidents of damage.

These stories raise questions about the balance between efficient mail delivery and respect for private property.

While Australia Post riders have certain privileges to facilitate their work, homeowners like Mr Goodwin are left wondering where the line is drawn between operational necessity and vandalism.
Key Takeaways

  • A Gold Coast resident, Mr Paul Goodwin, has expressed his frustration after an Australia Post rider repeatedly drove over his front lawn, causing damage.
  • Mr Goodwin, who takes pride in his well-manicured grass, was left with track marks and muddy marks on his newly renovated driveway.
  • Despite reaching out to Australia Post and lodging a complaint, he was informed that the specific postie would receive feedback, but no further action or compensation was offered.
  • The incident highlights an ongoing concern with posties using nature strips and footpaths, with another resident in Coffs Harbour creating a makeshift fence to deter such behaviour.
We understand the value you place on your home and garden.

It's a reflection of your hard work and care, and it's only fair to expect others to treat it with the same respect.

One of our previous articles even suggests that caring for your lawn could be the key to living a longer life!

If you've experienced similar issues with delivery services, we encourage you to report the incidents and seek a resolution.

It's important to stand up for your rights as a homeowner and ensure that your property is treated with the consideration it deserves.

We invite our readers to share their experiences with delivery services and any measures they've taken to protect their property. Have you had to confront a similar situation? Let us know in the comments!
 
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My local postie has done the same thing to the lower part of my footpath. After rain this part of the footpath becomes a quagmire and although he is fully aware of this, he likes to ride his bike onto to it and then gets bogged so spins the hell out of his back wheel and has left massive ruts in the footpath. Although I filled them in afterwards he came back the next day and did it again. I gave up doing that but then when I attempted to mow there I fell in one of these ruts and injured my knee. I no longer mow that part of my footpath and haven't done so for nearly 3mths and don't intend to do it anytime soon. As the grass is now nearly knee height he won't drive through it. Problem solved.
Further up the footpath is where my letter box is situated and he has done the same think there. I kept filling it in, he would purposely ride through that part and spin his wheel and spew all the filling out again. This rut now has a crate that has been staked into the ground over the top of it. I move it to mow and put it back again.
I might add my footpath is very wide and he has heaps of room to go around but chooses not to.
 
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We had a Postie who used to delight in riding from our letterbox & then backwards towards my garage & onto my property (off the verge), to ride through my garden to get to my neighbour's letterbox. A complaint soon stopped that.

l don't agree with what the Postie is doing, regardless of this being Council verge or not. It would appear to be a deliberate attempt to destroy this gent's well manicured lawn.

l used to do letterbox deliveries of the local paper for several years on a scooter & usually found using a footpath between the road & home letterbox & then back to the road was a quicker option. I regularly rode along the kerb & found that just as quick. One thing l was also able to do was place the folded paper fully into the letterbox so as not to impede Auspost mail without coming to a halt at a letterbox (just slowing enough to make a deposit).

Numerous times l have found mail for a home on the road or in scrub several houses from the address. Incorrectly deposited by a Postie & has fallen to the ground & blown away by the wind.

With the now limited amount of mail to be delivered & a almost definite change to deliveries only twice per week l don't think a Postie can say they can't take more care because they are pushed for time.
I was also a junk mailer and delivered, like you, where possible BUT around Bundaberg in streets like where I live, we have NO footpaths. Just recently a councilor informed me " we have nothing planned to put footpaths into your street for at least the next 3 years." There are many people like me who use scooters plus a 93 year old and a blind lady just in my short block ..so much for footpaths. Posties usually do a wonderful job in any weather but if you are worried your stuff will not be delivered safely why not get a delivery company to do it?
 
I must be one of the lucky ones as my postie avoids riding across my lawn. A few years ago I pulled him up to thank him and he said he just likes to avoid riding over lawns that people put great effort in careing for. Now every Christmas I give him a christmas card with a gift card as a show of my appreciation.
 
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My local postie has done the same thing to the lower part of my footpath. After rain this part of the footpath becomes a quagmire and although he is fully aware of this, he likes to ride his bike onto to it and then gets bogged so spins the hell out of his back wheel and has left massive ruts in the footpath. Although I filled them in afterwards he came back the next day and did it again. I gave up doing that but then when I attempted to mow there I fell in one of these ruts and injured my knee. I no longer mow that part of my footpath and haven't done so for nearly 3mths and don't intend to do it anytime soon. As the grass is now nearly knee height he won't drive through it. Problem solved.
Further up the footpath is where my letter box is situated and he has done the same think there. I kept filling it in, he would purposely ride through that part and spin his wheel and spew all the filling out again. This rut now has a crate that has been staked into the ground over the top of it. I move it to mow and put it back again.
I might add my footpath is very wide and he has heaps of room to go around but chooses not to.
Think l would be inclined to place a board just under the surface with nails angled at 45° in the direction he was travelling. Spinning his wheel would shred his tyre. Not sure the Council or Auspost would see the amusement in this though.

I consider that there is a very thin line between what was stated recently, "Posties have the right to ride on the verge.......", to having the right yet making the decision not to be A COMPLETE ASSHOLE & avoid those areas out of respect for what the home owner has achieved & maintains. I had an odd occassion where one only letterbox was in the middle of the property where no footpath existed & being in a hurry one day, rode on the lawn. The owner calmly complained about the Postie doing that & asked me if l would not do the same. I thanked the person, who asked why l was offering a thanks. (simple), I didn't want to mess up a nice lawn. The option then, as before, was to stop on the road, put the scooter on the stand & walk across the lawn with the paper. (no skin off my nose).

A Postie once told me they are not permitted to get off their bike to deliver mail, but l have lost count at the number of times l have seen different Posties on more than one occasion do just that.
 
I was also a junk mailer and delivered, like you, where possible BUT around Bundaberg in streets like where I live, we have NO footpaths. Just recently a councilor informed me " we have nothing planned to put footpaths into your street for at least the next 3 years." There are many people like me who use scooters plus a 93 year old and a blind lady just in my short block ..so much for footpaths. Posties usually do a wonderful job in any weather but if you are worried your stuff will not be delivered safely why not get a delivery company to do it?
Unfortunately for me, the delivery drivers contracted by Temu were delivering in an unprofessional manner. Temu was contacted & said Auspost would now do deliveries. Problem solved to date. The recent parcel was placed in an inconspicuous place, the courier knocked on the door & called out, 'Parcel.' My wife heard him, called out saying, 'thankyou' & collected it. Can't complain about that service.
 
Not so bad now that they use electric bicycles, were a shocker when they had motorcycles that left deep marks on the kerb lawn
 

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