I propose mailboxes become Smart Mailboxes.
The mailbox itself is a simple device. One opens the mailbox, drops their correctly stamped items into the device and closes the door. One can reopen the door to ensure that the item has been “accepted” into the mailbox; but there is little if no real meaningful response to the user. No real feedback other than reopening the mailbox door. This is simply not satisfactory.
The idea of sending an item via the U.S. Postal Service was based upon sending an item to an address. Whether the item is sent in a timely or inexpensive manner is another matter. Using a mailbox to send an item should give the user more feedback while asking for a minimal amount of time.
A user should be able to drop their item into a mailbox and receive a receipt that the item was accepted, and based on the weight, know the exact cost of the shipping and the estimated arrival date. Barring a few unknown issues, the Smart Mailbox would encourage people to trust the U.S. Postal Service along with mailboxes.
