So it's March, the sun is shining here and it's time to go back out in pursuit of post boxes and other OSM things.
While working through the CT postal area three things have come up which maybe need further thought: - Some boxes are located within MOD or other restricted access sites. To those inside the fence they are normal facilities but perhaps they're not an "amenity" in the sense of being available to the general public. This also tends to inhibit surveying. - Royal Mail data from 2013 in some cases includes "private boxes", one local example is in the reception area of an hotel. There is a mail collection from the building but there's a conventional pillar box within 200 m. These probably aren't an "amenity" in general terms. The RM data treats them inconsistently, they're not all listed. - There are boxes inside some supermarkets. They are also on private property however the public is encouraged to visit the premises. Those in Tesco and Asda, maybe others, tend to be tall GRP boxes of this style (a variation with clear back is used at airports and other places where security might be a concern) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Post_box_at_ASDA,_Smithdown_Road.jpg . These are owned and operated by RM in the normal fashion. In the past Sainsbury's had boxes carrying advertising and often labelled MIDI POST or similar, in this style https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Post_box_CH49_15_in_Sainsbury,_Upton .jpg I understand these were "private" in RM terms and the third party which managed them went into administration, following which most were removed. However due to RM's inconsistent data some appear in the 2013 FOI release. Is there an appropriate way to handle the first two cases? Should they be in OSM at all, or shown with a tag to indicate restricted access? As for the Sainsbury's boxes it may be the best thing is to treat all of them as requiring a check to confirm whether the facility still exists. Dan
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