Here and there, dotted across the city, one can find the iconic red-coloured postbox, which we Bengalureans grew up with. How we loved running up the road to push in the letters that had to be posted -- all gummed down with the correct postage stamps.
Today the boxes look sad, forlorn and rusted -- almost ready to topple over. Yet a number of us still post our letters and cards and there is still the traditional post man on his bicycle, who clears the boxes.
In fact, the Bowring Institute has an antique box, dating to the British era, with a royal crown et al as ornamentation.
Gwen Maclure King- Lee says she uses the postbox thrice every year. “Once in July, then in November and December, to post birthday or Christmas cards to family members as they don’t want e-cards.”
Rose Mary Currie says, “I can’t find one around, so, no more posting letters.” Crystal Martyris, never uses the postbox anymore with the modern system of e-mails. And Lalita Singh says she can’t remember the last time she used one.
But there are some like Jillian Carter, who puts her hand up and beams, “Me, me, me! I still post letters in them!” Sumithra Balu says: “There is one in our area, but we go to the post office if in need and avoid the box.”
Author Jane D’Souza Gopalakrishnan recalls how her mother requested the Postal Department to install a postbox near their home as “the nearest one was too far for her to walk to. And they did! They removed it months later, because I’m guessing hers were the only letters that ever went in.”
Elsie Noronha uses the Wellington Street or Museum Road postboxes. And Maria Fernandez says the little pillar is a dying breed. Francy Violet says, “I have even thought of redesigning the postbox so that it looks attractive to the younger generation.”
Ranjini Kamath shares, “There’s one postbox used regularly in the Shankar Narayana building on M.G. Road, where the Canara Bank and HDFC banks operate.” Jacqueline Colaco says: “I use the postal mail a lot! In fact, I just received a parcel from the Lake District in the U.K., from a classmate with just my name, and that I lived in the Friend in Need Society, Colonel Hill Road, Bengaluru, and it was delivered in a week! What efficiency, even with no country name, no pin code or adequate details.”
