Even if there had been two flags German mail would not have understood and perhaps been quite confused what to do then. 
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Even single-family homes are subject to cluster box units like what @Johnk60 posted. Personal mailboxes at the curb, like what @StephofYorktown posted, or by the front door used to be the standard. But newly built homes get assigned a box and a key.
I live in a subdivision that was developed in phases over many years. Some of the streets built earlier have personal mailboxes; other streets finished in the past five years have cluster box units.
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In my current city, I have lived in two different communities, one built early 2000s and one built around 2016 and both have had the community type mailboxes, we each have a box number and are given a key (for example I am box 7 on the right side, my next door neighbor may be box 5 on the left side). They are very common here. I don’t personally know of anyone who lives in my city that gets their mail at their own personal box anymore.
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Saves U.S. Post money I guess.
For as long as I can remember, the mailbox flag serves two purposes:
A. for the postman to tell you that there is mail inside
or
B. for you to tell the postman to pick something up
In recent years, many times the postman just ignores it. Some postmen won’t pickup either.
You might have missed it: we/I live in Germany.
I’m sorry. I thought you were commenting on the American system because your parents brought back one of our flag boxes as a useful souvenir.
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Yes, they did that.
My post, which you have quoted first was about even if there were two flags on the U.S. Mailbox German Post would not have understood the purpose of them.
Got it. I was mentioning how it works because another American said it was to let the postman know there is something to pick up and Crazyseth had commented there should be a flag to indicate one has received something. I am certain it serves also to alert the receiver. Lived in three different houses years ago over the last 50+ years and the postman always put it up when he came. And the old USPS directions specifically stated to put the flag up if there is something to send.
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Ah, okay, understood. 
I grew up on a farm with the box at the end of a very long drive. We put the flag up to let our carrier know there was out going mail. He set it down after the pickup, letting us know he had come.
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I am in the US. We have always posted from our house and received mail to our individual house mailbox. Since starting Postcrossing in January I started taking the mail to our satellite post office - partly to get out of the house as I work from home. I asked our Post office clerk if I could post from the house and she said - of course - including global mail. Today for the first time the mail was delivered, red flag was placed down but the mail carrier did NOT take my 4 items - cards and letters. How odd!
As I goggled this - I found some many recent comments that postal workers will not always take the mail, even when delivering mail to your box. Could have been an error so I put the flag back up and left the items for pickup tomorrow. We shall see! It will be sad to me if I need to drive outgoing mail to the post office.
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How did it go? With all the mail theft and porch pirates these days USPS suggests it’s best to just go deposit your mail inside the post office, or hand it directly to your mail carrier. Sadly, I have come across someone who tried the latter and the carrier flat out refused. Two of the blue boxes in my area (NYC) were broken into and I hear it’s also a thing in your state even outside of Philly and other urban centers. I won’t even use the blue boxes anymore. I miss the days when my dad would just throw the mortgage check in any blue box and not think twice (and they never got lost)…
(your avatar is soooo cute!)
HI there - success! Yay! The postal carrier took my letters today! AND I received a penpal letter which totally made my day. I am quite thankful! I also posted another global letter so let’s see if things are truly back to normal tomorrow.
Thank you about the Avatar. I am a HUGE squirrel lover and feed them and the birds every day. My husband takes most of the pictures. Maybe I will change to another squirrel pic.
Everyone - hope you are having a marvelous day! 
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That box layout is new to me. Interesting!
I can see the slot to put outgoing mail in, but where can the postman put incoming mail? Does every box have to be opened with a key? Are the big boxes used for sending packages? 
Yes, each resident or business has its own key box within the group, and the large box can be used for packages; inside residential buildings one gets a key in one’s box tagged with package box number for larger items (similar to packages via P O Box at post office). Insert key into matching box, twist the lock, and package locker opens with key “locked” in place to be retrieved later by postal carrier.
(Years ago, P O boxes used a combination lock like a safe, rather than a key)
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The mail carrier has one key that opens up the entire front panel. That way they don’t have to unlock individual boxes to deliver
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Isn’t it illegal to steal mails from blue boxes? Won’t the thieves be arrested?
I am just wondering, if USPS can’t make difference in the security of mailboxes, is there any other measures to avoid theft…?
It is a federal crime to steal mail and its probably increased due to mailing gift cards. I dont think much can be done about it so they advise us not to put mail in boxes on weekends or nights
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It is a serious offense to steal mail, and people do get caught. However, my sister had dropped off some mail to send to me in Canada and the Amboy, Washington Post Office was broken into and the items stolen (including a package to her son in Alaska). She tried to make a claim for it but since it had not been scanned into the system, the USPS refused. Now she will only take packages to the counter and make them scan the packages in front of her and get a receipt. It is unfortunate that even the post offices themselves are getting broken into. 