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Lazy Deliveries Assist Porch Pirates
It has been no secret among the public for quite a few years now that PORCH PIRATES roam our streets looking for packages left carelessly by delivery companies.
Who knows what “treasures” might be inside that they may be able to sell, keep or gift to someone. For that reason, when I ordered a locked security gate protecting my front door, we included a low cut-out section one could open with a slight touch of the foot labeled clearly to insert packages. That section closed automatically via magnets…
As you can see in this photo of my front courtyard gate, the instruction to leave packages is very easy to read while opening that gate.
So why on earth do you think so many delivery personnel would just drop the package on the outside of that gate which is clearly visible from the street?Most often the package door on the security gate is used by FedX and most other drivers, but too often, as my Ring camera announces, “someone at your garage,” I watch a driver go to the courtyard gate, stop and it seems reads the sign right in front of them only to drop the package in front of the courtyard gate and walk back to their vehicle.
Those few drivers might think the courtyard gate is locked since the lock is right below the handle, but the people I have seen delivering and dropping packages never even try to open that gate which is never locked….
Are some drivers just too darn lazy to try and follow signs so clearly in their face?
I have received dozens of packages from various delivery companies, and never once had to retrieve one from “outside” the gate. I don’t have a lock on the gate as viewed on the 2nd picture so maybe that alone is reason enough to discourage the driver to attempt opening or even trying to drop the package. So let’s try to cut the driver some slack when they have nearly 100 stops per day.
I have a post by our front door with a large yellow sign on it that says please leave packages here with a large arrow pointing downward. In this position, the packages are not visible from the street. If a driver were to walk up to our door he would also see a sign on the door that says please leave packages by post out of sight from the street. Many times we find our packages almost laying against the front door security door so that it is difficult to open to retrieve the package. The drivers are always looking down at their tablets and don’t pay attention to the signage. I understand that this is a hot and difficult job, but many need to take care with the deliveries! We could not have made our request any clearer and it is even on the Amazon delivery notes. Many of the Amazon drivers follow the instructions, not all, but I think the biggest issue is with other carriers.
To Marty Winger: Thank you for your comment Marty but having a lock as part of my courtyard gate does not mean it is locked. It has not been locked in 23 years!
Over and over again I have watched the drivers as they stand in front of that gate, take the time to read the message and then drop the package right in front of the outer gate, regardless of it’s size. Often it has been a large, heavy box and since that gate opens OUTWARD, I would have to go around to the garage and drag the package in from there.
Interestingly, as Janis wrote, my delivery instructions always accompany my order regardless of where the order comes from. In my opinion, asking a delivery person to walk a few steps more to place it inside the gate where it is not visible from the street is not asking much and is, after all, their job!
So sorry you have had some bad experiences, but sadly we have a really have a weird world out there these days. As I mentioned mine have been very good (fortunately), but not perfect either so I take the bad ones and just shine them on as “oh well.”
If I had a delivery complaint it would mostly be with our USPS, but then I’m sure they do the best they can under sometimes weird circumstances.
Actually I mostly find the technology in delivery services amazing! I can drop off a return to private enterprise for free (and note) not even a re-wrap, and drop it off at, for example the Anthem store by Vons for free and it’s all handled…Amazing!!
Oh sure I complain too but I have seen some interesting changes in the way we manage our lives these days in the way we shop.
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