Rural porch pirates: ideas?

bcp · Nov 29, 2021

Need more of this:

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/officers-use-bait-boxes-lure-porch-pirates/5RSVO26QAND4PL5DVAEAYTP5YA/

Bruce

Oaktree · Nov 29, 2021

ljjhouser said:
I did call USPS to see if there was something I could do to request they leave packages at the sign. I was told "your address is serviced by contract carriers. We don't have any say where they deliver.

Is this something new? I've seen contract carriers for Fedex & UPS but never the post office.

RalphVa · Nov 29, 2021

jmc said:
I'd like to minimize delivery trucks on my 5/8 mile, soft-when-wet lane. Thinking about mounting a job box or similar down by the road and train the drivers to lock packages in it instead of racing up to the house as fast as the potholes will allow them to drive. Seems like they would cooperate since deliveries/day is one of their metrics, and it's 2 minutes drive time each way. Anybody tried this or see any problems?

BTW, Consumer Reports reviewed plastic drop boxes targeted at more urban areas and mentioned urban theft is 16% vs 8% rural theft. (A plastic box at my place would just be a beacon.)

Yes. Out of sight. Out of mind. Think they're wrong about the plastic boxes.

We put in a plastic box, about 2 feet by 2 feet deep and high and about 4 feet wide with a lid. Plastic. Attached it to a nearby post.

Put up a laminated sign on the mailbox asking them to put deliveries in the bin. Also have a sign on the top of the bin.

Has worked flawlessly so far. Even good if leaving free or shared stuff with others to pick up, too.

Before this, we'd had a couple deliveries where they container was opened, but they didn't like it (I guess) and didn't take anything.

MossRoad · Nov 29, 2021

Oaktree said:
Is this something new? I've seen contract carriers for Fedex & UPS but never the post office.

USPS has used contract drivers for decades in rural areas around here. Many of them have/had mail routes during the day and newspaper routes in the wee hours.

ljjhouser · Nov 29, 2021

Oaktree said:
Is this something new? I've seen contract carriers for Fedex & UPS but never the post office.

No, not new here. I think most of contract carriers came from the old HCR Box carrier routes. And some rural routes still use them. Our contract carriers are pretty good. But sometimes they will come up the hill and sometimes not. It is just not dependable. Sometimes we have to go to the PO to get a package. I love UPS and FEDEX and AMAZON. Never a problem with them.

bdhsfz6 · Nov 30, 2021

Steppenwolfe said:
It takes a village to raise a child ???

It does indeed but sadly, too many are "village idiots".

kenmbz · Nov 30, 2021

My UPS guy leaves the packages in bags up the drive behind our garbage cans if he sees snow on the driveway.
Fedex is hit or miss, would hate to see either get a truck stuck up here by the house.
The only time we have had stuff stolen is when left between our 2 old mailboxes.

New mailboxes don't have this space.

Following to see what others do. The box might be a good solution, but our Fedex carrier is a sub-contract, so who knows if the same person will show up each time.

Steppenwolfe · Nov 30, 2021

bdhsfz6 said:
It does indeed but sadly, too many are "village idiots".

HA! I do believe you have hit the proverbial nail on the head...

PILOON · Nov 30, 2021

Our problem in my area is UPS, or their sub contractors, that have taken the habit of simply attaching (if lucky) the package onto, or left on top of the trash bins at the roadside.

Problem is the trash is handled by a remote hydraulic arm and does not care what gets dumped into the compactor.

Bye-Bye your pricey Xmas gifts!

jaxs · Nov 30, 2021

For a business or anyone recieveing many on-going packages,a secure metal box with floor that dump's when door is closed is affordable or simple to fabricate. Where deliveries are irregular,thieves aren't crusing and looking in boxes so a weatherproof barrel or box is sufficent. Having packages hanging from gate or lying beside mailbox un-neccessarily tempt's thieves.
After seeing the cartoon of guy ordering mad wasps,I must confess to haveing thoughts about boxing some up for unsuspecting pirates. Yellow Jackets and Bald Face Hornets are aggressive and sting multiple times when disturbed. Both settle down during night making it possible to carfully move their nest without stirring them up. Even a shovel load of Fire Ants boxed up could deal an unsuspecting victim lots of pain and misery.

bcp · Dec 1, 2021

One problem with a booby-trapped package is the thief may come back and burn your house or car in retaliation.

Bruce

bdhsfz6 · Dec 1, 2021

Another problem with booby traps is the legal issue. In many states, it's a crime and if the perp is injured or killed, you can be in a heap of trouble. Lawsuits have been filed and won in some cases. To me, this is just wrong on so many levels but the law sometimes favors the crook.

As much as I like the idea of trapping a criminal, I would check the laws where you live first.

LouNY · Dec 1, 2021

Booby traps are illegal most every where.
However I don't think a package that does nothing unless it is opened and lets the contents out is not a booby trap.
As far as a scurvy scumy piece of garbage cowardly thieving coming back to burn your house or car in retaliation,
they don't have the guts to do so.

ljjhouser · Dec 1, 2021

If you did something like that (booby trap), the thief would not have to retaliate. After the court settlement, he would own your house, car, boat, land. I would never place that risk and opportunity out there for anyone. Protect the property. That is really the issue.

2LaneCruzer · Dec 1, 2021

The law against booby traps comes from common law, and goes back centuries. The case I remember took place in Iowa, I believe; guy had an empty house on his farm that folks kept breaking into, so he set up a loaded shotgun to go off when the door was broken in. It shot a guy looking for old fruit jars; he had to sell the farm to pay the judgement.

Just found this, if you are so inclined...

https://h2o.law.harvard.edu/collages/2773

bdhsfz6 · Dec 1, 2021

LouNY said:
Booby traps are illegal most every where.
However I don't think a package that does nothing unless it is opened and lets the contents out is not a booby trap.

It would be up to a court to decide what a booby trap consists of.

If the package contained bees, as someone suggested, and the thief was allergic to bee stings, you could be liable for the consequences.

This isn't quite the same thing but it still gets me to this day:

Back in the 1970's, an old drinking buddy of mine had his car stereo stolen from in front of his house on two separate occasions. To burglar proof the third one, he wired an automotive spark coil to give a mild shock to anyone tampering with the unit. At his request, I tested it and did receive a shock but not very severe. I remember it being much less than sticking your finger in a light socket. It was just strong enough to make it impossible to remove the unit. The following month my buddy caught the thief all right. He was found dead laying across the front seat of the car with a screwdriver in his hand. The guy was 60 years old with a long criminal record. He also had a heart condition. The "mild" shock caused a heart attack.

My friend was charged with involuntary manslaughter and the trial lasted 8 days. It got a lot of attention and was in the paper for over a week. He was eventually convicted, fined and sentenced to 6 months in county jail. The sentence was appealed and reduced to community service but he still had to pay the fine. I forget how much but I remember it took him a long time to pay it.

That was over 50 years ago and unfortunately, the incident forever tainted my respect for our legal system.

MossRoad · Dec 1, 2021

2LaneCruzer said:
The law against booby traps comes from common law, and goes back centuries. The case I remember took place in Iowa, I believe; guy had an empty house on his farm that folks kept breaking into, so he set up a loaded shotgun to go off when the door was broken in. It shot a guy looking for old fruit jars; he had to sell the farm to pay the judgement.

Just found this, if you are so inclined...

https://h2o.law.harvard.edu/collages/2773

That's one of the classics that has been quoted and reviewed anytime the subject of boobytrapping comes up.

MossRoad · Dec 1, 2021

I recall back in the late 60's a neighbor of ours put their garbage in a box, wrapped it in wrapping paper, put a ribbon and a bow on it, set it by their mailbox and it got stolen within an hour. It came back later in the day strewn all over their yard.

Oddly, their house was the only one to ever get broken into on our block. And not much was taken, just vandalization. Near that same time period, a divorced woman (that was scandalous back then, too) got attacked inside of her house. The old biddies on the block blamed it on her promiscuity. Ever since that summer, we had to lock our doors. I remember my parents giving me a house key when I was about 8 years old. And we got a large dog, too.

MossRoad · Dec 1, 2021

2LaneCruzer said:
The law against booby traps comes from common law, and goes back centuries. The case I remember took place in Iowa, I believe; guy had an empty house on his farm that folks kept breaking into, so he set up a loaded shotgun to go off when the door was broken in. It shot a guy looking for old fruit jars; he had to sell the farm to pay the judgement.

Just found this, if you are so inclined...

https://h2o.law.harvard.edu/collages/2773