Rural porch pirates: ideas?

[bdhsfz6]

local delivery company notorious for not delivering - even arrested one driver for stealing a couple dozen boxes. They said the order was delivered but they would check again.

Luckily, delivery drivers who steal aren't very smart. They are quickly caught when multiple missing packages are traced back to them.

 

[Hay Dude]

Visions of a weather protected plexiglass stockade in the town square with prisoners in color coded jumpsuits, green for porch pirates, yellow for shoplifting, etc, etc.

Don’t laugh…..could be very stylish

 

[Hay Dude]

I thought this discussion was about rural porch pirates?

Yeah ok, but there’s plenty of rural homes without a trained attack dog, too. Mine is one of them.

 

[Jstpssng]

I can't think of anybody who has a trained guard dog. Generally that's the type of people I don't associate with.

 

[bdhsfz6]

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.)

I live at the end of a 1 1/4 mile private road which I maintain. I agree that deliveries do cause wear and tear on the road surface. Package delivery however, is just one of many when you consider, mail, newspaper, fuel oil, propane, garbage etc. Package delivery wouldn't make that much difference and, IMO, certainly not worth spending a lot of time and $$ to reduce. For the convenience of having my packages delivered safely to my door, I'm willing to spend a little extra time doing road maintenance.

For package security, I have a deck box next to my garage door which all the delivery people use. Although not visible from the road, it's in plain sight of a security camera which alerts my smartphone when anyone drives up to the house.

 

[jyoutz]

Yeah ok, but there’s plenty of rural homes without a trained attack dog, too. Mine is one of them.

I don’t have trained attack dogs. But they will bark at strangers.

 

[Diggin It]

I don’t have trained attack dogs. But they will bark at strangers.

You didn't read the opening post did you?

He's trying to find a way for drivers to leave packages out by the road so they don't have to come down his long private drive. How is a dog going to help him accomplish that? What will a dog that barks at strangers bark at if the truck never comes down the road?

 

[Hay Dude]

I don’t have trained attack dogs. But they will bark at strangers.

Ignore bark and steal package. Much easier than a full time job

 

[jyoutz]

Ignore bark and steal package. Much easier than a full time job

Whatever. It works for us.

 

[Oaktree]

How close are you to a post office, UPS store, or Fed Ex store/drop point (one is at my local Walgreens.)

You can then set it up to have your packages dropped in those related locations.

Obviously, you'd need to know how your package is being shipped, I haven't noticed a place to specify on very many online retailers' sites, often you don't know who they used until it's been shipped, and not always then.

Other than a Rite Aid drugstore that also hosts an Amazon hub locker, I don't know of any package dropoff places around here. The nearest Fedex facility is a 45 min drive away, and is only open 10-4 (OK for me since I'm retired, but not so much for someone with a day job), the UPS facility has even less convenient hours...5-6:30pm M-Th. (that's right, only open an hour and a half a day). Don't know of any UPS stores...I believe they're a franchise and there's probably not enough business to support one. Staples will ship UPS packages, but I don't think you can use them for a dropoff. Even Amazon doesn't always give the option at check-out to use the hub lockers, not sure why not.

Fortunately, porch pirates don't seem to be much of a problem around here.

What rural home doesn’t have a “king of the place “ farm dog or two?

Mine. In my case it's because I don't particularly like dogs, but I can think of several neighbors who don't have one either.