DocAndersen
A box arrived just the other day; it came to the porch in the usual way. Sorry, Harry Chapin for stealing the opening line of your fantastic song “Cats in the cradle.” First off, I remember when FedEx brought package tracking to the world. I remember watching the USPS, UPS, DHL and other package shipping companies change their IT stance and move as quickly as they could to reduce the FedEx advantage. Now, Amazon will even tell you how many stops away your box is. Well not amazon but the UPS, FedEx or DHL application will do that. The next big thing I see coming is the reality of the package authorization via video call. Where you authorize the driver to leave a package that must be signed for at your x location. They get to the house, ring the bell and with no answer, they (the driver) has a video call to you opened.
If you don’t answer, then the package goes back to UPS, and they leave a sticker on the door. If you answer the video call, you can tell the driver where to leave the box. The other option is, of course, the locked porch box. But frankly, not that I am a pessimist, but honestly if I were a thief I would look for the houses with locked porch boxes, and I would steal the porch box. You don’t put marshmallows in a lockbox. You have the driver put things of value in the lock box. Eventually, as they modify porches over time, there will be a new model where there are anchors for the Lockbox built into the actual concrete of the porch. Then the porch pirate can’t steal the lockbox.
The other thing I think won’t happen but would solve the problem is the drive-thru package delivery. You go to a let your favorite food restaurant that you have provided the shipper up front. You hit the drive-thru and tell them your address. Give them two bucks and your package is safe. You don’t have to worry about Porch Pirates ever again.
The other option would be drone delivery. Your box arrives at the sorting facility, and when you are home for 2 hours or more, you notify the drone that it can deliver your package. Porch Pirates are pretty easy to fix, it just needs the right application of technology!
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Question of
Have you ever had a package stolen from your porch?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Do you have a video doorbell to prevent package thieves?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Do you have a lockbox on your porch?
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Yes
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No
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I just remember, was it you who lives with a shared front door?
no my front door is stand alone. I think Gary Siblio mentioned that he used to live in a house with a shared front door.
ahhh okay.. yes yours is the one with a nice garden flowers …
My wife is the flower person in our house!
I hadn’t considered a porch lockbox… that’s an interesting idea. Or have something like a library drop off built into newer houses. Might be a security flaw, though. Almost definitely gonna mess with your insulation…
The “library slot” idea is golden Alex. I don’t think you would have to worry about insulation pending of course how big it was. A friction shoot (so the box slid instead of tumbled) to floor level of your house would work perfectly.
It will be interesting to see how technology and lifestyles will effect architectural styles in the future. I am thinking from a practical stance, as opposed to pure design…
If they need it more than me I guess they can have it.
Now that is altruism at its very best. You are a good person!
If I lived in a high crime area or received more packages I would get the security doorbell.
The second is probably your saving grace. Porch Pirates tend to look for more expensive houses. The packages tend to be better.