USPS Leaves Packages @ Garage Door

gathermewool

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Day-to-day I have one of two USPS people deliver my normal mail (primary and backup). The main lady drivers 3/4 of the way through my C-shaped driveway and almost always walks the packages up to my porch ~ 20' away from my driveway. She never leaves packages on my lawn and rarely leaves them at the end of the pathway leading up to my porch.

As of six or so months ago, the backup USPS delivery guy started leaving packages stacked up in front of or leaning against my garage door. Instead of driving 3/4 of the way through my C-shaped driveway he only drives 2/3 of the way to where my garage is. There is zero difference in effort required to get out of the truck and put the packages there vs on the pathway, which I would be happy with.

I'm not just here to complain. I'm wondering how I should approach the carrier to let him know that I'd prefer packages not to be left in front of my garage, where my wife might run them over. I've talked with the main lady multiple times to thank her for her service and to give her a Christmas card with a $20 gift card to Target or something (along with a second for her backup,) and she seems like a very nice lady; very polite, gracious, etc. I don't know this second guy at all.

I know, "first-world problems", "just use your backup camera before backing out or move the packages before parking, duh!", etc. all apply. In fact, I'm fine living with this if there's no easy solution to dealing with someone like this, but I'm used to working with people and solving problems, so I figured I'd solicit some advice or just let some of you vent about mail carriers, too.

I've thought about going out to speak with him, but I'm a 6', 220# guy with a natural tendency to raise my voice, even if I'm not intending to yell; I guess I get my boomy voice and way of speaking from my dad, who is likely nearly deaf from working in construction most of his life, not always using hearing protection. I don't think I'm intimidating, but my I've been told I am by others; my SIL recently described me as scary. lol Anyway, I don't want to spook him and I don't want to, you know, stand in from of a USPS truck with my hands on my hips and start chastising the poor guy, who may actually think he's being clever or helpful leaving packages there.

I'm on 2nd shift for a bit, so I'm able to camp out most days and see this happen. My comfy chair, where I'm sitting now and typing this, is right near the window over-looking the driveway.

//

As an aside, last week Fedex literally tossed my package on the front lawn from the street. I informed my wife that one of her Halloween signs had blown across the yard; she went out to fix it and realized it was actually a white package. Jeez...

UPS ALWAYS leaves packages on my porch and NEVER uses my driveway.
 
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My wife ordered some shoes, or rather slippers 2 months ago. # weeks ao we discovered the package left under a bush in the front yard. Box half eaten by snails and shoes soaked with rain.

We had asked for the package to be kept at the service desk of the local supermarket and NOT be delivered to our door. No notice was left that anywhere that the package had been delivered. If it waqs me, those shoes would have gone back to the seller as damaged in transport but she "really liked the shoes"....
 
We try to remember when we order something, that way we know to look. Thankfully we are in and out often enough, and are far enough from the road that it's unlikely anything would be stolen. That said, one of these day we're going to run over a box as they've been leaving them against the garage door, and some day we're not going to open the door and look down to see what is out there...
 
Approach him with a smile and say what you have to say with a smile. A smile can diffuse a tense situation.

This 100% - people may think you are aggressive or unkind simply because of your facial expressions when approaching a situation. Your voice really does sound different with a smile on your face!!!

"Smile, it increases your face value"
 
I have wonderful luck with them all including FedEx, UPS, USPS and Amazon Prime.

I am very thankful for the work they do and saving me so much time, energy and fuel in my life shopping.
 
At least they are delivering to the right house. Many times in my neighborhood they can't even correctly figure out what house to deliver too, even though there are street signs and address numbers clearly shown on every house. :rolleyes:
 
Thanks for the replies, guys. I think the best answer so far goes to: leaving a sign on the garage door asking delivery personnel to please leave all packages on the porch or walkway.

I guess I’m a funny kind of human. I’m usually calm and easy going and have no problems communicating my needs to family, friends, subordinates, and especially superiors. Really, I’d say I get along with pretty much everyone I meet. It’s when I speak with people who feel they owe me nothing at all and respond in a disrespectful manner that I have issues with. I’ve learned to be good at applying deescalation techniques when appropriate, but my nature is to put fools in their place. When I‘m nice and reasonable and someone defaults to “eff you, I do what a want!” my nature is to be aggressive. I have a hard time fighting this tendency when all of my reasonable approach have failed.

As you can tell I’m over-thinking this.
 
At least they are delivering to the right house. Many times in my neighborhood they can't even correctly figure out what house to deliver too, even though there are street signs and address numbers clearly shown on every house. :rolleyes:

Yep. Just be glad you are getting your own mail. I get other people's mail all the time.

Apparently it's very complicated matching the address on the mail, to the address on the mailbox. I'm also the start of a route, so there is a barcode they scan every time on the mailbox door...
 
Yep. Just be glad you are getting your own mail. I get other people's mail all the time.

Apparently it's very complicated matching the address on the mail, to the address on the mailbox. I'm also the start of a route, so there is a barcode they scan every time on the mailbox door...

I do get other people's mail, and other people get mine. Seems like every 2 or 3 days there's new person delivering the mail, which doesn't help the matter. Some times neighbors on the same street get crossed mail too. I have exchanged phone numbers with everyone in my neighborhood who has the same house number, but are on different streets. House numbers are the same when going East-West across different adjacent street, so if the mail person doesn't sort it right by street and just by the house number, it gets deliverd to the "right" house number, but on an adjacent street.

I signed up a couple weeks ago for the USPS "Informed Delivery" service so I can see what mail is coming. You get an email every It works pretty well, and is a good way to watch for expected mail and packages from the USPS.

 
I do get other people's mail, and other people get mine. Seems like every 2 or 3 days there's new person delivering the mail, which doesn't help the matter. Some times neighbors on the same street get crossed mail too. I have exchanged phone numbers with everyone in my neighborhood who has the same house number, but are on different streets. House numbers are the same when going East-West across different adjacent street, so if the mail person doesn't sort it right by street and just by the house number, it gets deliverd to the "right" house number, but on an adjacent street.

I signed up a couple weeks ago for the USPS "Informed Delivery" service so I can see what mail is coming. You get an email every It works pretty well, and is a good way to watch for expected mail and packages from the USPS.


Sorry. I was just agreeing with you.

There was supposed to be a quote from the OP I was directing that reply to.

I'll blame the USPS for the foul-up. 😄
 
In my rural area, our long time lady postal carrier works her butt off. Many packages come priority and has to be delivered to the house rather than mail box. If you could see mail and packages piled in her car, with her straddling the console, driving up/down our driveways, climbing in and out, to deliver a little box, or even regular mail to the door of an elderly neighbor, you'd better understand what their day is like. Christmas is coming, you might want to remember them with a gift card. They seldom get thanks of any kind.
 
I had a $1,500 electric guitar delivered to the wrong house. It said delivered on the front porch: I don’t have a porch. Luckily my next door neighbor does and my guitar was sitting there.
 
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