# An unordered package arrives at your door. Would you open it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618 "2017-05-28T21:11:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Contemplation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Contemplation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contemplation)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/1 "2017-05-28T21:11:51Z")
It has no return address, it is a large box, and you did not see any truck dropping it off. You were not home at the time it was left. You simply find the package at your doorstep. Would you dare open it? What would you do with it? ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/2 "2017-05-28T21:14:56Z")
Does it have your name on it? Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/3 "2017-05-28T21:19:17Z")
I can’t think of anybody who would want to send me a bomb. It’s not like we have 10,000 Unabombers walking about. Is my name on the package. If so, it’s legally mine. I’m free to keep it or dispose of it. I’ll open it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/4 "2017-05-28T21:21:48Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Does it have your name on it? That’s the important question. A couple of times when I was growing up, UPS delivered a package to my parents’ house that was not addressed to them, and we did not open the packages (although I did wonder what was in them, and even shook them for a clue). ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/5 "2017-05-28T21:45:51Z")
Sure. Curiosity killed the Catfish. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/6 "2017-05-28T21:54:12Z")
With my name on it? Of course, I think it’d be utterly bizarre not to open it. Without a label? Probably. ---
**Author:** ![jpowell84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecccb3/32.png) [@jpowell84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jpowell84)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/7 "2017-05-28T22:00:56Z")
thats an immediate nope for me and I’d probably move to the side of the street ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/8 "2017-05-28T22:01:33Z")
Yeah… I’d feel really iffy about it, but, shrug, I’m not important enough to be the target of an attack. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/9 "2017-05-28T22:08:30Z")
Yeah, probably. I might kick it first. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/10 "2017-05-28T22:13:25Z")
Probably not, at least until I had checked with the wife to see if she ordered anything. Define “large.” If my name wasn’t on it, I’d call the police, followed by the garbage service. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/11 "2017-05-28T22:24:39Z")
Heck, I can always find some use for a large box, even if I need to empty it out first. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/12 "2017-05-28T22:28:36Z")
A few years back, two large boxes were left at our house - the original shipping labels were damaged and for some reason, UPS left them on our porch. I opened the boxes, hoping to find an invoice or some clue, but no luck. Then I looked at the shipping labels and saw what looked like part of a name. I just happened to have a link to the county tax assessor’s site, so I looked up my street and I saw a name that mostly matched what was on the label. It was an unusual name, so it seemed logical. The house is 4 down from ours - the lots here are about 3 acres, so even close neighbors are not close, and I’d never met these folks. Anyway, I wrote a note explaining why the boxes were open and I hauled them to the correct address where I saw several other boxes on the porch. No one was home, so I just left them with the others. I was a little disappointed that the neighbor didn’t even acknowledge what I’d done. Oh well… I wasn’t expecting a reward, but thanks would have been nice. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/13 "2017-05-28T22:53:45Z")
Without hesitation. It’s MINE! I once was delivered an enormous box of gourmet steaks by accident. When I called the company to explain the mix-up, they let me keep them. WINNING! ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/14 "2017-05-28T23:25:39Z")
If it has someone else’s name and address on it, no, I’d just deliver it myself or, if too far, re-route it. If there’s no identifier on the outside of whom it was meant for, I’d open it to see if the inside shed any light on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/15 "2017-05-28T23:56:25Z")
I would be highly suspicious. See, where i live UPS/FEDEX will not be delivering to my door. They call, and i have to go to there terminal and pick it up. Only the mailman delivers, and he only drives to the mailbox, if it does not fit, he leaves a call tag to pick it up at the post office. The mailbox and where my house sits is a difference of a little under half a mile i think it is? something like 3/8ths. They can’t even see my house, and no delivery truck is going to go driving through the jungle to find it. They require actual road and stuff so they say. So yea i find big boxes on my front porch, especially unmarked ones that i did not order? I am going to be suspect because something strange is going on given that i cant even get my own things delivered to the door. Will i open them? That depends on how well i can investigate them before doing so ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/16 "2017-05-28T23:59:52Z")
I should clarify that if it was clearly addressed to someone else, I would not open it, but rather attempt to identify the owner or return it to the post office or whatever I needed to do. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/17 "2017-05-29T00:24:31Z")
Addressed to me but with no return address and no clue what was in it and no memory of ordering anything? yeah, I’m not touching that. (But that may be one too many Government security briefings in my career). ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/18 "2017-05-29T00:50:55Z")
If it’s addressed to me and it has a sender/return address label on it, sure. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/19 "2017-05-29T01:34:07Z")
_Finally_! My Sports Illustrated football phone! ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618/20 "2017-05-29T04:39:28Z")
Happened to me a couple of days ago. Got a package addressed to me with a return address with no name that I didn’t recognize. I hadn’t bought anything. I couldn’t understand what could possibly be in a long thin package that felt like a flat disc on one end attached to a long square rod. It was a new ADT sign that I mentioned I needed when they called me after my alarm went off. In all the commotion of the Fire Department showing up for my burnt toast, I completely forgot that ADT was sending it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unordered-package-arrives-at-your-door-would-you-open-it/787618.md?page=2)