# How are package delivery services where you live? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2025, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000 "2025-12-23T23:43:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/41 "2025-12-30T17:11:23Z")
There’s another common option now, that I would never do, if you have a smart door lock or garage door. The driver will get a one time code to be able to open the door and drop off the package and the close it. My car is synched with the garage door to close when I leave and open when I arrive. I have the ability to somehow set this up with Amazon and the major delivery services. It’s “myQ” and there are probably others. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/42 "2025-12-30T18:12:10Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > As a whole they are just doing their fucking jobs as instructed. Most people would rather have the packages left on their porch without being annoyed with signatures or doorbells if this thread is any indication. Who’s instructing the Amazon lackeys using their own car to block the road? I’m not insinuating that they’re lazy or stupid. I’m flat out calling them lazy &/or stupid…unless they are sociopaths who think they are more important than every other driver out there. Yes, a lot of them are stupid, too because they don’t stop to take into account the 70¢/mile (which probably is underaccounting for costs) that the IRS gives you for using your own vehicle. Kid was doing door dash…until I showed him the light, when we did the math it was close to 50% of his earnings went towards expenses & suddenly it wasn’t such good money. He stopped doing it. There are not enough replies in this thread to give a meaningful answer as to whether people want the bell rung or not so I created a [poll](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/6464) question for it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/43 "2025-12-30T18:18:26Z")
You’re absolutely right about gig drivers for DoorDash and the like. Do Amazon drivers use their own vehicles too? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/44 "2025-12-30T18:26:01Z")
Some do but I think they might only deliver same day orders. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/45 "2025-12-30T19:34:06Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Do Amazon drivers use their own vehicles too? [Amazon Flex](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-flex-delivery-service) drivers do ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/46 "2025-12-30T20:23:18Z")
The biggest problem for us is that our driveway can be _very_ treacherous, to the point that we can’t even drive on it. When it is in that condition, I have them deliver my packages to a neighbor’s house. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/47 "2025-12-31T07:47:08Z")
ISTR a Last Week Tonight piece primarily about long-haul trucking but which also covered Amazon drivers, which indicated that they are also grossly overworked and have very little time to spare per delivery. Which may explain why they just park in the middle of the road. Around here they have branded Amazon vans they use. ---
**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:** [December 31, 2025, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/48 "2025-12-31T12:34:16Z")
One thing I will give our delivery folks - they come down the driveway to the house. Only once did someone leave a box by the mailbox at the street, and luckily, it didn’t disappear. As long as the deliveries are left on the porch under the roof, I don’t care if they’re at the door or at the garage end, and mostly, that’s what I get. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/49 "2025-12-31T13:40:10Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Which may explain why they just park in the middle of the road. Do they do that in places where other sorts of deliveries don’t? Every type of pickup/delivery where I live - Amazon, UPS, cab, food delivery is normally going to involve double -parking and that will often block the street. I’m not saying they aren’t overworked - but even if they aren’t overworked, delivery drivers aren’t going to park 200 feet (or more) away to deliver a single package. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/50 "2025-12-31T15:01:41Z")
Have any of us here had a delivery job recently? If we haven’t and we don’t know how they are trained or how they are monitored or what their management mandates that they do, calling them generally stupid and/or lazy is just flat out privileged, shitty behavior. I did manual labor jobs starting from when I was 15 and through the first years of college. Anyone who hasn’t, is incapable of getting it and should give empathy a try. That’s what really rubs me the wrong way. I did a little searching and the consensus seems to be that the default of not ringing the doorbell started over Covid. Clearly the delivery services didn’t change it to benefit the public. Why direct anger at the majority of the drivers who are just doing what they are told to do? ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/51 "2025-12-31T16:05:32Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > calling them generally stupid and/or lazy is just flat out privileged, shitty behavior. I did manual labor jobs starting from when I was 15 and through the first years of college. Anyone who hasn’t, is incapable of getting it and should give empathy a try. That’s what really rubs me the wrong way. When the way you do your job, by stopping in the middle of the road, is antisocial, illegal, & a danger to life & property (yes, we recently had fire apparatus delayed getting to a house fire) then the delivery drivers are the ones acting privileged & shitty. > [@hajario](#): > > I did a little searching and the consensus seems to be that the default of not ringing the doorbell started over Covid. Clearly the delivery services didn’t change it to benefit the public. Why direct anger at the majority of the drivers who are just doing what they are told to do? 60% of us [(MPSIMP - Polls)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/6463) _want_ the doorbell rung. COVID is not the same very deadly unknown pandemic that it was in March of 2020. Do you have research that shows the drivers are told not to do it by the delivery services? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/52 "2025-12-31T16:14:13Z")
Wow. That’s some serious entitlement. Do you have experience doing low paid labor work? I know that the default delivery option is now to not ring the bell because you have to opt into it now. It’s logical that they are told to follow the instructions. Look, I’ve given you a solution that I think will work. Give it a try. Opt in to the doorbell ring. Problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/53 "2025-12-31T16:38:09Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Wow. That’s some serious entitlement. How is expecting someone to not break the law & not be an asshole to do their job being entitled? If everyone other than the driver should be inconvenienced because they can’t pull to the side of the road then _they_ are the ones acting all entitled. > [@hajario](#): > > Do you have experience doing low paid labor work? Yes, lots; recent, too. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/54 "2025-12-31T17:10:22Z")
Moderating: > [@hajario](#): > > Wow. That’s some serious entitlement. Do you have experience doing low paid labor work? Tone it down. This is IMHO, not the pit. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/55 "2025-12-31T21:24:24Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Do they do that in places where other sorts of deliveries don’t? Every type of pickup/delivery where I live - Amazon, UPS, cab, food delivery is normally going to involve double -parking and that will often block the street. I’m not saying they aren’t overworked - but even if they aren’t overworked, delivery drivers aren’t going to park 200 feet (or more) away to deliver a single package. Right. If they cant park close, they pretty much have to double park for the few minutes it takes to deleiver a package. Even the USPS does it. > [@Spiderman](#): > > 60% of us [(MPSIMP - Polls)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/6463) _want_ the doorbell rung. Out of 59 responses. And on our residential street there really is no issue with brief double parking. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/56 "2026-01-01T04:45:02Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Out of 59 responses. Which is a helluva lot more than the approximately _three_ who stated any preference in this thread when **hajario** was claiming an overall mandate that it was preferred that people didn’t want it rung ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/57 "2026-01-01T06:34:56Z")
Re-read my post. What an asinine take and totally irrelevant anyway. The main thing that is evident in this thread is that the way people talk about service workers tells all you need to know about their character. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/58 "2026-01-01T12:34:29Z")
There are two main delivery companies here, and they are both pretty good. They ring the bell and if we aren’t here then leave it by the door. Taiwan has a service where they leave packages at a local convenience store for you. Keeps the packages safe ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/59 "2026-01-01T13:09:27Z")
Moderating: > [@hajario](#): > > The main thing that is evident in this thread is that the way people talk about service workers tells all you need to know about their character. That’s a warning. I just told you to stop insulting other posters in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000/60 "2026-01-01T15:16:23Z")
I haven’t had the problems the OP has had. Anything that doesn’t fit in our mailbox is left right next to our front door, on our (somewhat) covered porch. Mrs. H is here all day, every day, so opportunities for theivery, weather damage, etc. are rare. Hell, the children she babysits hear someone pulling into the driveway and they all get so excited, and her bringing in a package is the highlight of anyone’s day, as regards two-year-olds. The main issue is that it takes an extra day or two to get anything here, living in a rural area miles from anywhere with a stop light. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-package-delivery-services-where-you-live/1026000.md?page=2)