Surprise Boxes At My Front Door
Part of this is a re-work from an earlier post. Now there’s new information, so I have re-written the whole thing. The original post was over a year ago. So make sure you read the whole thing because I’ve added new information throughout this whole post.
I’ve added a video near the bottom. I hope it comes out. Since this is my first time doing one, this is sort of a trial run.
Everyone receives packages. People are constantly online ordering just about everything. Whether it’s clothing, food, or electronics. You name it, we order it.
Fedex, UPS, US Postal Service, and DHL deliver here to my condo complex on a constant basis. Some of them are in here multiple times a day. The drivers are always the same. You would think they would know this place with their eyes closed. Apparently not.
The condo complex has four buildings. When I first moved here, there was no signage on the buildings. A few years ago, they put large numbers on the front of the two entrances to each building.
This is a growing story. What I mean by that is it keeps getting longer. You see I have had so many packages delivered to my front door. The problem is that they weren’t addressed to me. They are in my building so much, you’d think they would know what each address is.
First Time
The first time I received a package it was in the mailbox kiosk. Obviously, this was not at my front door. But it is pertinent to the story. The kiosk is located about a three to four minute walk and is located on another street. The postal worker had placed a key to a lock box inside my mailbox. Not expecting anything, I wondered what it was. The lock box is built right into the kiosk where all of the mailboxes are. There is a separate area with four lock boxes as well. I placed the key into the lock and opened the door. I pulled the package out. It was a cardboard box. In looking at the address, it was addressed to the building next door and the same unit number as me. I walked over to the building, rode the elevator to the third floor, and rang the doorbell. Eventually, the guy came to the front door. I think he was sleeping. He looked like he had just woken up. I told him how I acquired the package and he joked with me saying, “You didn’t want sweeper bags?” We laughed about it and he thanked me. I think I went back down the elevator when I left.
Second Time
One time I got a delivery but didn’t have to deliver it. The doorbell rang and a package was dropped. I opened the door because I wasn’t expecting anything. I saw that the package was for the same guy in the other building. There were two delivery people and I ran down the stairs and told them they had the wrong address. I was huffing and puffing, I was running so fast. Thankfully, I didn’t fall down the stairs. I went back up the stairs and he followed me. He told me “Sorry”. It sounded like he told the other delivery person, as soon as I told him, that they had the wrong address. Like they knew they were delivering to the wrong address. Guess who it was for?
Third Time
The third time I got a call from my neighbor, who left a message on the machine, telling me that there was a package near my door. She said that a fellow neighbor wanted to let me know before someone stole the package. I opened the door and away from the door and toward the stairs, there was a box. One guess? You got it. It was that guy in the next building. If you’re keeping count, this makes three packages for him. I gathered the box, rode the elevator down, and walked over to his building. It was just after 6:30 pm. I took the elevator to the third floor and walked to his front door. I rang the doorbell and waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. I finally figured out, he may not be coming to the door, so I dropped the package and started to go back toward the elevator. As I rounded the corner, the door opened. I went back, and from a distance told him, it was near my front door for an unknown amount of days. I hadn’t gone out in about four days, so I had no idea how long it had been sitting there. He thanked me and I left.
Fourth Time
The fourth time I was looking out the peephole and thought I saw a package out there. Again, I wasn’t expecting anything. I opened the door and saw an opened box. This was something completely different. It had the name of my downstairs neighbor on it. I peeked inside the open box and saw a blue shoe-box inside. I walked down to her door and rang the bell. She opened the door and I explained how I found it on my doorstep. She wondered why it was opened. I told her I didn’t know and I think I said why don’t people leave stuff that isn’t theirs alone.
NEW INSTANCE
Well, it happened again. The date was Friday, August 25th.
My Mom and I were having dinner. If you’re new to the scene, my Mom lives with me because I take care of her. We were at the dining room table. I was on one side of the table and she was on the other side. The table is a dark brown wooden table with a brown round piece of glass in the middle. It fits down into a rounded section in the middle of the table. So it’s recessed into it. The table is round. The chairs are creamed colored and leather looking.
We heard a noise. She said it sounded like something hit the front door. I looked out the peep hole and I didn’t see anyone. I reached down and pulled the napkin that is inside the crack that’s in the door and removed the towel that blocks the underneath part of the door. These are areas where lizards can get in. We try to block their way in. We have weatherstripping but that doesn’t work. I opened up the door and saw a small package. I wasn’t expecting anything. As I held the door with my leg, I picked up the package and looked at the addressee.
It was the correct unit number but as usual, it was the wrong building. For the record, it was the same guy as usual. That makes four packages I have delivered to him. I saw the UPS truck down in the street. I saw the driver running to the truck. I yelled out to him but he had already started the truck and was whisking himself down the road.
I came back inside and I told my Mom that I was going to leave the box outside. I told her I would finish dinner and then walk it over.
After dinner, I grabbed my keys, wallet and phone. I walked out of my condo door and took the elevator down. I thought it would be cool to re-enact what I did to get there. So I used the video option on my new phone to show you my route. The only thing different from that night is the time that I did it.
It was 5:47 pm when I delivered the package. For the re-enactment, it was 9:55 am.
I hope you enjoy this video. This is the first video I’ve made. It runs for 2 minutes and 25 seconds.
That was a riveting video, wasn’t it?
You’ll notice at the end I pointed straight up the stairs. That goes to the second level. Then you go up two more sets of stairs to make it to the third level. I took the stairs this time because there were two older ladies heading for the elevator, so I chose to take the stairs. I placed the package right next to the front door. This time it was from a medical pharmacy. They had a screened door, which they did not have the other times I gave them their packages. The front door itself was open when I dropped the package. I did not ring the doorbell like I did the other times. I retreated down the stairs and came back to my condo.
You might notice on the video, you can hear a noise. Unfortunately, that is my left sneaker. It is coming apart as you can see in the photo below and it was flopping.
Conclusion
My message to anyone delivering packages to me, please read the address carefully. I enjoy walking but I shouldn’t have to keep delivering other people’s packages. If this keeps happening, I think I should get paid. What do you think?
I hope you liked the nice touch of a video. I had fun creating it. I hope to create more videos. I don’t know of what but maybe I’ll take you on a walking tour or something.
Until next time, happy reading!
-Matt
Matt, I like you can take an ordinary (?) event, and turn it into a piece! It makes the reader think, this can go all kind of directions! You could set up your own satellite post office that completes the destination. (for a small fee!) The video an added level!
Perhaps you could put a sign at the entrance to your building saying ‘Building X is that way’ with an arrow...?? I guess it’s one way to get you out of your unit but.... A good way to get your steps up. Perhaps you could send them a bill for a new pair of sneakers and send the photo of your flopping one, saying that all the extra kilometres caused a blow-out. Smirk.