# Strange encounters while delivering?



## gaj (Nov 11, 2014)

Anyone have any fun stories to share while delivering?

1) Knock and drop package. By the time I get back to the car, there is a guy running down the driveway yelling "why did you bang on my door!!!?" "Uh, I left an Amazon package for you right in front of the door" (Don't know how he didn't trip over it on the way out of the door.) "Oh, thanks!"

2) Pull up to a house in a nice neighborhood, there is a guy in a lawn chair and 5-6 naked kids running around the front yard. Ages 3-6, boys and girls. All completely naked. Not even a play pool or something in the yard which might explain the nakedness. Me averting all eye contact with all the children and the guy and getting out of there as quick as I could.

3) Crazy meth lady standing in the middle of a one-lane access road on the freeway yelling. I pull up slowly and roll my window down slightly so she will think I will talk to her and get out of the middle of the road, she starts yelling about how she needs a ride to "pick up fried chicken." Once she is next to the car, zoooom out of there.

I have also had some nice experiences in lower-class neighborhoods... once I hit a dead-end kind-of-street with a bunch of duplexes, none of them with addresses on them. Mexican dude working on his car doesn't speak english, but I show him the label and he points one building over and two doors in and tells me Fernando lives there... 

g


----------



## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

I mentioned the other day about the guy who gave me an attitude for parking at his neighbor's house....not that weird compared to naked kids, granted.

And I've almost run over dogs a couple times. Dogs are dumb.


----------



## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

Good thread

1) *the senile old person -*just yesterday delivered to a trailer park and left a package on an old mans doorstep. He ran out, demanded I roll my window down and lectured me that he could have tripped and hurt himself. He said next time, put it on on the ground, unfortunately for him the next flex driver will probably do the same thing I did.

2. *The amazon has you guys do this in your own car? *_*- *_these people assume you are an employee who traded in a truck for a car. I used to try to explain the independent contractor thing but what is the point?

3. *The I have many request person *- I dont mind it when there is a note not to ring the doorbell but I had a delivery where a person wanted me to leave their package in the garage. She listed numbers of five neighbors with her garage code. She is lucky the second answered because I was going to leave it on the front door otherwise. What bothereed me is this was a super nice neighborhood and you couldnt see the front door that well from the street, stop being paranoid. Cant be that important anyways amazon does attended deliveries for things over 100 bucks normally.


----------



## flexology (Jan 28, 2016)

Shangsta said:


> 3. *The I have many request person *- I dont mind it when there is a note not to ring the doorbell but I had a delivery where a person wanted me to leave their package in the garage. She listed numbers of five neighbors with her garage code. She is lucky the second answered because I was going to leave it on the front door otherwise. What bothereed me is this was a super nice neighborhood and you couldnt see the front door that well from the street, stop being paranoid. Cant be that important anyways amazon does attended deliveries for things over 100 bucks normally.


According to the new Terms, if the customer instructions are "unreasonable" then you don't have to follow them. I include calling personal phone numbers in that category. Whenever I see one of those I just call from inside the app and talk to whichever person answers. In this instance, there's no reason the account holder wouldn't know her own garage code, am I right?!?


----------



## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

flexology said:


> According to the new Terms, if the customer instructions are "unreasonable" then you don't have to follow them. I include calling personal phone numbers in that category. Whenever I see one of those I just call from inside the app and talk to whichever person answers. In this instance, there's no reason the account holder wouldn't know her own garage code, am I right?!?


I assume she didnt want to give it to a stranger driver so she had her neighbor do it.

Agree it was unreasonable but sometimes going back to the warehouse is out of the way so I will do anything I can to make all my deliveries.


----------



## flexology (Jan 28, 2016)

Shangsta said:


> I assume she didnt want to give it to a stranger driver so she had her neighbor do it.
> 
> Agree it was unreasonable but sometimes going back to the warehouse is out of the way so I will do anything I can to make all my deliveries.


Did the neighbors have some type of remote access that opened the garage, or did they have to walk over there and type in a code? That's absolutely bizarre either way. Maybe it's a liability issue so you don't go into the garage yourself and slip and fall.

To be honest I'd put it in a clear plastic bag at that point and then hide it in some bushes, a safe place.


----------



## UberPasco (Oct 18, 2015)

Had a delivery last week that had a note: " Leave at door and knock". So I dropped 3 of the 5 packages at the door and knocked. When I got back with the last two packages, a naked young woman (one hand holding a small towel at her neck) was bent down picking up the bags. We both let out a yelp, and I handed her the last two bags, turned and left.


----------



## sofla11 (Aug 21, 2014)

I've had some strange requests. Like, open the front door and leave it inside. Sorry, not opening your front door! That sounds like a setup. Or, leave it on the balcony (balcony is totally inaccessible unless I literally throw your packages).

Then there are the ones where someone else in the house placed the order and the person answering the door insists they didn't order anything and you've got the wrong house. 

My favorites are the people who seemingly only order so they can ask you why Amazon hasn't gotten back to them about their application and want to ask 20 questions about the program as if you don't have more deliveries to make before the end of the window.


----------



## flexology (Jan 28, 2016)

Receptionists become irate when I ask them their name. If I were to take them literally, I'd have to input "Go" as the receptionist name more often than not.


----------



## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

I just put 'front desk' or 'leasing office' or whatever. Who cares what their name is?


----------



## flexology (Jan 28, 2016)

CatchyMusicLover said:


> I just put 'front desk' or 'leasing office' or whatever. Who cares what their name is?


That's what I do now. Early on I thought we were to input the receptionist or security guard's name into the box for attended deliveries.


----------



## gaj (Nov 11, 2014)

I usually get a name and signature at a (large) business if I am not handing it to the person who is supposed to be receiving it. More accountability against Amazon saying the package didn't get delivered if the receptionist leaves it under her desk or something and the customer calls to complain it didn't arrive.

Other times at businesses I will just get the first name of the receptionist and put it under 'so and so or a family member at this address' option with no signature.

g


----------



## sofla11 (Aug 21, 2014)

flexology said:


> Receptionists become irate when I ask them their name. If I were to take them literally, I'd have to input "Go" as the receptionist name more often than not.


If they don't have a name badge I usually just say, "I have a delivery for (name)..... Who can I tell (him/her) I left it with?" Never had any issues. Most of the time they expect to have to sign for it. I agree I'd rather have a name than just "front desk". Less chance of someone trying to say they didn't get it if you actually know the receptionist's name.


----------



## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

flexology said:


> Did the neighbors have some type of remote access that opened the garage, or did they have to walk over there and type in a code? That's absolutely bizarre either way. Maybe it's a liability issue so you don't go into the garage yourself and slip and fall.
> 
> To be honest I'd put it in a clear plastic bag at that point and then hide it in some bushes, a safe place.


She walked over, bored me with a story then finally typed in the code.

Yes I do that at times but I try to avoid them saying they didnt get the package.


----------



## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

So back to the thread topic...

Yesterday I was at a gate, had no code. So called the name through the box on the gate, a guy answers and says the lady I was looking for hadn't had the number for like three years. This was on the GATE mind you, not on the phone/app.


----------



## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

flexology said:


> Receptionists become irate when I ask them their name. If I were to take them literally, I'd have to input "Go" as the receptionist name more often than not.


I say, "May I have your first name?" People today are very paranoid so asking for first and last may be excessive. The reason you want a name is remember most people have illegible signatures and they get even worse when they sign with their finger. All about protecting yourself.

One time I came to a leasing office and a guy vacuuming in an orange vest took the package, I thought it was one of the landscapers and was skeptical but he had a key so I went on my way.


----------



## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

sofla11 said:


> so they can ask you why Amazon hasn't gotten back to them about their application


Haha I had a delivery where the guy said.

"YOU FLEXIN?"

I replied "Uhm pardon me?"

"You drive Amazon Flex right? How is that?

"Oh yes, I do drive for Amazon, yeah it is a nice side gig!"


----------



## flexology (Jan 28, 2016)

Shangsta said:


> She walked over, bored me with a story then finally typed in the code.
> 
> Yes I do that at times but I try to avoid them saying they didnt get the package.


I may as well point out that it doesn't really protect you to use your own phone to call people. They might still say they never got it. But if you do it from within the app Amazon has a record of the full conversation, I'm told.

Personally my only reason for calling anyone is so that if I have to call support I can affirm that I have in fact tried to contact the customer.


----------



## detsoob (Jun 16, 2016)

Here are some images I caught on my deliveries.






































Pigeon & a Squeal /// Large old Ficus tree


----------



## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

So I suppose today decided it just wanted to be a wierd/annoying day...

-Not strange, per se, but they had us split routes and of course the block we split in half was on the other side of a golf course quite out of the way of everything else. Actually decided to do that one before the golf course area itself and after a couple deliveries came across...
-A gate that could only be opened by clicker. No box at all. Turns out the 'normal' entrance is a decent distance away, probably adding a good mile to my travel distance. It's not, per se, out of the way (since the first gate was off the street I was on anyway), so I went there...
-Come across not only a gate, but those poles that block your car (like in a security checkpoint...or toll booth or train tracks, whatever). First time I've ever come across that for a simple gated community gate. It also makes a HUGE fuss about being timed for one vehicle (to the point of telling you do use the code again if someone is in front of you)...
-But here's the fun part. No gate code. Unable to find the last name on the 'box'. Call them through app, hung up on me right away with some "I don't know who you are excuse". Lady comes up behind me, so I pull forward and....she just sits there. Doesn't open the gate, doesn't yell at me, no nothing. Ask her if she has a code, and she flat out refuses. Another guy comes up and sits there too. I ask him, and he kinda tells me to move to the side. It takes a while before I can understand through his broken English it's because the clicker actually doesn't work unless the car is right up next to the poles. Yeesh. All and all probably wasted over 10 minutes for one measly package there. I have NEVER seen people so stubborn about not wanting to let me in...
-Head over to trailer park area (ungated and layed out in normal streets with normal addresses). A security guy on a golf cart chased me down and yelled at me for speeding (ok I admit it, I was probably going 20-25 in a 15) and going through stop signs (doubtful, MAYBE I didn't come to a complete and utter stop but I hardly would ignore them). The strange thing is....he actually said if he wrote a ticket, he would give a ticket to the /owner of the place I delivered to/ (though I'm pretty sure he was just giving me a warning). Absolutely mind boggling.
-Make it to the golf course area, also has the poles. Note that both of these they really DO close quite quick. I'm boggled this is a thing, it seemed quite dangerous and very easily could come crashing down on someone delayed a few seconds (I had a gate code on this one so I opened it myself)...
-There was a 'normal' gate inside for one of them. Actually got scolded at by yet another security guy who said I would be 'escorted out' if I got caught piggybacking (though was nice otherwise and explained I just needed to call security 24/7 and they'd open it)
-And finally.....two houses down from a delivery was police tape surrounding almost the whole house and a news van parked outside (and note this was still in the golf course area, with decent middle-class sized houses). 

Sorry about the novel


----------



## flexology (Jan 28, 2016)

If a customer hung up on me without giving me the gate code I really think that would've been about it for that delivery/package.


----------



## gaj (Nov 11, 2014)

flexology said:


> If a customer hung up on me without giving me the gate code I really think that would've been about it for that delivery/package.


I once called twice in a row (didn't answer first time) and on the second one they yelled at me "stop harassing us!!!" "Uh, this is Amazon and you didn't give a gate code" "Oh, sorry, we have been getting lots of calls from out of state area codes and we are sick of it."

I understand not wanting to deal, but when it is a 25 mile round trip back to the warehouse to drop that one package I will usually go to extra lengths to get the package delivered (call multiple times, jump over gate, etc)

If the warehouse is on the way home anyway, I am not quite so aggressive.

g


----------



## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

gaj said:


> I once called twice in a row (didn't answer first time) and on the second one they yelled at me "stop harassing us!!!" "Uh, this is Amazon and you didn't give a gate code" "Oh, sorry, we have been getting lots of calls from out of state area codes and we are sick of it."
> 
> I understand not wanting to deal, but when it is a 25 mile round trip back to the warehouse to drop that one package I will usually go to extra lengths to get the package delivered (call multiple times, jump over gate, etc)
> 
> ...


Yup I avoid going back to the warehouse like the plaque. Unless I get back to back 4 hour shifts.

When there is no gate code I often follow another car in if the complex is busy enough


----------



## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

I forgot to mention, I saw bunnies. Bunnies made it all worth it.

And yeah, unless the warehouse is on the way home (probably maybe only ~33% of the time, if that) I will avoid it as much as possible.


----------



## Uber48208 (May 4, 2016)

When it comes to avoiding having to go back to the warehouse, we take the cake in Detroit... Our only warehouse (it's Logistics, no Prime Now as of now) is in Brownstown Township. Never heard of it? I'm 36 years old - live in Metro Detroit my entire life, and until I signed up for Flex, I couldn't have CONFIDENTLY pointed it out on a map... yes, some people live in this area considered "Downriver" but as you can see from this density population map, a very very large majority live 15-20++ miles away from the warehouse which is located near the airport but not exactly near a majority of the population.

After seeing the attached map (I put a yellow box in the area for you), you can bet your bottom buck that I'm going to go above and beyond to deliver any/all packages I can... 2 of the 3 go back routes I've had were in the general vicinity of the warehouse so they weren't bad.. the last was spread out pretty good... tried hard but unsuccessfully to drop last one off and had to circle back :-(


----------



## biwondabi1 (Oct 20, 2016)

I once had a re-attempt delivery where there was a note left saying "cannot deliver, there is a dog in the front yard." 

It was a normal sized box, and i parked outside an out-of-the-way house that had a mailbox and a giant front yard. the box was just a little too big to fit inside the mailbox. Upon scanning the front yard, I saw a beastly huge dog with a bright pink leash next to the front door in the far distance. 

Assuming it was safe, I proceeded to walk into the yard, and halfway through..this beastly dog's twin brother comes running at me, and it looked hungry for human flesh. I ran as fast as I could back to my car, cursing at my bad luck, and the inaccuracy of the previous driver's note.


----------



## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

Note that it's actually illegal to put things into mailboxes (and Amazon tells us this).


----------



## sofla11 (Aug 21, 2014)

flexology said:


> If a customer hung up on me without giving me the gate code I really think that would've been about it for that delivery/package.


I had this happen once, arrived at an attended delivery and no one answered the door, even though I could hear people inside. So I called, and before I could say anything, the woman starts yelling at me to take her off the call list... she is just going off and I can't even say anything before she hangs up on me. So I decided to call back and this time I tried to tell her who I was and why I was calling before she could say anything. No such luck. She wouldn't let me speak, she just continued yelling and screaming. Packages went back to the warehouse.


----------



## raiders44 (Oct 13, 2016)

biwondabi1 said:


> I once had a re-attempt delivery where there was a note left saying "cannot deliver, there is a dog in the front yard."
> 
> It was a normal sized box, and i parked outside an out-of-the-way house that had a mailbox and a giant front yard. the box was just a little too big to fit inside the mailbox. Upon scanning the front yard, I saw a beastly huge dog with a bright pink leash next to the front door in the far distance.
> 
> Assuming it was safe, I proceeded to walk into the yard, and halfway through..this beastly dog's twin brother comes running at me, and it looked hungry for human flesh. I ran as fast as I could back to my car, cursing at my bad luck, and the inaccuracy of the previous driver's note.


The notes from other drivers show up on the app?

I thought it was only for you in case you deliver to that same location in the future.


----------



## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

raiders44 said:


> The notes from other drivers show up on the app?
> 
> I thought it was only for you in case you deliver to that same location in the future.


 I think he is saying there was an actual note on the box. I have gotten deliveries where someone write on the box an issue. Like one said "Missing apartment number"


----------



## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

biwondabi1 said:


> It was a normal sized box, and i parked outside an out-of-the-way house that had a mailbox and a giant front yard. the box was just a little too big to fit inside the mailbox


Against federal law to deliver to a mailbox unless you are an employee of USPS.

That said some people are buying seperate mailboxes just for packages.


----------



## raiders44 (Oct 13, 2016)

Shangsta said:


> I think he is saying there was an actual note on the box. I have gotten deliveries where someone write on the box an issue. Like one said "Missing apartment number"


Got it. This reminds me I have to get those "we missesd you" stickies from the warehouse on my next block


----------



## biwondabi1 (Oct 20, 2016)

Well, no, it was not a sticky post-it note. Whenever I have those, I take them off at the warehouse. It was left on the app. I believe you can leave notes for other drivers. I just wish we said there were 2 dogs, I can only assume he saw the same one leashed. That's pretty sadistic of that house owner. Those dogs were huge and scary, not some large pet dog. I'm talking like, bloodthirsty wolf.


----------



## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

More of a complaint than strange this time but...

Just when I thought I'd seen all the things going through residential security checkpoints would throw at me, this one takes the cake.
Pull up to the shack, and lady asks for addresses. Ok, that happens sometimes. But then....she CALLS them. Apparently they have to get the ok from the customer to actually let us in. And one of them didn't answer. On top of that, the security guard had to come over and check the packages. After trying again (I guess) they gave me, apparently, a pass to deliver to one of the addresses. I go in and deliver to the 'bad' one first, head over to the other one...guard comes over and tells me they are allowing me to deliver to the other one. That's right, they actually were specifically not letting me go to the other one until they contacted the customers. W.T.F.
Asked if UPS got the same treatment and she took an attitude of all "you're not the same service" and "you're not even wearing a uniform" as if that should matter.

As if that wasn't enough, though, I finish and head across the street and....same thing. Have to call each customer -- there were seven of them this time. Took probably fricken 20 minutes sitting there waiting for them to allow me in. Of course the SAME security guard had to come check my packages too. Even had to pull up to let someone else in because "they were going to miss their plane" (or something).

Oh well, I did discover a new donut place so...yay I guess?


----------



## Uber48208 (May 4, 2016)

Great example of why I'm still a rookie and wet behind the ears... I'd have popped out the first package to the gate attendant and if the streets were different, I wouldn't have even thought twice to look at the map and realize there were others in the complex...

Then again, that might have been a blessing as I'd have delivered to first, then carried on and had security stop me as I was cruising through sub... they're not going to want to cause a scene in the middle of the neighborhood at that point, right?


----------



## cruz9009 (Aug 17, 2016)

CatchyMusicLover said:


> More of a complaint than strange this time but...
> 
> Just when I thought I'd seen all the things going through residential security checkpoints would throw at me, this one takes the cake.
> Pull up to the shack, and lady asks for addresses. Ok, that happens sometimes. But then....she CALLS them. Apparently they have to get the ok from the customer to actually let us in. And one of them didn't answer. On top of that, the security guard had to come over and check the packages. After trying again (I guess) they gave me, apparently, a pass to deliver to one of the addresses. I go in and deliver to the 'bad' one first, head over to the other one...guard comes over and tells me they are allowing me to deliver to the other one. That's right, they actually were specifically not letting me go to the other one until they contacted the customers. W.T.F.
> ...


that must be in the the henderson/anthem area .


----------



## konoplya (Apr 16, 2016)

- pulled up to a guy's house, he's in the garage doing something. i get out of the car and as i'm walking towards my trunk i ask if his name is so and so.. he's hesitant and asks who i am. i said i have a package from amazon. his attitude lightens up and he said that the last time someone pulled up in a reflector vest and asked for his name, he got served papers and did 6 months in jail.

- ran over a stray chihuahua

- had a gun pulled on my car in a shit neighborhood

- almost got attacked by two pitbulls running amock on the street

- some trailer park owner/biker guy tried to pick a fight with me because he needed to know wtf i was doing on his property

- recently got fed tacos and beans by a nice mexican family as i delivered to them

- pissed off some old hag of a postal worker by doing something that i don't know what

- some entitled minimum wage leasing agent demanded that i give her my manager's number lol.. i said i don't give out my number and left

- petted plenty of goats delivering to farm communities

- neighbors regularly try to flag me down after i deliver to someone on their block.. i never stop, except one time this old dude in a wheelchair rolled up so i was trying to be nice and told him about what i did


----------



## jester121 (Sep 6, 2016)

konoplya said:


> - some entitled minimum wage leasing agent demanded that i give her my manager's number lol.. i said i don't give out my number and left


It's 1-888-AMAZON.COM right?


----------



## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

Okay two odd things today.

First address : Show up to a post modern house with glass windows everywhere. On my way to the front door, look to my left and guy is completely naked walking thru his house. When he saw me he jumped and ran off.

Second address: Find a secluded apartment and guy lives on the second floor. I knock, and stick the package inside the door well. Some early 20s kid who looks like he has never seen light before grabs the package and says thanks. He pauses and starts lecturing me about leaving packages at the door had he not been there. I am ready to give him attitude due to his condescending tone but then I catch on he may have asphbergers (sp), I just walked away and got back to work.

Unrelated day, I was delivering in awful pouring rain and some older white guy was sitting on his porch with his dog. He ended up reaching into his wallet and handed me a one dollar bill. It wasnt much but doing logistics any tip is a bonus.


----------

