peak .. night delivery

clean hairy

Well-Known Member
I had every driver's nightmare one Christmas Eve about 35 years ago. If it looked like a Christmas gift, we had to make an attempt on it. The latter part of my day, I found it, wrapped in brown paper (they allowed it back then) hand lettered to Grandma, no less. Not only was it out of my area, but it was even past our building's boundary. We usually all carried key maps back then. (a book sized map that had every street in the city of Houston, and even the county on the fringes. Looked it up. There was the street. It was in Porter, TX., way back in the boonies. It was probably a 40 minute drive one way for my helper and myself. Got to the house around 10:30pm, and it looked like a light was on inside. Had a fence around the yard and I was kinda leery about going up to a house in the middle of nowhere at that hour. I wasn't going back with this package, however. Signatures were required back then. I honked the horn once, then again, longer. Finally a porch light came on and a little old lady came out about and she looked to be about 80 years old. She got to the PC and I showed her the box. It was from her grandchildren. She said she thought they had forgotten about her. She started crying. I got her to sign, turned around and drove back to the center. I have to admit My helper and I both had something in our eyes. Must have been the dust from that old dirt road. lol. I punched out a little before midnight, and everybody was gone from the center when I got back. You know, it was worth it to me to see that little old lady's eyes light up. Sorry for the long post.
Making 1 Customer like her happy should be what makes the late nights during the holiday season worth it!
 

CoolArrow

Well-Known Member
I had every driver's nightmare one Christmas Eve about 35 years ago. If it looked like a Christmas gift, we had to make an attempt on it. The latter part of my day, I found it, wrapped in brown paper (they allowed it back then) hand lettered to Grandma, no less. Not only was it out of my area, but it was even past our building's boundary. We usually all carried key maps back then. (a book sized map that had every street in the city of Houston, and even the county on the fringes. Looked it up. There was the street. It was in Porter, TX., way back in the boonies. It was probably a 40 minute drive one way for my helper and myself. Got to the house around 10:30pm, and it looked like a light was on inside. Had a fence around the yard and I was kinda leery about going up to a house in the middle of nowhere at that hour. I wasn't going back with this package, however. Signatures were required back then. I honked the horn once, then again, longer. Finally a porch light came on and a little old lady came out about and she looked to be about 80 years old. She got to the PC and I showed her the box. It was from her grandchildren. She said she thought they had forgotten about her. She started crying. I got her to sign, turned around and drove back to the center. I have to admit My helper and I both had something in our eyes. Must have been the dust from that old dirt road. lol. I punched out a little before midnight, and everybody was gone from the center when I got back. You know, it was worth it to me to see that little old lady's eyes light up. Sorry for the long post.

Glad it wasn't a box full of sex toys.
 

Dr.Brownz

Well-Known Member
I stop ringing doorbells after about 7 - 730 unless the house is lit up inside. After that I just knock if its questionable. I'll let the truck idle for longer or slam the passenger door open once its dark so people are more likely to hear it and figure out whats going on
 

BrownThunder

Well-Known Member
Rang the doorbell last night at 7:59pm, got back in the truck and heard off in the distance "wassup homie?" In a ghetto slurred speech. I figure ok maybe this convo has nothing to do with me. I hear it again.... I look out... He's coming towards my truck. I say "wassup" and come all the way out of the cargo area. He's like "you rang my doorbell homie, I don't answer the door when it's dark". I said I understand, had a package for you and didn't want it stolen. He said "das wassup, good lookin homie".

My ass de-puckers and I go on with my resi run. I thought that was about to go sideways on me.

My take-away? Buy a huge Maglite just incase its clobbering time
 

FrigidFTSup

Resident Suit
Rang the doorbell last night at 7:59pm, got back in the truck and heard off in the distance "wassup homie?" In a ghetto slurred speech. I figure ok maybe this convo has nothing to do with me. I hear it again.... I look out... He's coming towards my truck. I say "wassup" and come all the way out of the cargo area. He's like "you rang my doorbell homie, I don't answer the door when it's dark". I said I understand, had a package for you and didn't want it stolen. He said "das wassup, good lookin homie".

My ass de-puckers and I go on with my resi run. I thought that was about to go sideways on me.

My take-away? Buy a huge Maglite just incase its clobbering time
Homie just wanted to see whats good.
 

Covemastah

Hoopah drives the boat Chief !!
10 degrees out on Christmas Eve ,, 9pm and knock on this Griswalds door ,, he comes to door in ugly sweater and an apron and says "keepin Yah busy " ??
God I wanted to slap him and his whole Norman Rockwell family !!!
Lol. It's all part of the job!!
 

sailfish

Master of Karate and Friendship for Everyone
What the hell is all this 11, 12, 1am stuff? Is your start time noon? That being said, no, I never knock or ring doorbells for non-sig deliveries. Period.
 

AllOnTheHorses

Well-Known Member
What the hell is all this 11, 12, 1am stuff? Is your start time noon? That being said, no, I never knock or ring doorbells for non-sig deliveries. Period.
in my case, the worst of late delivery was my last peak.. when I had a route that I started cold.. never ran it before but had to figure it out during peak.. that sucked.. rural.. hills, GPS was very spotty and inaccurate, no numbers.. even numbers out of order.. very narrow roads with deep ditches on both sides.. treacherous route when dark, wet or icy. Luckily I ended up with a helper that lived in that area.. but it was long cold days for much of it.. came in close to 11pm for much of it. BUT, I know it now.. and learned how to divide the route to take care of those dangerous areas early.

edit.. one thing I really hated was sheeting a stop as no-such-number.. since addresses were out of order on many roads.. eventually friend'ing OMS would call and say, Hey I found that house.. so I'd have to go back and deliver to some wickdeed schmuck that didn't have a number on his mailbox or house.
 
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Waste Manager

Active Member
So hard to believe this company continues to chant the ''last top of day most important BS''..
Peak a few years ago..had to call a missed delivery due to volume..woman was livid..the pkg was ''from Santa''..(it was after Xmas already)...she screamed about it not getting delvd etc..and hung up..
Went home and thought about it..being a small town..looked up the name, and called again..this time I got Grandma...I proposed to pretend to be Mrs Claus..and explain to little Johnny that I had been cleaning out Santa's sleigh..and found his present..and I would be sending out to him the next day in a brown truck cuz Santa was still resting from the big nite..Gma bit..and I explained to the kid..he was overjoyed to be getting a phone call from the North Pole..kept asking if I knew what it was..no..it was in a brown box to protect it..
..Gma thanked me and hung up..I checked the next day..kid signed for it..hopefully, made his day..and Gma..and his mother?..I'll never know..
 

hellfire

no one considers UPS people."real" Teamsters.-BUG
So hard to believe this company continues to chant the ''last top of day most important BS''..
Peak a few years ago..had to call a missed delivery due to volume..woman was livid..the pkg was ''from Santa''..(it was after Xmas already)...she screamed about it not getting delvd etc..and hung up..
Went home and thought about it..being a small town..looked up the name, and called again..this time I got Grandma...I proposed to pretend to be Mrs Claus..and explain to little Johnny that I had been cleaning out Santa's sleigh..and found his present..and I would be sending out to him the next day in a brown truck cuz Santa was still resting from the big nite..Gma bit..and I explained to the kid..he was overjoyed to be getting a phone call from the North Pole..kept asking if I knew what it was..no..it was in a brown box to protect it..
..Gma thanked me and hung up..I checked the next day..kid signed for it..hopefully, made his day..and Gma..and his mother?..I'll never know..
they called in a complaint about some weirdo with a strange voice
 
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