Watching my neighbor's mail pile up for two weeks made me rethink porch pirates

I work nights and sleep during the day, so I noticed this stack of mail and packages sitting on my neighbor's porch for almost two weeks straight back in March. Turns out they were on vacation and didn't think to have anyone pick stuff up. Three Amazon boxes and what looked like a prescription bottle just sitting there in plain view. Has anyone else ever timed how long it takes for a package to get swiped around here?

3 comments

3 Comments

baker.holly1mo ago

My neighbor did the exact same thing last summer, left a stack of mail for 9 days while they went to the beach. I finally grabbed the prescription bottle and stuck it in my mailbox because the sun was literally cooking it. The delivery driver must have been new because they kept leaving stuff even after the porch got full. I timed it once out of curiosity and a USPS flat rate box sat there for 11 hours before someone nabbed it. What surprises me is that you think porch pirates are the main risk here, not the mail carrier just marking stuff delivered and walking off with it?

max_hernandez271mo ago

Did you ever report it to the postmaster? That usually gets them to stop faking deliveries.

karenb971mo ago

Hold on @max_hernandez27, I get your point about shady carriers but in my experience porch pirates are way more common around here. I watched a guy walk up and grab a neighbor's package within 20 minutes of delivery once, broad daylight and everything. That prescription bottle thing baker.holly mentioned is wild though, good on you for grabbing it. I'd still take a slow delivery driver over someone who actually steals from your front step any day, your mileage may vary.