We live in a multi-building apartment and online delivery is stressing me out.

[LisaM]

The problem is that we are in what could be considered the main building (there are three buildings) and delivery people who clearly don't know where to go are wandering around asking directions from us while we are trying to be mindful of our spacing. Yesterday a clearly stressed woman with three bags of groceries was unable to reach her delivery recipient by phone and walked right up to us for directions while we were returning from our daily walk where we were keeping a 12-foot distance from everyone and not engaging in conversation.

We also have delivery people sneaking into our (secure and locked) lobby and dropping things off no matter which building the recipient lives in because they either don't know where to go or can't contact the recipient directly, so that's fifty packages, with the potential for fifty people coming into our main lobby and creating contact.

i get that people want things delivered, but PLEASE BE AVAILABLE to get things delivered to where you live. I stressed all afternoon because of the woman with Whole Foods bags who walked right up to and next to us for about 100 feet because her delivery recipient wouldn't answer the phone.

Those of use who live in apartments are dealing with a set of challenges people who live in single-family homes aren't. Please be mindful.

[customerserviceguy]

1. If I were in your situation

I wouldn't go out until most deliveries were done for the day. Yes, you want to exercise for health, but it doesn't sound very healthy where you live. I'd have little to no hope about changing your neighbors' behavior.

[LisaM]

2. There is no set delivery time.

Also, this was a Sunday and we were going in through our parking garage, NOT the main entrance.

I get your larger point about delivery hours, but this wasn't through USPS or anything, it seemed like a gig worker who was lost.

But the overall thing is, people who are staying in place and ordering online really need to own the pickup end of it. Why should I have been put in this position because someone wouldn't answer the phone?

[appalachiablue]

3. Your management would put the word out to residents who've

ordered and are acting irresponsibly about deliveries I would think. It's unfair to the occupants and the delivery people. Many multi unit residential communities do get involved with these kinds of affairs as you likely know.

[LisaM]

4. I mentioned it on our online portal too.

I posted it here because I thought that there might be other people here ordering things online and putting other people in the position of dealing with the delivery.

[Jamastiene]

10. Yeah, I was getting ready to point out that delivery times

nowadays can be as late as 10 or 11 at night or even on Sundays sometimes and that includes my local USPS delivering packages on Sundays at times.

[customerserviceguy]

13. It is not fair

but people often appear irresponsible when trying to deal with a new normal. Maybe they're working from home, and are on a call, or a virtual meeting. My guess is that they're mostly uninformed as to how their behavior is impacting others. It might be good for your building management to send out some guidelines in a friendly but firm way.

Telling them that you'll hold them responsible might move them to communicate the needs of tenants like you to those oblivious to side effects of the other tenants who are clueless.

[Phoenix61]

5. Sounds like some additional signage could

be helpful. I’ve delivered pizzas and it’s amazing how many apartment buildings make it really difficult to find a particular unit.

[LisaM]

6. I do get that end of it.

But in this case, the person wasn't answering the phone! I mean, who does that?

[customerserviceguy]

15. Somebody trying too hard to multitask

I'm retired, and could wait all day for a delivery, but surely some of these neighbors are trying to work from home, and this is the only way they can get things during the day.

My heart does go out to you, my lady and I are so very happy to be rid of the condo in NY that we sold last year.

[cwydro]

7. I could never stand living in an apartment/condo setting.

I feel your pain.

Maybe get some signs put up? Maybe even that if delivery people can’t reach the recipients then the deliveries will be returned?

I feel bad for the delivery folks though.

[LisaM]

8. Believe me, I'd far rather not be in an apartment.

We live in Seattle and for years had a small rental house with a yard. But the "density is great" crowd has taken over, there is no rent control in Washington state, the small rental houses that used to dot the city are gone, tech workers are being attracted here faster than they can be housed and the city doesn't do anything about it. Our choice was to basically downsize to an apartment or move outside the city, and the latter was not really an option for now.

I have railed against density for a while, but now we can really see the bad effects of it - especially in NYC.

[cwydro]

9. God yes.

I probably would really hate it now all this is going on.

I visited Seattle last year for the first time. Pretty city, but the homeless encampments every time I turned a corner shocked me. I rode a bike or a scooter pretty much everywhere, so I kept bumping into them.

[LisaM]

14. Scooters?

I've been relieved that we haven't been infested with them after butting up against them in San Diego a couple of years ago.

[cwydro]

16. Yeah, the ones you put your feet on and stand up.

Unbelievable I didn’t kill myself. I used the bikes the most, or walked.

Took the ferry over to the navy place. Gorgeous weather the whole time I was there.

[LisaM]

17. For some reason, they allow bikes on the sidewalk here.

As a pedestrian, I've felt like a second-class citizen downtown lately, bikes whizzing by, the occasional scooter (not many, luckily), monowheels, and of course skateboards. I have to have my head on a swivel just to step out of my building to do an errand.

[cwydro]

18. Yeah, I found that odd.

I did ride on the sidewalk, but I stopped when I saw pedestrians and walked.

I loved the library there!

[MissB]

11. It's not rude to just tell them to stop as they approach you.

Really- it’s fine to just shout out- please stay 6’ away at least!

You don’t even have to be polite about it.

[LisaM]

12. Of course, but people catch you off guard.

Really, the person at fault here is the person.who put in the order and then became unavailable.

That put the delivery.person and us into this spot. Package delivery is a problem here at the best of times, but this just took the cake.