I think there's a thief around here...

[Owlie]

I'm so sorry. My BFF recently discovered that their house had been burglarized after throwing change into a container in her bedroom (she's been saving for a trip to the UK next Spring) and realizing that the can was empty. She then found that several things in her home were missing...2 guns, $200 in a piggy bank belonging to her kids, and a fire safe under their bed that held documents, including birth certs., soc. sec. cards, and passports.

She is freaked out, especially because it was only a few months ago that someone tried to break in while she was home. She thinks this recent theft must have required watching for her to leave...and someone who had seen her kids grab the spare key kept near the front door, since the house was never obviously forced open.

I am very paranoid about packages on our stoop (we live in sight of an income-qualification apartment complex) and our garage full of bikes.

Holy cow. Hopefully she's gotten the locks changed and everything.

Unfortunately, we don't have a central office, as such. Well, they'll take signature-required packages, and UPS will drop them off there if you ask. I don't see a way to direct FedEx to do such a thing, or USPS. I miss my old place in Cleveland--the mailboxes locked (here, they're on the ground floor and unlocked), and it was a little harder to just walk by and swipe stuff...

I think I'm just going to direct all non-urgent packages (so, non-textbooks, if I need any during the rest of the year) to my parents' house.

[feral1]

I get everything shipped to work for that very reason

[zoom-zoom]

Holy cow. Hopefully she's gotten the locks changed and everything.

Yup, but now she's terrified. Her hubby is going out of town for a few days and they live in BFE...and now she doesn't have either of their handguns. The state police were at her house to dust for prints, but haven't found anything to go on, yet.

[bmccasland]

Been working for the same company for the past 9 years - in New Orleans they wouldn't allow personal deliveries to the office, here in Seattle, no problem. Go figure the different policies. Given the opportunity, I've always had things delivered at work. Shipping to a busines address is less expensive too. In N.O. I wound up having my packages sent a commercial mailbox place - I would ship from there, and for a nominal fee they'd accept delivery of packages. Seemed to solve the problem of boxes sitting out on my front porch.

[jyyanks]

I'm so sorry! Your best best is to have packages shipped to your parents home so you don't have to stress about it.

We actually befriended our UPS guy and he leaves packages for us either in the back of the house (hidden under our patio set) or sometimes with my (very nice) neighbor who is a teacher and is usually home form work when he comes.