I watched an Uber driver drop off food at someone's front door...

then get back in his car and drive off.
What a poor business model. Surely they can knock and let the person know their food is here?
Seems like we, the public are allowing reduced service.
I suppose that the recipient can track when the driver has arrived?

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swirlie · 31-35, F

I looked into this. I called FedEx and asked them why no doorbell ring?

I was told that delivery personnel are specially told to NOT ring the bell for three reason:

1) It takes extra time to ring the bell. Time is money x 50 deliveries per day.

2) Ringing the bell activates a doorbell camera and now their image is captured in the database of the doorbell camera which is located in two places... the doorbell sim card within the home and the mainframe computer at the doorbell camera manufacturer's facility and available only to police.

3) Many incidents of accidental murder have been logged as a result of the driver ringing the doorbell, where the homeowner (in the USA only) has fired their gun through their wooden front door at whomever was ringing their bell and waking them up in the middle of the day if they worked the night shift. This has happened literally hundreds of times across the USA where the person ringing or knocking was a kid delivering newspapers. Americans also shoot at people who turn their car around in the homeowner's driveway.

Using these 3 issues stated, FedEx decided to make it company policy to not ring the bell or knock on the door, but instead send an electronic notice to the recipient that their box delivery was on the front porch.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@swirlie Hmmm.

That anyone is likely to be shot in cold blood, through the door, without identity or questions, is horrifying!

Why though, I wonder, might the Police be interested in likely poor-quality snap-shots of delivery drivers?

And more to the point, I wonder why Fed-Ex is so worried about that?

swirlie · 31-35, F

@ArishMell
No, let me back up. I think you're missing the point here.

Americans getting shot through the front door is a regular occurrence in the USA. There are more dead Girl Guides selling cookies door to door in America than there are FedEx delivery drivers, let me put it that way... and that is totally okay with Americans.

Police are not interested in a snap shot of a delivery driver. Every time a doorbell with a camera is activated, the person's picture gets taken. The only time the police get involved is through a subpoena from the courts for the doorbell company to release the video records if an abduction or a murder has taken place at the home in question.

Anyone who's picture is taken remains in a permanent database that is available to police, which many delivery companies view as an invasion of personal privacy for their employees. Therefore, to avoid getting your picture taken, DO NOT ring the door bell.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@swirlie I see. Thankyou for explaining it.

Bit skewed though, if the delivery companies worry more about the privacy than the lives of their employees (or "self-employees"?).

Are camera-fitted bells available that do not transmit their images anywhere outside the home? Or use no radio link at all but are hard-wired to the screen in the house?