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Postal Service enables porch pirates; wallet is returned
dennis Wyatt web
Dennis Wyatt

Paula Elias has a feel good story to share about people who went out of their way to make things right.

Teri Yaw has a “you’ve got to be kidding” story involving the United States Postal Service.

First, you need to read Yaw’s story so when you read Elias’ you can take comfort in the fact that acts of kindness by individuals can keep you on even keel after dealing with bureaucratic madness.

Yaw lives on Wawona Street and become a victim of the growing legion of porch pirates thanks to a Postal Service policy.

Here’s Yaw’s story in her own words:

“I was given a delivery date of June 19 for a Roomba vacuum (the top of the line model).  The item was ordered from eBay by my son as a gift to me, so the delivery date and tracking information said delivery of June 19.  The evening of the 19th we had still not received the item.  I called my son to have him check on the tracking number.  He did and reported back to me that the item had been delivered on the 13th.  

“Well, the 13th was my birthday and I was not at home.  I certainly was not at home waiting on a package that was due to be delivered 6 days later.  I went to the post office (both sites in Manteca), they checked the tracking number information and said that it had indeed been delivered on the 13th.  The carrier was spoken to and he remembered leaving the package on the porch.  The supervisor at the annex told me that it is “policy” for the drivers to leave packages on porches when no one answers the door.  

“This same supervisor told me that the cluster mail box just across the street from my address had just been broken into and robbed the previous week.  And yet, with all the rampant thievery going on all across the nation, let alone Manteca, it is policy to just leave packages on porches.  We too have a cluster mailbox that has two larger package sections.  These 2 sections have been broken/unusable for at least 25 years.  They have never been looked at to my knowledge to be fixed or replaced.  

“How is the replacement of this item not the responsibility of the USPS?  We did everything that we were required to do.  It is my belief that the post office is negligent in my case and all cases involving packages stolen from porches that were left unattended by postal carriers.  I filed an incident report with the police department.  I have filed a claim with the USPS.  I am getting the run-around by the USPS.  We are about to NEVER use the USPS again for package deliveries.  UPS and FedEx will not drop off packages without someone answering the door.  If no one is home they leave a note and either redeliver or we pick it up from them.  

“This is a huge national problem.  The post office’s response so far has been ridiculous and maddening.  None of this would have happened if the driver had just put the package back in his truck and delivered it the next day.  I just want my birthday gift from my son.”


And now Elias’s story:

“A huge thank you to Brian and his wife at the produce stand on Yosemite on the left hand side after passing Austin Road going east.  

“(A week ago) Sunday I purchased his usual best tasting strawberries and more at their fruit stand.  I then went to El Pollo Loco to grab lunch.  The next day I couldn’t find my wallet and I thought I had left it in a produce bag with chicken bones which went out in my garbage earlier that same day.  I didn’t think I left my wallet at Brian’s as I bought lunch afterwards. I was so sure I cancelled my cards and set up an appointment at DMV for a real ID.  

“And then, I got a call from Capital One, I love that credit card company, that someone found my wallet.  It was Brian. He left this number for me to call.  He said he tried to find me on Facebook, but I use my maiden name.  I went to the stand to meet Brian and he had my wallet with everything in it!  

“Brian and his wife wouldn’t take money as a thank you and finally agreed I could buy them lunch ONLY one day.  How wonderful of Brian and his wife.  I got my wallet and now have made new friends.  Please thank Brian and his wife for me when you buy their produce. They really have the sweetest strawberries.  I am sure lucky they live in our town. It dawned on me: I used a gift card at El Pollo Loco so I didn’t have my wallet then. I am a dork.  A lucky dork.  Thanks for your support!”