Quote:
Originally Posted by Erasmo
Dunno about that, for what I've heard in the US they just leave your package at the front door if you aren't home. As far as jobs go, are you also against street lights that aren't lit by hand?
Anyway, urban delivery by bike is nothing new, about 90% of the urban mail here is delivered by bike, either pedal or moped.
Mercedes has an interesting vision for their future deliveries:
https://youtu.be/ve63xdzc3hg |
As a 18 year letter carrier from the Post Office let me give you the scoop. First, the person mailing the package is technically the customer. The one receiving the package has not paid the post office a dime directly. So the customer, the #1 being Amazon, has instructed the USPS to deliver the package no matter what.
We get way more complaints on a package not being left, then we do on one being left when the person didn't want it left. So same thing back at these companies. They would rather resend a stolen package then have a culture where their customers have to drive to the PO or the UPS hub and pick up their stuff. At that point the customers will just go to the Walmart down the street to get their goods.
I'm all for automation but drones are a long way off. Don't you think a ground robot will come before a flying one? The first step will probably be a driverless van, but with a person inside to actually run the package to the door. Even that is years off still. I will be long retired before my job is ever eliminated by a machine. I'm also positive those people on my route who were alive when I was there will miss the days of when they did get service with a smile from me