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But I don't want things delivered to my doorstep, and I doubt I am the only one. I am rarely home during the day (I work) and I don't like having expensive ite

• mikeash 13y ago
  I wonder if package depositories will become as ubiquitous as regular mailboxes in time. I sort of have this already. I'm in a newly built neighborhood, and the mailboxes are all in groups. There's a bunch of big boxes each containing 12-15 small mailboxes, one per house. Each big box also contains one or two larger mailboxes for packages. When I get a package that doesn't fit in the small letter box, the mailman puts it in one of the package boxes, then puts the key in my mailbox. Some clever mechanical design makes it so that the key can't be removed from the package lock once inserted, and so it stays there to be recovered and reused by the mailman. There are two problems with this approach: 1. The package box is still fairly small, so bigger items have to go the more traditional route. 2. Much more importantly, since it's with the mailboxes, only the USPS can use them. UPS, FedEx, and others are stuck with the more traditional approach. Still, it's a start. With the massive increase in packages being delivered perhaps it will become more common.
• ydant 13y ago
  Amazon Locker is almost that service (it's not drive-through). Most of the locations seem to be inside 7-11 stores, but it's just what you describe - walk in, type in or scan your code, pick up your package.