Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves • Hacker News Board

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#131

Post by slig » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 4:13 PM UTC

TheLoneAdmin wrote: post #117

Hmm, I'd be worried about retribution. Spread glitter in someone's car, they might come back and torch your house. Assuming they can remember where they grabbed the package from.

I'd be worried as well. Even if the criminals didn't remember where they got the package, now the video is going viral and it looks like the shows his home address on a map.

Edit: as someone pointed out it's not his address. I just re-watched the video and it's written on the map that it's not actually his house address.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#132

Post by wiredfool » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 4:13 PM UTC

MagicPropmaker wrote: post #86

vorpalhex wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stealing (physically at least) is a stupid way to make money. A $200 game console will hardly net a thief $50. There are a lot of issues in my city with the less fortunate stealing items to make some small money - bikes are a common target. It neither really helps the thief, and it's very unfortunate for the person stolen from.

In California, thefts of under $950 are not felony crimes. And there's no more "three strikes". So you can steal packages for a living and, at worst, have to spend a week or two in jail over the course of a year. Not a bad living.

And occasionally, the packages contain runny used cat litter.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#133

Post by dec0dedab0de » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 4:13 PM UTC

chrisseaton wrote: post #82

mcphage wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Generally because people don't want it. Shipping used to be a lot stricter about signatures, etc, but people usually aren't home when the packages get delivered, and package theft isn't a significant enough problem to make the extra security worth the inconvenience.

> package theft isn't a significant enough problem This guy had his package stolen many times in a short space of time. Seems like the problem is pretty bad?

The United States is big, with many different areas that have different levels of crime. Sometimes with affluent areas in walking distance of destitute areas, which is a whole other problem. One location being robbed repeatedly is not surprising, and not significant. If it were, Amazon would be requiring signatures instead of just sending you another one when something goes missing.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#134

Post by vhodges » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 4:13 PM UTC

mcphage wrote: post #74

ragebol wrote: post #61

In the Netherlands, when I order a package and no one's at home when it's delivered, it either gets delivered to my neighbors or to the post office, with a note of where to pick it up. It's never left at my door AFAIK. How is this not an option in the US?

Generally because people don't want it. Shipping used to be a lot stricter about signatures, etc, but people usually aren't home when the packages get delivered, and package theft isn't a significant enough problem to make the extra security worth the inconvenience.

I am home during the day (yay remote work!) but they (UPS) give a quick knock and set the package down and go to leave. Genuinely shocked when I open the door.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#135

Post by learc83 » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 4:13 PM UTC

johnlp wrote: post #69

ragebol wrote: post #61

In the Netherlands, when I order a package and no one's at home when it's delivered, it either gets delivered to my neighbors or to the post office, with a note of where to pick it up. It's never left at my door AFAIK. How is this not an option in the US?

It is depending on your location and which carrier is delivering the package. In a city you wouldn't typically see the package left on the doorstep. However out in the suburbs they get left as there is still a peculiar notion of wholesomeness.

>there is still a peculiar notion of wholesomeness

It's less to do with wholesomeness than it is with a lower population density (there's also a lower crime rate in general in the suburbs, though it's less of a difference than it was 25 years ago).

In the suburbs you have far fewer people walking past your doorstep--fewer crimes of opportunity. You're also much more likely to be noticed as being out of place if you're driving around a quiet neighborhood looking for packages.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#136

Post by aqme28 » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 4:13 PM UTC

kaivi wrote: post #101

cosmotron wrote: post #73

What are people's thoughts on if this is staged? Considering the views / subscriptions are the main motivation here, it might justify the expenses poured into this project – that is, it would be quite a waste if all that effort went into the build just to have no one actually take it off the porch. If actors were used, it would explain the lack of police involvement (it's easy to say, "police weren't interested" ). A…

I've had the same thought when I first saw it. Some suspicious things: thieves talking to themselves, that lady throwing the box into her own garbage bin, zero attempt at disassembly or closer inspection of the box, no police involved. Also GPS is just not that good for locating anything of that size in given circumstances, and it would not have worked in the parking garage. Too many things could have gone wrong here…

>Too many things could have gone wrong here, but they did not. The design is subpar in my opinion, for somebody who worked on a Mars rover. Custom printed board plus a bunch of smartphones, seriously?

What would you propose? The best design is often the easiest/cheapest one, and this looks like pretty simple.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#137

Post by alexandercrohde » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 4:14 PM UTC

TheLoneAdmin wrote: post #117

Hmm, I'd be worried about retribution. Spread glitter in someone's car, they might come back and torch your house. Assuming they can remember where they grabbed the package from.

Well, he has video of their faces, and possibly where they live, plus security cameras, so at least they'd get life or worse if they did.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#138

Post by mcv » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 4:14 PM UTC

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #36

electrograv wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know "theft traps" are not legal (even ultimately harmless ones, like the paintball idea mentioned above), but for some reason it feels bizarrely backwards (or ironic?) that a proportionately harmless response to a thief (caught in the act) would be more likely to see prosecution than the act of theft itself.

> it seems oddly ironic that a proportionately harmless response to a thief (caught in the act) would be more likely to see prosecution than the act of theft itself. In certain jurisdictions the ideological pendulum (closely followed by official public policy) has swung a little too far toward idea that criminals have no agency and are victims of an unfair system that forces them to commit crime to get by and that pr…

If locking up the criminal will only make it worse, then do something else. Take the crime as an opportunity to remove them from their criminal environment. Or let them do community service. There are tons of better options than locking people up.

But intentionally doing nothing about theft is just harmful. It rewards the crime and breeds vigilantism.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#139

Post by wycy » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 4:14 PM UTC

chrisseaton wrote: post #35

I don't understand why the delivery people just leave packages on porches? Why not leave somewhere safe and out of view? Or leave it with a neighbour?

It does seem like our package receiving system needs updating in light of the huge rise in package deliveries. Maybe it's time everyone should have a large package delivery box similar to a mailbox where packages can be securely deposited out of view.

Re: Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves

#140

Post by vorpalhex » Tue, Dec 18, 2018, 4:14 PM UTC

MagicPropmaker wrote: post #86

vorpalhex wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stealing (physically at least) is a stupid way to make money. A $200 game console will hardly net a thief $50. There are a lot of issues in my city with the less fortunate stealing items to make some small money - bikes are a common target. It neither really helps the thief, and it's very unfortunate for the person stolen from.

In California, thefts of under $950 are not felony crimes. And there's no more "three strikes". So you can steal packages for a living and, at worst, have to spend a week or two in jail over the course of a year. Not a bad living.

If I paid you $200, would you spend two weeks in jail?

If getting that $200 meant risk to you (someone confronting you, someone else taking your money, risk of an officer giving you a beat down), would you still take it?

It doesn't take a lot of risk to offset the "value" of stealing $950 labeled-worth goods (which will net you <$250 in cash).