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When a Bike Company Put a TV on Its Box, Shipping Damages Went Down (2017)

bicycling.com

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Re: When a Bike Company Put a TV on Its Box, Shipping Damages Went Down (2017)

#111

I've always been curious about the shipping process. I have met or know 7 people who work/worked at the shipping hub in my city. I always ask them how the packages are handled. Every one of them said that they (and all of their coworkers) handle all packages on a scale ranging from rough to purposefully damaging. One guy told me how he targets boxes marked Fragile for extra abuse when he's exhausted/angry/having a ba…

> One guy gleefully told me how he targets boxes marked Fragile for extra abuse! A close friend who owns a UPS franchise warned me of this behavior and advised against placing any indication of fragility on the box. If I recall the threshold correctly, $1,000+ declared-value packages are identified and set aside in a separate group within the store. When a driver comes by to pick up daily packages, the store clerk al…

Wouldn't it be a great way to make some money? If you know they target fragile boxes, and you get insurance on it under $1,000, you're guaranteed a payout! As a bonus, right some politically charged messages on it or troll-y statements.

Re: When a Bike Company Put a TV on Its Box, Shipping Damages Went Down (2017)

#112
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's cute, but wrong. Even the most law-abiding delivery company is going to end up with some parking tickets, so it makes sense to budget for them. You may as well decry the budgeting for legal as saying the company wants to break the law.

> Even the most law-abiding delivery company is going to end up with some parking tickets Why? If you don’t park illegally you don’t get tickets. They aren’t random or accidental.

In a crowded urban neighborhood, there is not going to be anywhere for a delivery vehicle to legally stop. Unless the delivery company refuses to service the area, it’s going to do some double parking.

Downtowns address this problem with yellow commercial loading zones but those don’t really exist in residential neighborhoods.

Re: When a Bike Company Put a TV on Its Box, Shipping Damages Went Down (2017)

#113
post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a matter of "things you think are wrong", it's illegal activity. As a cyclist, they are breaking the rules, invading my space, and putting my life at risk by forcing me into car traffic, just to save a few seconds.

Just as deflating the tire illegal. Imagine there's no bike lane and you ride on the street, or when you wanna ride more relaxed, you ride on the sidewalk. It's not a problem either way if everybody is somewhat relaxed. But with your mindset, everyone's against everyone. Phew... It just riddles me. If you were in a car, you would be the type of person that honks at cyclist because in their mindset, it's illegal.

> or when you wanna ride more relaxed, you ride on the sidewalk.

Common misconception. Riding on the sidewalk is considerably more dangerous than riding in the street. While you are less likely to be hit from behind, you are much more likely to be hit by drivers turning.

> If you were in a car, you would be the type of person that honks at cyclist because in their mindset, it's illegal.

The difference is that blocking the bike lane is typically illegal (and dangerous to cyclists), and riding a bike on the road is typically legal (and at most irritating to drivers). The two are not equivalent.

Re: When a Bike Company Put a TV on Its Box, Shipping Damages Went Down (2017)

#115
post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a matter of "things you think are wrong", it's illegal activity. As a cyclist, they are breaking the rules, invading my space, and putting my life at risk by forcing me into car traffic, just to save a few seconds.

Just as deflating the tire illegal. Imagine there's no bike lane and you ride on the street, or when you wanna ride more relaxed, you ride on the sidewalk. It's not a problem either way if everybody is somewhat relaxed. But with your mindset, everyone's against everyone. Phew... It just riddles me. If you were in a car, you would be the type of person that honks at cyclist because in their mindset, it's illegal.

Riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is illegal in almost every state and country. Riding a bicycle in the street is never illegal. I think you should learn the rules before you tell people that they should risk their lives for your convenience.

Re: When a Bike Company Put a TV on Its Box, Shipping Damages Went Down (2017)

#116
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's cute, but wrong. Even the most law-abiding delivery company is going to end up with some parking tickets, so it makes sense to budget for them. You may as well decry the budgeting for legal as saying the company wants to break the law.

> Even the most law-abiding delivery company is going to end up with some parking tickets Why? If you don’t park illegally you don’t get tickets. They aren’t random or accidental.

My brother-in-law lives in LA, and parks there every day. He honestly tries not to get parking tickets, but he's been towed once or twice because the street wasn't clear. I know he isn't intentionally trying to break the law. I also got a parking ticket when visiting once. I very carefully looked at the signs, there were 2 other cars on that side of the street. I parked there, and went into visit thinking I was fine. I got back to a parking ticket, and looked at the sign again, and had Monday/Tuesday mixed up. I didn't intend to break the law. It is accidental.

Re: When a Bike Company Put a TV on Its Box, Shipping Damages Went Down (2017)

#117
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's cute, but wrong. Even the most law-abiding delivery company is going to end up with some parking tickets, so it makes sense to budget for them. You may as well decry the budgeting for legal as saying the company wants to break the law.

> Even the most law-abiding delivery company is going to end up with some parking tickets Why? If you don’t park illegally you don’t get tickets. They aren’t random or accidental.

Shit happens; signs are confusing, drivers make mistakes, cops make mistakes. And that may be a once in a lifetime event for a regular driver, but when you have thousands of drivers parking dozens of times a day, "once in a lifetime" becomes "once a week".

Re: When a Bike Company Put a TV on Its Box, Shipping Damages Went Down (2017)

#119
post #51

I've always been curious about the shipping process. I have met or know 7 people who work/worked at the shipping hub in my city. I always ask them how the packages are handled. Every one of them said that they (and all of their coworkers) handle all packages on a scale ranging from rough to purposefully damaging. One guy told me how he targets boxes marked Fragile for extra abuse when he's exhausted/angry/having a ba…

That fits my limited experience in that industry. A TV on the box certainly doesn't protect it against abuse. When I was a teenager (around 1990 I think) I had a very short (surprisingly well-paying for a teenager) summer job unloading trucks at a warehouse. The first truck contained Atari monitors. One guy showed how it's done: remove the bottom box, and the rest comes tumbling after. Stack them on a pallet, race th…

That explains why my Atari box had a triangular hole in the middle and a crushed keyboard.

Re: When a Bike Company Put a TV on Its Box, Shipping Damages Went Down (2017)

#120
post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like you never do stuff that others think is wrong... Live and let live. The drivers deliver the shit you buy online.

It's not a matter of "things you think are wrong", it's illegal activity. As a cyclist, they are breaking the rules, invading my space, and putting my life at risk by forcing me into car traffic, just to save a few seconds.

And you’ve never rolled through a stop sign?
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