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A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

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Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#91
post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That made me think: if Amazon is putting these products directly in the locker, do they even need to wrap it in packaging? It surely would save them money and time, although then it's more checking on the part of the guy loading things into the lockers.

I'm not sure it would save them money. Packaging all the various stuff (in various shapes!) uniformly greatly streamlines the shipping process. It makes the stuff easier to store (in warehouses and during shipping) and handle. Bar-codes/RFID's can also be placed conveniently to speed-up handling.

Good point, their order assembly is pretty automated and this would be a huge change to that.

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#92
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have a blog about your RV full time lifestyle?

I do, but I rarely update it: http://nerdnomad.com (and I have http://flickr.com/photos/nerdnomad and http://twitter.com/nerdnomad which do get updated pretty regularly). Instead of blogging, I've mostly decided to write a novel instead, so I'm working on a semi-autobiographical zombie survival road novel. I'm about 36,000 words in (that's about 50 pages, I think). With the blog I began to find it difficult to think…

Well, I hope to see you out there. In a few months, the home will be sold, and the class C will be bought, and I will be learning about solar, crappy internet, and living on the cheap.

Thanks for the links. I will check them out.

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#93
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you live in your rig full-time? What part of the world are you parked in now? And, I wasn't aware I could have things shipped to a FedEx store. I've considered getting a mailbox at a FedEx store in places where I stay for more than a week or two, but so far have not. But, if I can just do a "general delivery" type thing to a FedEx store, that'd be awesome. Will look into it. Though, Amazon never tells you how they…

Here's an explanation I wrote about how I handled my mail: http://twelvemonthsofsummer.com/get-mail-on-the-road I lived in it full time for about a year, inspired by Tynan's posts on the subject. However, I've now gone overseas to Bali and left my Winnie parked in Maryland. It's actually quite a bit cheaper to live here and the internet still works fine :) Have you written up anything about your travels?

Cool. I still have a lot of the American continent to explore, but when I finish that, I'm waffling on whether to buy a sailboat and float around some islands, or fly to Europe and buy a motorhome ("caravan") over there. I thought I'd go for a year and a half, tops, and then buy a place in Austin or some other nice city. But, I'm 20 months in, and I just don't see any reason to stop. Every time I think, "I could buy/rent a place here." I start to get itchy feet and want to drive again. Even awesome places aren't awesome enough to keep me permanently content. I blog very rarely at http://nerdnomad.com and tweet at http://twitter.com/nerdnomad and post photos at http://flickr.com/photos/nerdnomad

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#94
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do, but I rarely update it: http://nerdnomad.com (and I have http://flickr.com/photos/nerdnomad and http://twitter.com/nerdnomad which do get updated pretty regularly). Instead of blogging, I've mostly decided to write a novel instead, so I'm working on a semi-autobiographical zombie survival road novel. I'm about 36,000 words in (that's about 50 pages, I think). With the blog I began to find it difficult to think…

Well, I hope to see you out there. In a few months, the home will be sold, and the class C will be bought, and I will be learning about solar, crappy internet, and living on the cheap. Thanks for the links. I will check them out.

Good luck. I'm planning to downsize really soon, either into a tow vehicle+travel trailer, or into a smaller class C motorhome. I may even buy a box truck or bus and convert it into a motorhome, depending on how much I feel like getting my hands dirty next month when I start my search for a new rig...it's the only way to get a really solid diesel chassis with good gas mileage in a smallish (24'-28') motorhome that isn't outrageously expensive.

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"In my state, Pennsylvania, it is my understanding that the homeless are not allowed to drive or even to receive mail, because a mailbox cannot be used for the address on their driver's license" I'm certain you're wrong about both of these assertions, in PA or any other US state. There are federal laws at play, and both of these limitations on homeless people would definitely cross the bounds of federal law. Also, th…

Thank you for the detailed reply. However, I am still fairly sure, although not 100% certain, that homeless people, technically, cannot have a valid driver's license, cannot receive mail, and they cannot, legally, do other, assorted, connected things, such as: have a bank account, own Internet domains, hold a passport, vote, or travel (via Amtrak and Greyhound). There is a big difference between the lofty ideals of o…

It sounds like PA is one of the worst states for basic human rights, like the freedom to travel. Who knew? That said, I suspect there is some way to obtain a drivers license. You may have to have it mailed to a friend or family member. But, the right to leave is a basic human right, so, there must be some way to obtain a license without having a home. This homeless law blog discusses some possibilities; it's not specific to PA, but it seems likely there is some mechanism for obtaining a legal license: http://homelesslaw.wordpress.com/#comment-1496 (I also found a few state and county agencies in PA with mention of drivers licenses and other licenses, though no specific documentation on how to obtain one; I guess calling or emailing would be the way to find out).

I'm not an expert on PA regulations, but I do know that I was able to do everything I needed without a permanent address, including getting a passport, drivers license, car insurance (GEICO offers a special insurance class just for RV full-timers, which is a blend of homeowners and auto insurance), and the postal forms needed for mail forwarding services.

And, one more thing:

"Also, even if I could, somehow, get a mailbox, it would create yet another red flag on my credit reports, because the credit agencies mark, as suspicious, any address which receives mail for many different people."

This is definitely not true. Credit card payments might get flagged if the billing address is a forwarding service (though it has not been the case for me; I've had trouble ordering items shipped to addresses other than my billing address, but I've never had a payment refused because the billing address was a forwarding service), but your credit report will, in no way, be effected by using such a service. I promise you it will not "red flag" your credit reports.

It sounds like you've had a bad run of luck, and it's gotten you feeling like a victim on all fronts. It's understandable. I feel beaten down by bureaucracy sometimes, too. But, you do have some fundamental rights in the US, regardless of whether you have a home or not. Get the ID thing sorted, and everything else will start to fall into place. If PA won't help you get that sorted, raise hell until someone does help you; contact your local state representative or city mayors office or write a letter to the head of the DMV or the local newspaper. You have a right to have an identity. You can't possibly get out of homelessness without one.

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#96
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I hope to see you out there. In a few months, the home will be sold, and the class C will be bought, and I will be learning about solar, crappy internet, and living on the cheap. Thanks for the links. I will check them out.

Good luck. I'm planning to downsize really soon, either into a tow vehicle+travel trailer, or into a smaller class C motorhome. I may even buy a box truck or bus and convert it into a motorhome, depending on how much I feel like getting my hands dirty next month when I start my search for a new rig...it's the only way to get a really solid diesel chassis with good gas mileage in a smallish (24'-28') motorhome that is…

Have you looked at the Dodge Sprinter? I think those are about 20' long in total, give you about 6' x 10' on the inside and ~25mpg. I'm actually crazy enough to think that's big enough if you can manage without the shower or any kitchen setup. Obviously you won't be hosting any parties in that situation however.

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#97
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good luck. I'm planning to downsize really soon, either into a tow vehicle+travel trailer, or into a smaller class C motorhome. I may even buy a box truck or bus and convert it into a motorhome, depending on how much I feel like getting my hands dirty next month when I start my search for a new rig...it's the only way to get a really solid diesel chassis with good gas mileage in a smallish (24'-28') motorhome that is…

Have you looked at the Dodge Sprinter? I think those are about 20' long in total, give you about 6' x 10' on the inside and ~25mpg. I'm actually crazy enough to think that's big enough if you can manage without the shower or any kitchen setup. Obviously you won't be hosting any parties in that situation however.

A van alone would not be sufficient space for me, but I have considered converting a van to a small motorhome (either a Sprinter or diesel Ford E350) and using it as my tow vehicle for a midsized travel trailer. It's a weird choice, but it would solve some of my problems with my current rig (a 34' class A).

I'm considering a Winnebago View or Itasca Navion (or Fleetwood Pulse), which are based on the biggest Sprinter chassis in a cutaway form. They're a little bit smaller than I want, but I think I could probably live with it, given the benefits. They tend to get 13-17 MPG. They're a little on the pricey side, since I'll probably be paying cash.

I'd really like to have something small enough to be comfortable in cities, while still being large enough to really live in with occasional guests (I may be a loner, but I like having the option of inviting people to come with me sometimes). Stealth campers (converted buses and box trucks and vans) lately have great appeal for me, since a lot of place I haven't yet visited in the US are densely populated cities...so, being able to park on the street in the city without attracting attention would be very valuable.

I have more stuff than most folks would need (I have a small recording studio, three guitars and a drumset in my current rig), and I have a 60 lb dog. So, we can't go van-sized in any way I can imagine, without giving up a lot of my music gear. But, we'll see how it all shakes out. I've begun to get serious about shopping lately, and plan to move into a new rig in October or November when I get back down to Texas (I don't want to buy a vehicle up north where I'm currently parked, since they take so much more abuse up here due to weather extremes; California might actually be ideal, since the weather is so kind to vehicles there).

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"In my state, Pennsylvania, it is my understanding that the homeless are not allowed to drive or even to receive mail, because a mailbox cannot be used for the address on their driver's license" I'm certain you're wrong about both of these assertions, in PA or any other US state. There are federal laws at play, and both of these limitations on homeless people would definitely cross the bounds of federal law. Also, th…

Thank you for the detailed reply. However, I am still fairly sure, although not 100% certain, that homeless people, technically, cannot have a valid driver's license, cannot receive mail, and they cannot, legally, do other, assorted, connected things, such as: have a bank account, own Internet domains, hold a passport, vote, or travel (via Amtrak and Greyhound). There is a big difference between the lofty ideals of o…

You often can use a homeless shelter as the legal address for many of the purposes that you state in your above reply, such as getting drivers' licenses, etc. (I'm an attorney who volunteered on behalf of homeless clients in Washington, DC. Check your local area to see if there is a legal clinic for homeless clients that might be able to help you.)

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you for the detailed reply. However, I am still fairly sure, although not 100% certain, that homeless people, technically, cannot have a valid driver's license, cannot receive mail, and they cannot, legally, do other, assorted, connected things, such as: have a bank account, own Internet domains, hold a passport, vote, or travel (via Amtrak and Greyhound). There is a big difference between the lofty ideals of o…

It sounds like PA is one of the worst states for basic human rights, like the freedom to travel. Who knew? That said, I suspect there is some way to obtain a drivers license. You may have to have it mailed to a friend or family member. But, the right to leave is a basic human right, so, there must be some way to obtain a license without having a home. This homeless law blog discusses some possibilities; it's not spec…

Sorry for the late reply. Thank you for the research and for the suggestions.

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you for the detailed reply. However, I am still fairly sure, although not 100% certain, that homeless people, technically, cannot have a valid driver's license, cannot receive mail, and they cannot, legally, do other, assorted, connected things, such as: have a bank account, own Internet domains, hold a passport, vote, or travel (via Amtrak and Greyhound). There is a big difference between the lofty ideals of o…

You often can use a homeless shelter as the legal address for many of the purposes that you state in your above reply, such as getting drivers' licenses, etc. (I'm an attorney who volunteered on behalf of homeless clients in Washington, DC. Check your local area to see if there is a legal clinic for homeless clients that might be able to help you.)

Thank you.
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