FINAL UPDATE post #46 - Clueless? Presumptuous? Or Rude?

My first thoughts were, "Is someone pulling a joke on either family?" I guess I'm too suspicious of people because my next thoughts were if I didn't know them any better than that, I would probably not touch it "with a ten foot pole" because I would wonder, what they are up to. What are they trying to pin on me? :mad:
 

Keeping in mind this was a situation I saw posted on another site…

Several people asked questions and the OP came back to clarify. The note was addressed to “Hi Neighbor” – the sister does not even know the names of the vacationing couple and apparently they don’t know her name either. There is no relationship – the only contact they’ve had is a “Hello” wave a few times a year. They live in a house across the street and mailbox is at the front door.

There were quite a few more replies that I didn’t copy and post here, but I like this one the best:

I'd be scared to comply in case it was a set-up of some kind. What if it's just a prank by someone else? Then sister would be taking large packages and would be considered a thief if caught. What if it is a legitimate thing but sister drops a package or her apartment floods or her cat pees on a package? The neighbors will blame her. Who knows what’s in the mail and packages? Could be something illegal – not unheard of these days.

There are too many what-ifs. And with people this entitled, if someone steals their credit card number, they'd probably put the blame on sister If a package is missing they would suspect and blame sister. Too many liabilities.

If sister acquiesces this time, the neighbors will get even more emboldened and order more unreasonable requests in the future.

I'd probably feign that I didn't get the note at all. After all, it could have gotten stuck to other junk mail and accidentally tossed. Etiquette allows one to ignore unreasonable requests from people one doesn’t even know.

I wouldn't touch their mail or packages with a 10 foot pole. I wouldn’t even consider taking time to go to the post office or calling the newspaper and trying to make arrangements for their mail and newspapers.

I like being neighborly, I don't mind doing small favors, and I like keeping the peace. But I don’t like the gall of these people and I just see too many ways that sister can get wrongly blamed or framed for things. It wouldn't be worth it to me.
 
I'm not sure because it's been a few years since I went on any kind of holiday but I think if you ask Canada Post to hold mail, they charge you for it. But maybe it's different in the US? If it's the same, then asking the Post Office to hold their mail could result in someone having to pay that charge and a whole new issue to be irritated about.
 

I don't see that as an issue, Debby. There is no charge for holding mail here in the US (which is where this happened). But even if there was people going on a cruise cn afford to pay a few dollars, and the point is they should have contacted the post office themselves. Their problem, their responsibility.
 
tnthomas said:
No relationship=no responsibility to respond to an orchestrated guilt trip/manipulation attempt.

Sorry for the jaded response, I'm just not the "easy touch"(eg- "sucker") that I was when younger.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid I must agree with this. I wouldn't do it. It's not my responsibility, especially to people I barely know, plus I was never given notice ahead of time. If they ask me why I never took in their mail, etc, I'd simply say, "Wups... it slipped my mind."
 
Davey Jones said:
I would call the US Postal service and UPS to cancel deliveries to that address until further notice.......
Click to expand...

The vacationing couple should have taken proper steps to hold all mail and packages.

I’m really not understanding why anyone feels the put-upon neighbor should try to deal with canceling their mail and package delivery. :confused: She wasn’t asked to do that – she wasn’t asked to do anything. She was given a note telling her to collect their mail, etc.

Also, no one can cancel mail and packages for someone else – especially when they don’t have certain identifying information. Think of what a mess it would be if they could; a great way to harass someone (like turning off their utilities, which also is illegal).
 
I just couldn't do it and feel comfortable about it. It sounds too fishy to me and that is why I couldn't feel comfortable. I would just tell them if they asked about it later, "Oh, do you mean you were serious? I didn't know if someone was pulling a joke on one of us or if it was really from you?" No, they might not speak to me again but after 4 years and I didn't know them any better than that, I don't think I would miss them and certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over it. One thing is for sure, they had the nerve to do it that way.
 
applecruncher said:
Saw this at another site that I frequent:

"My sister found a note stuck in her mailbox as she was leaving the house for work this morning. The note said:

“Hi Neighbor! Sorry for the short notice, slipped my mind. Please take in all our mail and newspapers or any random paper you see. There could be a couple UPS packages coming, not sure when. We won’t be back until the 3rd. Our cruise has limited access to phone or internet – scary! LOL!!”

Sister is flabbergasted. She has lived next door to this couple for 4 years, but has never had a relationship with them other than good morning or hello or nice weather we’re having. She is struggling with the moral obligation, but doesn’t want to feel like a pushover either. Sister also mentioned if she doesn’t help, then she will have to face these people when they return."

I say presumptuous. There was no relationship. They could have called and asked. Not sure I would want responsibility for their mail and packages. For all they know, the neighbor might be planning to go out of town for a week. "LOL" indeed. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

More manipulative than anything. The letter writer/person who wants the packages and mail taken care used or created a sense of emergency/urgency so the neighbor had little or no choice nor time to think. Most think of themselves of as "neighborly" and there for will act accordingly-this is what the neighbor counted on.
 
UPDATE:

From the OP of the “pick up our mail/packages” story on another site - see my opening post:

"Sister arrived home last evening and after twenty minutes, her doorbell rings. She looks out and sees two ladies and asked “Yes?" One lady held up a picnic basket, “We have the cheesecakes from (xxxxxxx)”. Sister opened her door and saw two more picnic baskets on the step and the other lady holding another basket. The lady who spoke said “Liz” (apparently the neighbor who wrote the note) told them to deliver to her neighbor at 123 Main Street as she was leaving for a cruise. Sister was fuming, but knew it wasn’t the delivery ladies’ fault. She told the two ladies she did not have room to store the cheesecakes and to return them where they came from, sorry. Sister closed the door.

This morning, Sister walked around the side of the house and saw the four baskets sitting near her bushes. Each basket had 2 cheesecakes – total eight! (Must have been for an event, or a group order.) One cheesecake might have been a thank you gift, but who knows? :shrug: She returned to the house, got her phone and took pics. She took note of the organization tag hanging from one of the baskets and asked was I familiar with it, I told her no. The tag only said, "With Compliments, XXX Organization. xxxorg.com." She is currently preparing an email to the organization where the cheesecakes came from. I am waiting to hear from her again. She is quite upset."

//////

AC here -

Hmmmm. Interesting how they had time and presence of mind to arrange alternate delivery of 8 cheesecakes but couldn't bother to put a hold on their mail and newspaper.:rolleyes:

I would find a phone number and call that organization, reminding them I told the delivery ladies I didn't have storage space and to return the cheesecakes. I would confirm via email (whether or not I was able to reach someone via phone). Then I would take those baskets and sit them on neighbor's doorstep. Let someone steal them, let the critters have a go at them. Whatever.

I would be SO done with those neighbors, their mail, their packages, AND their cheesecakes. :mad:
 
Holly & Bonnie -
Yeah, I might ask "Okay, where are the cameras? Where is John Quinones?" (host of "What Would You Do?")
 
Last edited:
FINAL UPDATE

Remember the Entitled Neighbor story? Neighbor returned from her cruise vacation yesterday and I was curious as to what happened.

So……..

"Sister arrived home from work at her normal time and was very nervous. Neighbor’s car was in the driveway and their side rear gate was open with several boxes standing nearby. Sister went inside her house to grab the mail bin. She decided to speak directly to neighbor and wash her hands of this situation. This is how she described what went down:

(ring bell)
(ring bell)
(ring bell, knock-knock)
(door opens)
Neighbor (N): oh hi, got our mail?
Sister (S): hi, yes, what I gathered, I put in this bin – here you go
N: wait I got something for you (walks away)
S: (waiting)
N: (comes back) sorry for all the trouble (hands sister a plastic bag with a cruise logo)
S: (takes bag) thank you
N: it’s a raspberry swirl cheesecake
S: (stunned silence)
N: anything else?
S: no, nothing else, just please do not count on me in the future for your mail or packages, it was . . .
N: (cut sister off) yeah-yeah-yeah, we won’t, we have someone else lined up who can handle it – have a good evening (closes door)
S: (walked back to house, threw plastic bag in her kitchen garbage)

Sister admits she is hurt and angry, but glad it is over – really over. As far as her relationship with neighbor, I asked did she feel any different, she said no. Just that she will continue as she always has for the past four years – a nonexistent neighbor relationship, which is fine with her."

Wow. Just…wow.
 
It sounds like the neighbor is pissed because your sister didn't take care of the 8 cheesecakes they expected her too. They were lucky she got their mail after the bad way they pushed it on her. Your sister did better than I would have done if it had been me. After that kind of response, I would not have kept my mouth shut although I know it would not have helped matters any except maybe my feelings! They are a poor excuse for neighbors! :mad:
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top