Courier jobs sometimes involve deliveries to (or collections from) some pretty odd locations. Oddest Here are just a few real-life examples that may raise an eyebrow or two.
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Oddest Altitude sickness
Let’s start with the driver who arrived at a delivery address only to find that the company was on the 7th floor and the lifts had broken down. Real dedication and a sturdy work ethic led the driver to climb the stairs to complete his job. So, you can imagine his response when having got there, rather breathless, he discovered that they also had an office on the 1st floor, where the parcel was required. Apparently their 1st floor office had been left off the reception area’s building directory by “mistake”.
A slight variation on this theme arose when another driver arrived at a building site to deliver a package, only to be told that the recipient was some hundreds of feet up in the air at the top of what looked like very rickety scaffolding. There the driver really did, understandably, dig his heels in and refuse to budge.
It’s never too late
Some courier jobs don’t seem to come with a time limit. Take the driver who had to deliver an odd-shaped package addressed to someone, care of a local cemetery. Upon arrival (oddly, on a very foggy and spooky morning), the driver hastily handed the package over to the gatehouse keeper who accepted it on the addressee’s behalf. Looking around at the tombstones in the gloom, the driver couldn’t help wondering if the recipient was underneath one of them. He made an unashamedly hasty exit!
A malodourous Oddest delivery
One poor driver was sent on a courier job to what was sensitively described as a “recycling plant”. Upon arrival he discovered that the recycling concerned applied to human waste and the location was what, at one time, would have been more honestly described as a “sewage farm”. Of course he didn’t have to go into the depths, but even so, he was seen to be using a LOT more scented products over the days and even weeks afterwards – presumably trying to re-align his nasal cavities.
A serious Oddest note
Amusing as the above tales are, there is a serious point here. Remember if you’re using a service to deliver something, they may, in certain circumstances, have a right to refuse to personally deliver the object to some locations. That might include situations where the physical effort in doing so is unreasonable or where it might constitute a danger to their person.
Whether a consignor can always be sure they understand the exact specifics of the delivery location for all courier jobs is open to debate. However, it might be sensible when you ship something to ask the recipient whether or not there is anything difficult or unusual about access to the delivery point..........................................................................
If drivers understand in advance, they can usually plan and work around such problems. Who knows? Perhaps there are some drivers who’d welcome the chance to conduct a delivery to the sewage works!
Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world’s largest neutral trading hub for same day courier jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Over 2,500 transport exchange businesses are networked through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe ‘wholesale’ environment.
