The Roble Package Center is a great idea. I’m not disputing that in any way shape or form. Who wants a sketchy UPS or FedEx man (or an even sketchier man dressed as either of these) wandering through their dorm and potentially stealing things/creeping on attractive Stanford students? Probably (and maybe hopefully) not very many people.
If you’re like me, you think of the Roble Package Center as a cute little building or even just a room where the people greet you with a smile and packages are ready and waiting to be picked up.
You and I are WRONG my friend.
The following is the experience I had with the Roble Package Center.
After waiting about three days past when a package was supposed to be delivered, I decided to just go over to the package center and see if they had heard anything about my HP ink (free next-day delivery anyone?). When I found my way to the back of Roble, I discovered that this “center” was nothing more than four burly man standing at the back of a box truck. Here’s the dialogue:
Me: I don’t know where I am.
Package Man*: Are you looking for the package center?
Me: Yeah. I am.
Package Man: We are the package center. What’s your name?
Me: Genevieve.
Package Man: *without checking anything* There’s no package here for you.
Me: Are you sure?
Package Man: Yep. What service was it supposed to be delivered through?
Me: FedEx I think.
Package Man: FedEx packages are delivered to FedEx/Kinko’s on the second floor of Tresidder.
Me: Oh. Thank You.
I realize that this was my fault for only skimming through the multiple emails about this new package delivery system, but I am still shocked. Eventually I did receive my ink (although I am bitter that they never sent me an email to go pick it up), but does anyone else think it’s crazy that four men in a box truck in the back of a residence hall can qualify as a center?
While I am glad Stanford is making an effort to secure our safety through this change, I also am disappointed with the very unorganized effort they made. Hopefully a more secure system can be implemented later on.
*I realize that “Package Man” is a terrible, terrible name to use to refer to the man of this story.