Colo. Snowstorm Delays Delivery of 50,000 Packages Over Christmas
- Posted on December 25, 2011 at 7:54am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
- Print »
- Email »
Customers wait outside the UPS facility Commerce City, Colo. Saturday, hoping to collect one of 50,000 packages delayed due to a snowstorm. (Image source: The Denver Post )
Several hundred people in the Denver area spent their Christmas Eves in line outside a UPS facility, hoping to come away with one of the 50,000 packages delayed by last week’s snowstorm.
According to the Denver Post, most walked away empty-handed, likely leaving the stash of presents under the Christmas trees just a little bit thinner.
About 10 inches of snow hit the Denver area Thursday, delaying ground deliveries across the state. Backlogged packages will be delivered by Tuesday, but that wasn’t quick enough for those who stood in a line 200 people deep at the UPS customer service building in Commerce City, Colo. where frustration was running high.
“He said, ‘If you haven’t prearranged to have your stuff picked up, it will be another two hours.’ So I said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me before I waited two hours in this line?’” Scarlett Crawford told local CBS affiliate KCNC-TV.
Employees shuttled some of the 50,000 undelivered packages from the warehouse facility where they were stored to the nearby customer service building, presenting at least some with their gifts.
“I’ve got three of the four. The fourth I can wait until they deliver on Tuesday,” Shannon Gallagher told the station. “I was planning on being here quite awhile and I think it’s been four hours.”
Others were upset to sacrifice holiday time with their family to wait in line but figured it had to be done.
“I’m going to miss some football and time with my family,” Willy Martinez told the Post, who had ordered Christmas presents for his 19-month-old daughter two weeks earlier.
Jose Ovalle waited in line to pick up a snowblower he bought for his brother.
“They’re working hard,” Ovalle said. “What can you do? They don’t control the weather.”
Comments (24)
Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 676 Comments
‘Jumah at the DNC’ Speaker: ‘Muslims Visited America Prior to Columbus’ & ‘It Was a Muslim’ Who Guided Him to the ‘New World’ 527 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 398 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 371 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 328 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 265 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 275 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 146 Comments- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 147 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 300 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 265 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
GeorgieBaby
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:01pmThe real problem with this scenerio does not lie wholly with UPS. It is really the result of the City of Denver and outlying cities only plowing main thoroughfares, and not getting to the residential streets which are generally narrow. And many of the main thoroughfares are not really cleared, but local traffic cuts up the snow on the roads. The bad city snow removal services are really to blame here.
I live in Denver, and the side streets were un-driveable. On Thursday morning, while the storm was still going, I ventured out to go to a friend’s house who is dying and my AWD crossover SUV had a hard time making it to her house. The snow was scraping the bottom of my vehicle. UPS trucks would fare worse. In fact, on my street when returning home, a FedEx truck was stuck at a corner turn and the driver was calling people from his cell phone to come out an get their packages down the block because he was stuck.
Again, the real problem is the snow removal policies. Not UPS.
Report Post »dcart888
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 12:13amThe real problem is
Report Post »UPS = Unions if a fleck of snow they don’t make the effort. I’m tracking package delivery to NC and it rained so UPS claimed bad weather delay. What a crock
FEDEX only pilots are union members.
Use FEDEX
65Mustang
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 9:31amThe real problem is waiting until the last minute to buy Christmas gifts.
Report Post »Rice Water
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 6:03pmThe govermint done stole mah chrissmas presents!!!
Report Post »Livefreeordiebuckeye
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 12:42pmAlways ship fedex if you want your packages to arrive on time.
Ups is run by Hoffa’s teamsters so that should tell you all you need to know.
Report Post »paulusmaximus
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 2:17pmWe always did a better job then fed x because we had a incentive, good benefits and good money you a just jealous you don’t work there!
Report Post »Livefreeordiebuckeye
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 5:43pmDon’t work for fedex either. I believe that free people should be allowed to work wherever they want without fear of union thugs hurting my family if I don’t join their cult.
Report Post »GeorgieBaby
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:06pmThis had nothing to do with the unions. It had everything to do with residential street conditions and delivery trucks not being able to navigate the streets. If anything blame the city of Denver. They are no good at clearing the roads, and do not clear residential roads, period.
Lighten up.
Report Post »glennisright.com
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 9:28pmIf unions weren‘t a factor then why wasn’t FedEx mentioned in this article Georgiebaby? Did it snow on UPS and not FedEx? Unions had EVERYTHING to do with these package delays.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:45amIOU’s in a stocking work pretty well from botched orders in our past. The kids were pretty good natured aout it, thought it was funny to get an IOU from Santa. We did things a bit different at our house. Best present was from their Dad and I, who loves them more, Santa or us? Smaller stuff from Santa. We had “good” Christmas’s and “lean” ones, didn’t seem to matter too much, as a Navy family, we were just glad when “Fearless Leader”, my hubby, was home. My prayers are for the families missing their loved ones . May they all come home safely. I hope people start re-thinking this special time and the greatest gift ever given.
Report Post »Countrygirl1362
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:15amTime to get back to the true meaning of Christmas and quit thinking it is all about what you can put under the tree.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:18amAmen.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 1:15pmSanta… is about the Giving Spirit… not about what is given.
Report Post »glennisright.com
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 9:39pmYou’re right Countrygirl, but if the Three Wise Men were alive today, they would choose FedEx over UPS.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:10amYou wait until two weeks before Christmas to order and then expect no delays, you are just begging for delayed packages? You made your bed, now you have to lie in it.
Those who live in Colorado generally know to expect a good snowfall a few days before Christmas and we also know we get a snow fall just before Halloween; its a given. Generally, everything in between is a pittance of snow. Therefore, you must plan ahead. I think what many did not expect are the roads coming into Colorado getting closed down for a couple days. After all was said and done I only got 4 to 5 inches on Thursday; however if you count the 4 inches I got a few days before, I got 8 inches in total. It had been a long time since I had to shovel snow within the same week.
I also must confess, I asked God to have a White Christmas this year since I could not travel to visit family, I just forgot to say how much was enough. Oops! My bad.
Report Post »GeorgieBaby
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:13pmOur local wether reports said that the weather was going to be clear from Tuesday through Christmas. This second, and unexpected storm this week threw a lot of people for a loop. I had to cancel my travel plans because my flight was cancelled on Thursday.
So one could look at the situation this way… Your white Christmas wish because you couldn’t see your family caused me to have to cancel my travel plans to see my family. So how does that work on the cosmic wishing/blessing scale????
Report Post »Teribssn
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:56amAnd what’s wrong with waiting until Tuesday for delivery? It’s the “I want it now, instant gratification and selfish” crowd again. They may, I dare say, be liberals atheists and ‘occupiers’ that are making a mountain out of a mole hill and don’t understand the True Meaning of Christmas!’
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:04am@Teribssn
No they do not its just a paid holiday for them,
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:36amIf UPS had a delay, just think of the delay for our UNITED STATES POST OFFICE. Union thugs and lazy a@@ government employees may get your package there sometimes next year, probably damaged like mine was. The USPS thinks packages are footballs.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:20amMaybe these people will shop and buy earlier from now on.
Report Post »GeorgieBaby
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:04pmLighten up.
Report Post »Romanticpoet
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:41amChristmas shop on “Black Friday” (day after Thanksgiving). Internet stores with sales honor prices as if you were in the crowds at the store.
Shipping and gift wrapping also come with the sales. Just put in message: DO NOT OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS!
I do my shopping, have it shipped directly to their address and follow up with an email to the recipients.
That way I avoid long lines, crowded stores and don’t spend HOURS gift wrapping and shipping.
My Christmas season is more enjoyable and less stressful.
Remember what Christmas is ALL ABOUT.
Praise God for giving us Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Merry Christmas!
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:13amJust like the people that were upset that a lot of stores closed at 600pm. Those that work at these places want to be with their familys the same as you. Next year don’t wait until the last min.
Report Post »Enjoy the time you have this Christmas
ares338
Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:07amJeez…start a little earlier next time!
Report Post »