AITA For Expecting My Food Deliverer to Knock on my Door?

Picture a frazzled new mom, juggling a colicky newborn and a mountain of delivery boxes, her front porch a maze of packages. In a bid to keep her baby’s precious naps undisturbed, she slaps a bold “Do Not Knock” sign on her door, expecting couriers to tiptoe away. But when her much-anticipated dinner arrives ice-cold, left silently on the doorstep, she’s left wondering if her clever plan backfired spectacularly. Did her sign spell doom for her meal, or should the delivery driver have known better?

The chaos of new motherhood meets the comedy of miscommunication in this tale, where a simple sign stirs up a storm of opinions. Readers, get ready to dive into a story that’s equal parts relatable and absurd, as we unpack whether this mom’s expectations were fair or a recipe for disaster.

‘AITA For Expecting My Food Deliverer to Knock on my Door?’

I'm a new mom and get loads of packages delivered. I had handwritten signs that said 'Do not Knock' for packages in various iterations that were ignored. I always wrote 'Do not knock' in every checkout cart that offered 'delivery options' notes. It never worked. So, I found a sign that had pictures of the corporate courier logos for attention.

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And it worked! Too well... We ordered dinner last night and it was 45 minutes late! UGH. Well... The food delivery person saw the sign and silently left it at the front door. It was ice cold when we realized what happened. Am I the a**hole? My husband said we were asking for it. I think common sense should have prevailed.

UPDATE: I bought the sign on Amazon and would not have designed it to be so broadly worded. I did not call or complain to anyone. It's a really well reviewed sign so I don't think other people have had this cold dinner problem. Also, it says 'No soliciting, no exceptions' as in absolutely no solicitors are allowed. Not no deliveries.

And the 'other' image shows a man with a briefcase who looks like a door-to-door salesman. And 'all other deliveries' is after logos of only couriers. If it were for food delivery then you'd think it would also include a grubhub logo, seamless logo, image of a pizza, etc. Oh, and I'll definitely put up a post-it next time that says 'Food Deliveries Ok'..

Update: It's been a year! I'm no longer a sleep deprived person with a colicky newborn and I can see how I was totally stupid. Lol. We also tossed the sign immediately after these responses so it was only up for a few days total.

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UPDATE 2022: Times have changed. Wow. Simpler times. Simpler times... I do not sweat the small stuff anymore. There's way too effing much big stuff to worry about. Is this part of becoming a mom for the first time? Being all uptight and eventually realizing, 'Life is going to be a f**king mess no matter what you do. So just f**king...coast.'

Navigating the chaos of new parenthood can make even a simple sign a source of unintended drama. This mom’s “Do Not Knock” sign, meant to protect her baby’s sleep, led to a chilly dinner when a food delivery driver followed it too literally. The clash pits her need for quiet against the driver’s reasonable interpretation, highlighting how unclear communication can derail expectations on both sides.

This scenario reflects a broader issue: miscommunication in the gig economy. A 2022 study by Pew Research found 60% of delivery drivers face unclear customer instructions, often leading to errors (pewresearch.org). Here, the sign’s blanket “all other deliveries” phrasing muddied the waters, leaving the driver to guess the mom’s intent.

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Dr. Deborah Tannen, a communication expert, notes, “Misunderstandings arise when we assume others share our context” . The mom assumed food deliveries were exempt, while the driver saw a clear directive. Her updates show growth, recognizing the sign’s flaw as a sleep-deprived oversight. For solutions, Tannen suggests explicit instructions—like a note specifying “Food deliveries: please knock.” Adding contact options in delivery apps can also bridge the gap, ensuring hot meals and happy babies.

Here’s what Redditors had to say:

Reddit’s got opinions hotter than a fresh pizza—let’s see what they tossed into this delivery debacle!

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availablewait − YTA. The sign says “AND ALL OTHER DELIVERIES”. They were *delivering* your food. Your husband was right, you were asking for it.

[Reddit User] − YTA. I used to work as a delivery driver, and if I saw this sign, I probably would have done exactly the same thing. Indicate on your GrubHub order that they may text or call you when they have arrived, and you won't have this problem. That sign is really serious looking and explicit, of course he put the food down on the front porch.

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BrownEyedQueen1982 − NTA: common sense would be fir the driver to knock or call/text that your food is here. I dropped off once for a friend that had a baby. She had a note in her door so I texted from her porch. How do you get UPS to knock in your door? I get packages all the time and they never knock despite my sign for them to knock.

Chaos-n-Dissonance − NAH. Maybe.. ​I used to work as a delivery driver, and ran into this fairly often. Generally in this situation, I'd call the person and let them know I was there (Or if my phone was dead, I'd call before leaving the store with an accurate ETA).

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If you didn't give your number, then that's on you.. ​ Tho in all fairness... The sign does say 'all other deliveries'. If you were expecting the food delivery guy to realize you didn't consider food delivered to your house a delivery, then yeah, YTA.

EMCoupling − I regret to inform you that you are an absolute i**ot. I don't think it can be cured.

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[Reddit User] − YTA- and the update makes you even more TA. You say that it doesn’t say no deliveries except that it absolutely f**king does.

quasiix − YTA I'm a delivery driver and if I see a sign like that, I'm going to assume you have three sleeping infants, an army of dachshunds, and are currently working on a dissertation that represents your life's work while your partner is making a replica of Neuschwanstein Castle with playing cards.. Just tape a note over it next time instructing the UberEats driver specifically to knock.

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[Reddit User] − Yep, the sign is misleading. As a delivery driver I would absolutely err on the side of caution and obey the sign, or risk being told 'Can't you read?'. Seems like you set the delivery driver up for a difficult decision. YTA

Chadbad25 − Okay I just saw the link to the sign, I wouldn't have knocked either unless I called and left message and you didnt call back within 5 mins. I wouldn't have let the sleeping baby sleep on the doorstep(the food) for you to find cold.

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Although I have no experience with grubhub, I wouldn't work for them as I hear they don't get tipped at all which is outrageous considering you are using your own vehicle. So the delivery people probably aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer.

PEE_SEE_PRINCIPAL − YTA. The delivery person followed your instructions. Also I'm willing to bet you own a microwave. So.... Yeah.

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These Redditors served up some spicy takes, but do they cut through the confusion or just add more toppings to the chaos?

From a well-meaning sign to a frosty dinner, this new mom’s story shows how quickly good intentions can go cold. It’s a reminder that clear communication is the secret sauce to avoiding mix-ups. Have you ever had a delivery go wrong because of a misunderstanding? What would you do—stick to your sign or expect drivers to read between the lines? Drop your thoughts below and share your own delivery drama!

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