Fun With The USPS
Before I even get into this one, it should be noted that most federal agencies, with their mile-long lists of codes and regulations, are actually a barrel of laughs when approached properly. This is mainly because no one person actually knows and understands that mile long-long list of codes and regulations. That said, when happens when you mail a letter with coins taped to it instead of postage?
As Ilya Shaydman of Philadelphia learned (yay Phila!), after about two weeks it actually went through. The letter made it to New York (yay NYC!) pretty much intact. But here’s the craziest bit of all, they didn’t take the “money” thought they did remove the “tip” (”5 cents for your troubles”) from the lower right-hand corner.
I myself have been running similar mail tests for the past few weeks. The bottles of water I’ve been putting in mailboxes have gotten my friends on Facebook particularly wiled up. Anyone care to guess what happened there?
NOTE: I’m not telling anyone until I’ve replicated the results at least once, but I’d still love to hear your guesses.
LINK: Monkeyfaq.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:34 am
GUESS NUMBER 1: You ruined everyone’s mail and got fined for doing it?
November 12th, 2008 at 8:36 am
I’m going to say they returned to sender… also you. So, you know, it kinda sorta worked.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:41 am
As one of the facebook friends in question who was intrigued by the pictures you’ve been putting up over there, I’m guessing that a lot of REALLY hot girls commented on it. Oh wait, that’s not a guess, that’s a fact. How does one guy make so many attractive friends?
November 12th, 2008 at 9:33 am
My guesses:
1/ Not enough postage, which meant the receiver had to fork over cash for a bottle of water their didn’t want in the first place and probably had to spend more on it than they would for an actual bottle of water.
2/ Bottle broke/opened en route. And if your postal service is anything like the UK’s postal service, they would have repackaged the contents and sent it on its merry way. In other words: a broken bottle and something to hold the spilled water. Like a wet sponge.
ALSO: have you seen this - http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/multimedia/2008/11/st_15returntosender
November 12th, 2008 at 9:34 am
One more: did condensation “sweat” the stamps off the bottle, leaving it without postage, resulting in my first guess?
November 12th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Angry postman knocking on the door of the recipient?
November 12th, 2008 at 11:25 am
I think you’re not supposed to mail liquids. Therefore, I imagine that the postman emptied the contents of the bottle (perhaps watering some flowers), then sent it on its way.
Here’s one I tried: Mail a letter with no postage. Just put your intended destination in the “return” spot, then put a fictitious address in the “to” spot. Make sure that the “to” address is further away than the “return.” The USPS will deliver the letter to the return address. In my case, they took it clear across the country.
November 12th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I was listening to NPR yesterday, and they happened to be discussing this very topic: odd things to send in the mail. I think my favorite might have been the woman who’s boyfriend would send her a pancake every so often. He’d cover it in epoxy and put a stamp on it. I guess so long as you give the Postal Service their appropriate postage and a place to deliver the mail, they don’t seem too fussy about what it is they are delivering… I have faith the bottle will get there.
PS. I love this blog! I’m in California, and I read it every morning while I drink my coffee. Gets me energized to go do art with kids.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
What a cool idea! I am going to start mailing random stuff to my friends and family just to weird them out. I got plenty of junk lying around the house so I am sure that I can find something for everyone.
November 12th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Hmm… if I can find the address I think the guy who just got me fired will get several random objects… I think I’ll start with a spoon.
November 13th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Koriar, what happened? Do tell. (Only if you want though obviously.)
November 13th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Well, basically someone came to the door and tried to use the broken doorbell. Since I didn’t hear him and was reading an article so I wasn’t moving, he thought I was asleep. So instead of calling me or doing any of the things you’re supposed to do to get in contact with us, he got some managers to come over and peek in the window. Now, I’ll admit, I do tend to lay back in my chair to where it looks like I’m sleeping, so maybe I’m partially at fault for this, but I know I wasn’t asleep… I just have no proof.
So basically, since they have a zero tolerance policy on that kind of thing, without any proof other than “it looked like he was sleeping from the window” I got fired.
What really sucks is that the place was like my dream job. I worked nights so I didn’t have to worry about getting up early, as a computer operator I had just the right combination of a lack of responsibility and a huge paycheck, and, you know, the whole “22 and getting paid almost 30k a year” thing… So yeah, I’m a bit upset about it.
I’m still trying to see if I can challenge it or something… but I’m not terribly optimistic about it. Not to mention I have to figure out a way to make rent now.
(sorry if I bring people down with this story, I know this blog is supposed to be more about fun)
November 20th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
[...] morning chuckle Found this on Zoomdoggie. They sent a envelope with money just taped to it and it actually got sent. The best part is that [...]
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:50 am
I doubt the “tip” was removed by a postal employee. I don’t know any USPS employee willing to lose their job for a nickel!
Just guessing, I would say the letter was torn in a processing machine and then had to be hand sorted, causing the delay in delivery. Kudos to the USPS for getting the mail to its proper destination! 
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I love “jessie’s” idea (comment on Nov 12) Brilliant!!!
November 23rd, 2008 at 2:48 pm
mail fraud is a federal offense.
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:08 pm
AGENT BROOKS:
Where is the fraud? Wait, you mean whoever took the tip from the corner? Agreed. Track that postal employee down.
November 28th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I once had someone mail a coconut to me. Just stuck some stamps on it and a label and it went through.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:20 am
I mailed my niece a “sailor toad” once…err: that’s a toad that got ran over by a car and then it gets “dried out” [to what I'd liken to beef jerky?!] in the hot sun. Once its completely dry you can then “ziiiing” it through the air and they’ll sail like a frisbee.
^_^
Ummm, this was “just” before the big Una Bomber scare of 1995, so the USPS wasn’t really looking into weird or unusually suspicious packages, or so I’ll assume…and “lucky me” because it wasn’t until after I’d mailed my little practical joke that I stop to think that there were probably laws against mailing naturally dehydrated organic matter…though I’d have tried to claim it was a wallet if I’d have been caught and questioned; “hee-hee!”
December 10th, 2008 at 5:43 am
i’m gonna guess the mail person drank the water, and then threw away the bottle. drink not deliver.
when are we gonna get instructions on implementing fun machine all over the world? san diego needs one