Re: Going Postal (Was: Boom!)

At 17:50 8/8/96, Mike Duvos wrote:

>The Post Office has now jumped on the terrorist bandwagon by
>announcing that it will no longer be legal to drop any package
>weighing over 16 ounces into a collection box.
>
>Larger packages will have to be presented in person at the
>Post Office, and I wouldn't be surprised if several forms of
>ID were required.

We'll see the day.

>Should wreak havoc with the mail order video tape rental business,
>with those handy pre-paid 4th class labels you just slap on the
>tapes before dropping in the nearest mailbox.

A video tape weighs less than a pound.

>I suspect one could do a lot of damage to a mailbox with under 16
>ounces of the proper explosive.  Perhaps one of our resident
>Cypherpunks bomb experts could expand on this subject.

Sixteen ounces of C4 will do you right. It was only 12 ounces that brought
down the Pan Am flight over Scotland.



-- Lucky Green <mailto:shamrock@netcom.com> PGP encrypted mail preferred.
   Defeat the Demopublican Unity Party. Vote no on Clinton/Dole in November.
   Vote Harry Browne for President.

Lucky Green writes:

>>Should wreak havoc with the mail order video tape rental business,
>>with those handy pre-paid 4th class labels you just slap on the
>>tapes before dropping in the nearest mailbox.

> A video tape weighs less than a pound.

Most video rental by mail places, like Facets or Movies Unlimited, 
rent up to three tapes at once, and use a single appropriately
sized box.  I suppose they will have to start packaging each
tape separately. 

The typical package one sends back to a book club when they ship
you the latest pulp fiction even though you sent the little card
back in time weighs about two pounds. 

But, as Tim points out, there's always UPS, or one of the other
services that will pick up at your door and is happy to have your
business. 

The Washington Post says...

"Reacting to growing concerns about mail bombs, the Postal Service
said yesterday that it is taking the extrordinary step of prohibiting
customers from depositing any stamped packages weighing 16 ounces or
more in its collection boxes.

"Posthamster General Marvin T. Runyon said the action was being
taken to 'enhance security measures and to protect the traveling
public, postal employees, and postal contractors who transport
US mail.'"

Persons who use postage meters and mail domestically are exempt
from the new rule. (!)

So I guess if the video place sends you a metered sticker for the
return postage, you can still drop the tapes in the box. 

I'm not quite sure what they are trying to accomplish, other than
to leap on the "we're doing our part to inconvenience the public over
terrorism" bandwagon. 

--
     Mike Duvos         $    PGP 2.6 Public Key available     $
     mpd@netcom.com     $    via Finger.                      $