InsaneJournal

Current mood:

annoyed

Postal addendum
I was joking yesterday about the connection between Homeland Security and Pitney-Bowes (makers of postage metering equipment, for those who don't know) but it's no joke.

Today I happened to be the one who answered the door when the letter carrier came. He explained it to me and gave me a little printed notice that they are pasting onto packages and returning them to the sender.

The actual weight limit is 14 ounces. Anything 14 ounces or under can be mailed in a mailbox or handed to the carrier with stamps on it for the postage. Anything over 14 ounces must be taken to the post office in person in order to mail it... [Why 14 ounces instead of a pound? Who knows?]

UNLESS...

You use a postage meter to put the postage on. If the postage consists of a meter label instead of stamps, then the old rules apply and you can put it into the mailbox or give it to the carrier. So terrorists can't use postage meters? Or steal them? Or use them illicitly at their cover job? What a crock of you-know-what.

(Yes, I know, postage meters have registered serial numbers on them. I also know it isn't hard to obscure or damage the serial number impression, and that postage meters can be stolen and at least used until the cash recorded in them runs out. I'm still not impressed with the "effectiveness" of this measure.)