“It’s none of your business”….

mikee999

So I’ve been going to the post office 2-3x a week to ship coins using their ground advantage w/tracking.

After punching in the usual yes & no into their system, the postal employee invariably asks what’s in there?

My impulse answer would’ve been “none of you business.” But I knew I had to be pc and said collectible coins - NOT.

I kept my cool and always answered with “merchandise.” They seemed satisfy with the answer.

Question: has anyone encountered the same or similar situation, and what was your reaction/ answer?

1960NYGiants

Yes. One clerk asks that every time. I think she doesn't know or can't recite the "any thing hazardous, liquid, flammable, etc." question. I always answer "nothing hazardous, liquid, flammable, etc."

PerryHall

Tell him it's a stool sample.

mikee999

@PerryHall said:
Tell him it's a stool sample.

Then they’ll say ever heard or use Labcorp

TrickleCharge

Say it's an SBA dollar and they will stamp it "not worth stealing".

mikee999

@TrickleCharge said:
Say it's an SBA dollar and they will stamp it "not worth stealing".

Or junk xxxx

WaterSport

I always tell them old circuit boards since I ship in padded envelopes.

WS

HillbillyCollector

Personally, I might say it’s one of these. Would almost be certain it wouldn’t be bothered.😉👍
>

rte592

Machine parts, but that's a different forum

Pnies20

Several times, especially when I ship registered.

I gather they’re skeptical I need registered shipping and/or the amount of insurance I ask for.

Glen2022

@PerryHall said:
Tell him it's a stool sample.

Love it!!!

Just mark stool sample on the outside of the envelope. That should dissuade any potential thieves.

jmlanzaf

They can open anything, if they want.

oldabeintx

My PO has modern equipment - the payment screen asks the required questions about contents. I tap “no” and sign. Never have they asked about contents regardless of stated value. We have a great PO in my area.

Catbert

I say “artifacts” and the disinterested look on their face is immediate (often not in their vocabulary).

Dave99B

I get asked occasionally. I respond ‘car parts’. I hate lying, but it works well.

Dave

JBK

I received a box from Modern Coin Mart (a non-coin purchase, oddly enough) and the sender's name on the return address said "Mold Testing".

DCW

@Glen2022 said:

@PerryHall said:
Tell him it's a stool sample.

Love it!!!

Just mark stool sample on the outside of the envelope. That should dissuade any potential thieves.

That may qualify as "hazardous." 😆

johnny9434

@PerryHall said:
Tell him it's a stool sample.

That wreaks the heavens 🤢

oldabeintx

@Catbert said:
I say “artifacts” and the disinterested look on their face is immediate (often not in their vocabulary).

I wasn’t aware that the word “artifacts” wasn’t in the vocabulary of average folks. Great info, thanks.

vintagebanks

@mikee999 said:
So I’ve been going to the post office 2-3x a week to ship coins using their ground advantage w/tracking.

You should try printing labels at home if you are shipping that often. You save money, time and no questions when you drop off.

mikee999

@vintagebanks said:

@mikee999 said:
So I’ve been going to the post office 2-3x a week to ship coins using their ground advantage w/tracking.

You should try printing labels at home if you are shipping that often. You save money, time and no questions when you drop off.

No pc, no printer, no typewriter, no copier.
Just my iPhone 8+, padded envelopes, pen & paper. Usually buyers pay $6 for shipping. More for heavier stuff.

Barberian

@HillbillyCollector said:
Personally, I might say it’s one of these. Would almost be certain it wouldn’t be bothered.😉👍
>

I'd tape those to the outside of the box to improve security.

BStrauss3

Bricks... I know some guys who collect them and we swap rare bricks. We go out and look for broken down walls in fields and sometimes even just piles of bricks.

Do you know that a single rare brink from a company that was out of business within a year can be worth $5.

Do you know that there once were over 500 brick manufacturers everywhere in the USA? Every brick is marked with the name of the manufacturer and sometimes a slogan. But starting in 1930 with the railroads offering cheap freight rates during the Depression, many of them shut down and people would buy bricks for construction from nearby towns. It might be hard to get enough bricks and you could have bricks from five or even six companies used to build a single house. A skilled master bricklayer would be able to match/merge colors and the slight differences in brick sizes to create a pleasant appearance. A wall built by a journeyman or an apprentice would have visible areas that do not match. This is especially important because an area of bricks that are even 1/16" of an inch smaller will quickly show a poor offset.

Do you know how small 1/16th of an inch is?

Do you want to step outside and see what bricks were used to construct this Post Office?

I also have a catalog that lists all the slogans, do you want me to bring it in next time?

(it's all bs, but I bet you only have to spout it once per clerk, maybe once per Post Office)

Sapyx

@mikee999 said:
My impulse answer would’ve been “none of you business.” But I knew I had to be pc and said collectible coins - NOT.

Technically and legally, it actually is their business. There's a whole bunch of things that legally aren't allowed to go through the post. They want to make sure you're not shipping one of those things. Sure, there's a tick-a-box form to fill in, but simply asking the question can sometimes reveal things the tick-a-box misses. Plus, if you act all suspicious and cagey on being asked, they might well conclude that you're trying to ship contraband and put your package aside for further examination.

I know a guy who always declares his coins to be "stamped metal discs". Has the advantage of actually being true, and matching up with what would appear on x-ray.

MWallace

@jmlanzaf said:
They can open anything, if they want.

Not true. Only postal inspectors can open a package or piece of mail and they need a search warrant to do so. A rank and file clerk can only open media mail because of the abuse of that form of mail.

RobertScotLover

Is this news to you

JWP

I use Pirate Ship and clerk just scans the package and gives me my receipt.

jmlanzaf

@mikee999 said:

@vintagebanks said:

@mikee999 said:
So I’ve been going to the post office 2-3x a week to ship coins using their ground advantage w/tracking.

You should try printing labels at home if you are shipping that often. You save money, time and no questions when you drop off.

No pc, no printer, no typewriter, no copier.
Just my iPhone 8+, padded envelopes, pen & paper. Usually buyers pay $6 for shipping. More for heavier stuff.

Typewriter?

You can buy a printer pretty cheaply and print directly from the phone. It is cheaper and a tremendous time saver.

jmlanzaf

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:
They can open anything, if they want.

Not true. Only postal inspectors can open a package or piece of mail and they need a search warrant to do so. A rank and file clerk can only open media mail because of the abuse of that form of mail.

A. I wasn't talking about the clerks but USPS.
B. Yes, you are correct, they need a warrant to open 1st class mail. Is ground advantage first class?

MWallace

@jmlanzaf said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:
They can open anything, if they want.

Not true. Only postal inspectors can open a package or piece of mail and they need a search warrant to do so. A rank and file clerk can only open media mail because of the abuse of that form of mail.

A. I wasn't talking about the clerks but USPS.
B. Yes, you are correct, they need a warrant to open 1st class mail. Is ground advantage first class?

Your response makes no sense.

"They", defined as USPS by you, cannot "open anything if they want".

I worked for the USPS for 31 years. I know what I'm talking about. Clerks, NOT carriers, NOT mail handlers, NOT maintenance, NOT ANY other craft, ONLY a clerk can open a piece of MEDIA MAIL to see if it qualifies for that service. They can not open any other service level of mail.

The USPIS, United States Postal Inspection Service, ONLY with a search warrant from a judge, can open ANY level of mail service. Examples, for you, are Express, Priority, First Class, Ground Advantage, Registered, etc.

To answer your other question, First Class and Ground Advantage are not the same.

Edited only to correct a typo.

mikee999

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:
They can open anything, if they want.

Not true. Only postal inspectors can open a package or piece of mail and they need a search warrant to do so. A rank and file clerk can only open media mail because of the abuse of that form of mail.

A. I wasn't talking about the clerks but USPS.
B. Yes, you are correct, they need a warrant to open 1st class mail. Is ground advantage first class?

Your response makes no sense.

"They", defined as USPS by you, cannot "open anything if they want".

I worked for the USPS for 31 years. I know what I'm talking about. Clerks, NOT carriers, NOT mail handlers, NOT maintenance, NOT ANY other craft, ONLY a clerk can open a piece of MEDIA MAIL to see if it qualifies for that service. They can not open any other level of of mail.

The USPIS, United States Postal Inspection Service, ONLY with a search warrant from a judge, can open ANY level of mail service. Examples, for you, are Express, Priority, First Class, Ground Advantage, Registered, etc.

To answer your other question, First Class and Ground Advantage are not the same.

I was told by my PO Ground Advantage has replaced First Class, months ago??

JBK

@mikee999 said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:
They can open anything, if they want.

Not true. Only postal inspectors can open a package or piece of mail and they need a search warrant to do so. A rank and file clerk can only open media mail because of the abuse of that form of mail.

A. I wasn't talking about the clerks but USPS.
B. Yes, you are correct, they need a warrant to open 1st class mail. Is ground advantage first class?

Your response makes no sense.

"They", defined as USPS by you, cannot "open anything if they want".

I worked for the USPS for 31 years. I know what I'm talking about. Clerks, NOT carriers, NOT mail handlers, NOT maintenance, NOT ANY other craft, ONLY a clerk can open a piece of MEDIA MAIL to see if it qualifies for that service. They can not open any other level of of mail.

The USPIS, United States Postal Inspection Service, ONLY with a search warrant from a judge, can open ANY level of mail service. Examples, for you, are Express, Priority, First Class, Ground Advantage, Registered, etc.

To answer your other question, First Class and Ground Advantage are not the same.

I was told by my PO Ground Advantage has replaced First Class, months ago??

I believe that Ground Advantage replaced First Class Package Service.

Regular First Class letters and postcards are alive and well.

MWallace

@mikee999 said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:
They can open anything, if they want.

Not true. Only postal inspectors can open a package or piece of mail and they need a search warrant to do so. A rank and file clerk can only open media mail because of the abuse of that form of mail.

A. I wasn't talking about the clerks but USPS.
B. Yes, you are correct, they need a warrant to open 1st class mail. Is ground advantage first class?

Your response makes no sense.

"They", defined as USPS by you, cannot "open anything if they want".

I worked for the USPS for 31 years. I know what I'm talking about. Clerks, NOT carriers, NOT mail handlers, NOT maintenance, NOT ANY other craft, ONLY a clerk can open a piece of MEDIA MAIL to see if it qualifies for that service. They can not open any other level of of mail.

The USPIS, United States Postal Inspection Service, ONLY with a search warrant from a judge, can open ANY level of mail service. Examples, for you, are Express, Priority, First Class, Ground Advantage, Registered, etc.

To answer your other question, First Class and Ground Advantage are not the same.

I was told by my PO Ground Advantage has replaced First Class, months ago??

That is absolutely true, but you still mail letters First Class. Two different services as I was asked. I suspect that he was trying to trip me up.

MWallace

@JBK said:

@mikee999 said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:
They can open anything, if they want.

Not true. Only postal inspectors can open a package or piece of mail and they need a search warrant to do so. A rank and file clerk can only open media mail because of the abuse of that form of mail.

A. I wasn't talking about the clerks but USPS.
B. Yes, you are correct, they need a warrant to open 1st class mail. Is ground advantage first class?

Your response makes no sense.

"They", defined as USPS by you, cannot "open anything if they want".

I worked for the USPS for 31 years. I know what I'm talking about. Clerks, NOT carriers, NOT mail handlers, NOT maintenance, NOT ANY other craft, ONLY a clerk can open a piece of MEDIA MAIL to see if it qualifies for that service. They can not open any other level of of mail.

The USPIS, United States Postal Inspection Service, ONLY with a search warrant from a judge, can open ANY level of mail service. Examples, for you, are Express, Priority, First Class, Ground Advantage, Registered, etc.

To answer your other question, First Class and Ground Advantage are not the same.

I was told by my PO Ground Advantage has replaced First Class, months ago??

I believe that Ground Advantage replaced First Class Package Service.

Regular First Class letters and postcards are alive and well.

100% correct.

mikee999

@MWallace said:

@mikee999 said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:
They can open anything, if they want.

Not true. Only postal inspectors can open a package or piece of mail and they need a search warrant to do so. A rank and file clerk can only open media mail because of the abuse of that form of mail.

A. I wasn't talking about the clerks but USPS.
B. Yes, you are correct, they need a warrant to open 1st class mail. Is ground advantage first class?

Your response makes no sense.

"They", defined as USPS by you, cannot "open anything if they want".

I worked for the USPS for 31 years. I know what I'm talking about. Clerks, NOT carriers, NOT mail handlers, NOT maintenance, NOT ANY other craft, ONLY a clerk can open a piece of MEDIA MAIL to see if it qualifies for that service. They can not open any other level of of mail.

The USPIS, United States Postal Inspection Service, ONLY with a search warrant from a judge, can open ANY level of mail service. Examples, for you, are Express, Priority, First Class, Ground Advantage, Registered, etc.

To answer your other question, First Class and Ground Advantage are not the same.

I was told by my PO Ground Advantage has replaced First Class, months ago??

That is absolutely true, but you still mail letters First Class. Two different services as I was asked. I suspect that he was trying to trip me up.

Nope was trying to understand po lingo.
1. When sending merchandise it goes through “ ground advantage” vs months ago, first class.
2. Sending a letter is 1st class.

End of lesson.

MWallace

@JBK said:

@mikee999 said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:
They can open anything, if they want.

Not true. Only postal inspectors can open a package or piece of mail and they need a search warrant to do so. A rank and file clerk can only open media mail because of the abuse of that form of mail.

A. I wasn't talking about the clerks but USPS.
B. Yes, you are correct, they need a warrant to open 1st class mail. Is ground advantage first class?

Your response makes no sense.

"They", defined as USPS by you, cannot "open anything if they want".

I worked for the USPS for 31 years. I know what I'm talking about. Clerks, NOT carriers, NOT mail handlers, NOT maintenance, NOT ANY other craft, ONLY a clerk can open a piece of MEDIA MAIL to see if it qualifies for that service. They can not open any other level of of mail.

The USPIS, United States Postal Inspection Service, ONLY with a search warrant from a judge, can open ANY level of mail service. Examples, for you, are Express, Priority, First Class, Ground Advantage, Registered, etc.

To answer your other question, First Class and Ground Advantage are not the same.

I was told by my PO Ground Advantage has replaced First Class, months ago??

I believe that Ground Advantage replaced First Class Package Service.

Regular First Class letters and postcards are alive and well.

100% correct.> @mikee999 said:

@MWallace said:

@mikee999 said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:
They can open anything, if they want.

Not true. Only postal inspectors can open a package or piece of mail and they need a search warrant to do so. A rank and file clerk can only open media mail because of the abuse of that form of mail.

A. I wasn't talking about the clerks but USPS.
B. Yes, you are correct, they need a warrant to open 1st class mail. Is ground advantage first class?

Your response makes no sense.

"They", defined as USPS by you, cannot "open anything if they want".

I worked for the USPS for 31 years. I know what I'm talking about. Clerks, NOT carriers, NOT mail handlers, NOT maintenance, NOT ANY other craft, ONLY a clerk can open a piece of MEDIA MAIL to see if it qualifies for that service. They can not open any other level of of mail.

The USPIS, United States Postal Inspection Service, ONLY with a search warrant from a judge, can open ANY level of mail service. Examples, for you, are Express, Priority, First Class, Ground Advantage, Registered, etc.

To answer your other question, First Class and Ground Advantage are not the same.

I was told by my PO Ground Advantage has replaced First Class, months ago??

That is absolutely true, but you still mail letters First Class. Two different services as I was asked. I suspect that he was trying to trip me up.

Nope was trying to understand po lingo.
1. When sending merchandise it goes through “ ground advantage” vs months ago, first class.
2. Sending a letter is 1st class.

End of lesson.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean you were the one trying to trip me up. It was another poster who I believe was trying to trip me up.

privatecoin

@BStrauss3 said:
Bricks... I know some guys who collect them and we swap rare bricks. We go out and look for broken down walls in fields and sometimes even just piles of bricks.

Do you know that a single rare brink from a company that was out of business within a year can be worth $5.

Do you know that there once were over 500 brick manufacturers everywhere in the USA? Every brick is marked with the name of the manufacturer and sometimes a slogan. But starting in 1930 with the railroads offering cheap freight rates during the Depression, many of them shut down and people would buy bricks for construction from nearby towns. It might be hard to get enough bricks and you could have bricks from five or even six companies used to build a single house. A skilled master bricklayer would be able to match/merge colors and the slight differences in brick sizes to create a pleasant appearance. A wall built by a journeyman or an apprentice would have visible areas that do not match. This is especially important because an area of bricks that are even 1/16" of an inch smaller will quickly show a poor offset.

Do you know how small 1/16th of an inch is?

Do you want to step outside and see what bricks were used to construct this Post Office?

I also have a catalog that lists all the slogans, do you want me to bring it in next time?

(it's all bs, but I bet you only have to spout it once per clerk, maybe once per Post Office)

Did you mention bricks?

jmlanzaf

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@MWallace said:

@jmlanzaf said:
They can open anything, if they want.

Not true. Only postal inspectors can open a package or piece of mail and they need a search warrant to do so. A rank and file clerk can only open media mail because of the abuse of that form of mail.

A. I wasn't talking about the clerks but USPS.
B. Yes, you are correct, they need a warrant to open 1st class mail. Is ground advantage first class?

Your response makes no sense.

"They", defined as USPS by you, cannot "open anything if they want".

I worked for the USPS for 31 years. I know what I'm talking about. Clerks, NOT carriers, NOT mail handlers, NOT maintenance, NOT ANY other craft, ONLY a clerk can open a piece of MEDIA MAIL to see if it qualifies for that service. They can not open any other service level of mail.

The USPIS, United States Postal Inspection Service, ONLY with a search warrant from a judge, can open ANY level of mail service. Examples, for you, are Express, Priority, First Class, Ground Advantage, Registered, etc.

To answer your other question, First Class and Ground Advantage are not the same.

Edited only to correct a typo.

I'm not sure why it makes no sense. I was simply explaining that my "they" referred to USPS in general, not anyone specific. So it's clerks and postal inspectors. Those folks are part of "they".

If an analogy helps, it's like saying "the government levies taxes". That doesn't mean EVERYONE in the government. It means someone in the government.

And, if I read it correctly, they can inspect ground advantage since it's not 1st class. It is not just media mail. The ONLY service level that requires a warrant is first class. All other classes are inspectable.

JBK

I suspect that text is either a high-level summary and/or out of date.

Only media mail is prohibited from containing correspondence, and that seems to be the key limitation in that text.

That text does not mention Priority/Express, etc., for example, but those often contain correspondence.

jmlanzaf

@JBK said:
I suspect that text is either a high-level summary and/or out of date.

Only media mail is prohibited from containing correspondence, and that seems to be the key limitation in that text.

That text does not mention Priority/Express, etc., for example, but those often contain correspondence.

I don't know. It's the FAQs in the uspis.gov website. Possibly dated 2019???

https://www.uspis.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/USPIS-FAQs.pdf

Edited to add. USPS website says this:

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Can-my-mail-be-opened

https://about.usps.com/publications/pub14/pub14_ch2_005.htm#:~:text=If the package is not,opened and its contents examined.

ElKevvo

@BStrauss3 said:
Bricks... I know some guys who collect them and we swap rare bricks. We go out and look for broken down walls in fields and sometimes even just piles of bricks.

Actually there are a number of folks who collect bricks and some of them are quite rare and worth a lot more than $5.00!

K

MWallace

@jmlanzaf

I'll say this and it will be the end of it for me. You're not worth trying to explain something to you.

Have you read the Fourth Amendment? My guess would be you have not. Read it. No entity, business, branch of government, Postal Inspector, etc. can take away our constitutional rights by writing "policy". It is dangerous to our rights for those of you to think that way just because the gov't "says so".

This flies in my front yard below the US Flag. It's a Gadsden Flag. It says "DONT TREAD ON ME". If you don't understand, or know what that means, look it up.

lermish

@MWallace said:

This flies in my front yard below the US Flag. It's a Gadsden Flag. It says "DONT TREAD ON ME". If you don't understand, or know what that means, look it up.

Living in northern California, I see those all the time. I could tell you exactly what they mean (now) but I would be promptly banned for the political commentary.

asheland

I usually say “collectibles” it’s not a lie, and it sounds like something cheap.

Jacques_Loungecoque

@MWallace said:

I worked for the USPS for 31 years.

Bless you and thank you for your service. That’s some tough and stressful work for those that actually do choose to work. I have no doubt you were one of those. 👍🏻🇺🇸📬

MWallace

@Jacques_Loungecoque said:

@MWallace said:

I worked for the USPS for 31 years.

Bless you and thank you for your service. That’s some tough and stressful work for those that actually do choose to work. I have no doubt you were one of those. 👍🏻🇺🇸📬

Thank you sir. That's very kind.

jmlanzaf

@MWallace said:
@jmlanzaf

I'll say this and it will be the end of it for me. You're not worth trying to explain something to you.

Have you read the Fourth Amendment? My guess would be you have not. Read it. No entity, business, branch of government, Postal Inspector, etc. can take away our constitutional rights by writing "policy". It is dangerous to our rights for those of you to think that way just because the gov't "says so".

This flies in my front yard below the US Flag. It's a Gadsden Flag. It says "DONT TREAD ON ME". If you don't understand, or know what that means, look it up.

Insulting me isn't helpful. The links I provided mention the 4th amendment and also specify that only first class is considered private. So, take it up with USPS and USPIS from whose websites I took the links.

So you can quote the Constitution, but you can't yell "fire" in a theater and you can't buy a machine gun. There are limitations, including the TSA requiring me to empty my pockets at the airport and X-Ray my baggage without a warrant. So, in fact, they can and do write policy that would apparently violate your fourth amendment rights. Next time you're in the airport, please bring a gun and refuse to go through the TSA line and let us know how that works out for you.

Next time you run out of facts, just drop the thread instead of resorting to insults which do not help the discussion at all

JBK

@jmlanzaf said:

So you can quote the Constitution, but you can't yell "fire" in a theater

Wrong. You can yell anything you want in a theater. You just can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater.

and you can't buy a machine gun.

Wrong again. Unless you live in a state that has banned them, federal law allows for qualified private citizens to purchase a machine gun.

Next time you run out of facts, just drop the thread instead of resorting to insults which do not help the discussion at all

You certainly have a knack for beating dead horses in order to try to get the last word.

In any case, I'll take the word of a 31 year USPS veteran over someone casually plucking sections from an online FAQ.

Now what the heck was this thread about? 🤔

Walkerfan

‘Merchandise’ Is a great answer. It’s really none of their business just as long as they know that it’s nothing like Firearms, Explosives, drugs, flammable material or perishable items, etc.

element159

In the case of paper currency, stating the contents as 'documents' works for me. It is correct, but vague enough to be boring.

jmlanzaf

@JBK said:

@jmlanzaf said:

So you can quote the Constitution, but you can't yell "fire" in a theater

Wrong. You can yell anything you want in a theater. You just can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater.

and you can't buy a machine gun.

Wrong again. Unless you live in a state that has banned them, federal law allows for qualified private citizens to purchase a machine gun.

Next time you run out of facts, just drop the thread instead of resorting to insults which do not help the discussion at all

You certainly have a knack for beating dead horses in order to try to get the last word.

In any case, I'll take the word of a 31 year USPS veteran over someone casually plucking sections from an online FAQ.

Now what the heck was this thread about? 🤔

I don't care whose word you take for it. I don't actually know the full answer as the links I provided are not 100% consistent with each other. And we're not going to find out the answer because rather than a calm discussion, your 31-year veteran resorted to ad hominem attacks. And am I to understand that you're okay with that?

There are clearly instances where the USPS is allowed to open mail without a warrant. What those exact circumstances are, it is hard to decipher. But there is a USDA exemption clearly stated as well as a list of services, like media mail, that allow for unwarranted checking of the package. So you can side with the 31 year veteran, but he himself pointed out the media mail exception before he claimed that the 4th amendment was suddenly inviolable, despite evidence to the contrary.

As for "casually plucking sections", I started the search after the question was raised because I've been told numerous times by my local 20+-year USPS veterans that they can "inspect" certain packages for revenue verification as well as contents. That included parcels and media mail in prior discussions at my post office. I've always simply accepted it until challenged by Mr. Wallace which led to my "casual" research trying to find the correct answer. (Isn't that how it is supposed to work?) My "casual" research actually supports my local USPS veteran more than Mr. Wallace, but I am unhappy with the results of that search as USPIS and USPS don't seem to agree on the specific details of the mail types that require a warrant.

And, yes, you can yell "fire" in an empty movie theater. (Really? That point needed making?) And no, your average citizen can't just buy a machine gun despite the fact that "the right to bear arms shall not be infringed". If you don't like machine gun, how about live tank or missile battery? And so none of those rights are absolute, which is a fact that shouldn't have needed to be pointed out, but apparently was.

And how do we feel about the USPS X-raying packages without a warrant? Get that Gadsden and head to Washington!!