FC: More on U.S. Postal Service may require IDs to send packages

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Sat Sep 07 2002 - 08:54:37 PDT

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    Date: Sat, 7 Sep 2002 11:42:41 -0400 (EDT)
    From: "John F. McMullen" <observerat_private>
    To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private>
    Subject: Re: FC: U.S. Postal Service now requires ID to send packages?
    
    It's not just college POs -- my local USPS Post Office has a notice posted
    that ID must be presented when mailing a package of over a pound -- and,
    although it could annoy some, it sounds fine to me. > ---
    
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    From: "George M. Ellenburg" <georgeat_private>
    To: declanat_private
    Subject: Re: FC: U.S. Postal Service now requires ID to send packages?
    Date: Sat, 7 Sep 2002 06:36:21 -0400
    
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    Contract stations must adhere to the same regulations as regular post offices
    (it's in their contract).  All one needs to do is ask the employee, "Show me
    where in the DMM it says I need to present an ID to ship a package?"
    
    The DMM is called the Domestic Mail Manual, and is available to anyone upon
    request at any post office (it may need to be ordered).  It is a government
    document, that is basically the SOP for the USPS and covers everything from
    stamps to po boxes to business mail.
    
    A link to an online version of the Domestic Mail Manual is:
       http://pe.usps.gov/
    
    - --
    George
    
    
     > The only way that I can see that this could be legal
     > is due to the fact that our university requires students to present their
     > student ID to any campus official when asked to do so.
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    From: "Ben Serebin" <benat_private>
    To: <declanat_private>
    Subject: Re: U.S. Postal Service now requires ID to send packages?
    Date: Sat, 7 Sep 2002 09:11:50 -0400
    
    Hello Declan,
    
             This is not at only College campus POs, it also occurs in regular 
    ones (NYC POs). I've mailed an assortment of packages in my own packaging 
    and USPS packaging, and they usually ask for ID when shipping with my own 
    packaging. I think all they are doing is checking to insure the return 
    address matches the name on the ID. I know this because my ID lists a 
    different address than my packages, and not a single PO employee has ever 
    questioned this. I'd consider this ID checking almost pointless, and is 
    done to probably make the general public and the post office feel more 
    safe. More false sense of security after 9/11 and the anthrax mailer.
    
    -Ben
    
    ---
    
    
    
    
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