19 ms·

Current deaddrop schemes seem to be working quite well, drones would be much easier to target than just a random person walking around.

mrtksn 8y ago
One needs to restock these dead drops, right? Maybe a distributor can bypass all the small time street dealers and create an empire whose only distribution channel is drones.
- golergka 8y ago
  You must be from US - it seems to be lagging behind in that area. Here, there are not street dealers anymore, deaddrops are how end users buy it. And hiring a stream of low-skill couriers that end up in jail after 2-3 months of working for anonymous boss is way cheaper and safer than flying drones from your own location.
  - penagwin 8y ago
    At least around here (in US), while street deals are still the common among most people, USPS is likely the one of the biggest/safest methods now. They require a warrant to search domestic packages, not to mention the most common "illicit substance" is now commercially legal in many states...
bluedino 8y ago
Don't drones have to be controlled from a certain distance? Most prisons around here are in remote areas, so if you see car pulled over on the side of the road near a prison, maybe they are flying a drone to deliver contraband.
- joncrane 8y ago
  That's a pretty slippery slope, don't you think, if law enforcement started pulling up on all stopped vehicles within X distance of a correctional institution? It reminds me of the issue where constitutional protections can be selectively removed within 100 miles of the US border by border agents.
- icebraining 8y ago
  4G drones have been around for a while, you can control them from anywhere.
- jonfw 8y ago
  Legally they're not supposed to fly past a certain distance from an operator, but if you don't care about the law you could easily operate via cell towers, or even autonomously via a predefined GPS coordinate based route.

mrtksn 8y ago

One needs to restock these dead drops, right? Maybe a distributor can bypass all the small time street dealers and create an empire whose only distribution channel is drones.

golergka 8y ago
You must be from US - it seems to be lagging behind in that area. Here, there are not street dealers anymore, deaddrops are how end users buy it. And hiring a stream of low-skill couriers that end up in jail after 2-3 months of working for anonymous boss is way cheaper and safer than flying drones from your own location.
- penagwin 8y ago
  At least around here (in US), while street deals are still the common among most people, USPS is likely the one of the biggest/safest methods now. They require a warrant to search domestic packages, not to mention the most common "illicit substance" is now commercially legal in many states...

bluedino 8y ago

Don't drones have to be controlled from a certain distance? Most prisons around here are in remote areas, so if you see car pulled over on the side of the road near a prison, maybe they are flying a drone to deliver contraband.

joncrane 8y ago
That's a pretty slippery slope, don't you think, if law enforcement started pulling up on all stopped vehicles within X distance of a correctional institution? It reminds me of the issue where constitutional protections can be selectively removed within 100 miles of the US border by border agents.
icebraining 8y ago
4G drones have been around for a while, you can control them from anywhere.
jonfw 8y ago
Legally they're not supposed to fly past a certain distance from an operator, but if you don't care about the law you could easily operate via cell towers, or even autonomously via a predefined GPS coordinate based route.