5 ms·

In general we tend to over-pack and over-engineer a lot of our shipping and handling processes. Turns out many things just aren't that big of a deal (like shipp

In general we tend to over-pack and over-engineer a lot of our shipping and handling processes. Turns out many things just aren't that big of a deal (like shipping bees). My friend was stationed in Hawaii. She mailed me a coconut. No box, just a stapled a first-class shipping label to it. Delivered without issue.

MeinBlutIstBlau 5y ago
The etch a sketch is hilarious. Every day of travel decreases the chances of it getting to it's destination.
- wsinks 5y ago
  I don't understand.. where did the context for an etch-a-sketch getting mailed come from? Why does every day of travel decrease the chances of it getting to its destination? I have to know.. :) *EDIT: ahhh, non-linear commenting! I went to the wired article from the other comment and found what you're referring to. I thought maybe they mailed it with a picture... they mailed it with an address?! that's one hell of a stress test.
brk 5y ago
Wired magazine used to feature an odd mailed item each month, which included a coconut, among other things. Some of them were pretty cool and creative. Many would likely cause some kind of terror alert if attempted today: https://www.wired.com/2008/12/st-15returntosender/ https://www.wired.com/2008/12/st-15returntosender/
- macintux 5y ago
  Reminds me of a story I can’t find online at the moment: apparently when Games magazine still was published, people would address letters to them with the address encoded as a puzzle. I guess the USPS finally just started sending them any mail with a sufficiently confusing destination address.
xjlin0 5y ago
You are lucky -- not all fruit/seed can be mailed from Hawaii to lower 48. Coconuts & pineapple are among exceptions. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/fs-ship-mail-from-hawaii.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/fs-ship...
- kortilla 5y ago
  Upper, Hawaii is quite far south of the other states. :)

MeinBlutIstBlau 5y ago

The etch a sketch is hilarious. Every day of travel decreases the chances of it getting to it's destination.

wsinks 5y ago
I don't understand.. where did the context for an etch-a-sketch getting mailed come from? Why does every day of travel decrease the chances of it getting to its destination? I have to know.. :) *EDIT: ahhh, non-linear commenting! I went to the wired article from the other comment and found what you're referring to. I thought maybe they mailed it with a picture... they mailed it with an address?! that's one hell of a stress test.

brk 5y ago

Wired magazine used to feature an odd mailed item each month, which included a coconut, among other things. Some of them were pretty cool and creative. Many would likely cause some kind of terror alert if attempted today: https://www.wired.com/2008/12/st-15returntosender/ https://www.wired.com/2008/12/st-15returntosender/

macintux 5y ago
Reminds me of a story I can’t find online at the moment: apparently when Games magazine still was published, people would address letters to them with the address encoded as a puzzle. I guess the USPS finally just started sending them any mail with a sufficiently confusing destination address.

xjlin0 5y ago

You are lucky -- not all fruit/seed can be mailed from Hawaii to lower 48. Coconuts & pineapple are among exceptions. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/fs-ship-mail-from-hawaii.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/fs-ship...

kortilla 5y ago
Upper, Hawaii is quite far south of the other states. :)