3 ms·

Saint Pierre and Miquelon is less than 20 km from the coast of Newfoundland (Canada). It shouldn't be that hard to get stuff delivered there.

mig39 5y ago
That doesn't make much sense. USPS can just deliver to France and let them deal with it. Or drop it off in Canada and they can forward it. There's a ferry that runs between St. Pierre and Newfoundland a bunch of times every day. It's still running. Regular flights to St. John's, Newfoundland, even Paris, France are still happening. I don't understand this at all -- it's not like USPS was literally flying a plane to St. Pierre, was it?
tdeck 5y ago
Also Samoa is right next to American Samoa, which is a U.S. territory.
- markdown 5y ago
  American Samoa has had tight border restrictions, including from the US mainland. Samoa even more so, given they had a high death toll from a measles epidemic there two years before covid struck.
  - Dylan16807 5y ago
    More directly, Samoa is only allowing one cargo flight per week right now and it doesn't go to American Samoa.
gao8a 5y ago
I am Canadian and I just learned about this, wow
- smnrchrds 5y ago
  People always think Canada has only one international border: with the US. But in reality, Saint Pierre et Miquelon is so close to Newfoundland that there is no international water between them. So in addition to our land and maritime borders with the US, we have a maritime border with France. Also one with Greenland (Denmark), but that's too arctic for anyone to care about.
- mig39 5y ago
  When Prohibition was active in both the US and Canada, St. Pierre & Miquelon was the place buy smuggle booze into Canada (and the USA). In recent times, it was the source of tax-free, cheap Canadian cigarettes and Canadian booze. Neither of which the local French population consume, but are more than happy to sell it to Newfoundlanders visiting :-)
notatoad 5y ago
I doubt that "too hard" is really the issue here. yeah, if USPS wanted to figure it out, i'm sure they could. but what actually happens is that the USPS contracts somebody else to figure it out for them, and that contractor charges USPS a price for that. if the price is worth it, USPS pays. if the price isn't worth it, then USPS stops delivering there.

mig39 5y ago

That doesn't make much sense. USPS can just deliver to France and let them deal with it. Or drop it off in Canada and they can forward it. There's a ferry that runs between St. Pierre and Newfoundland a bunch of times every day. It's still running. Regular flights to St. John's, Newfoundland, even Paris, France are still happening. I don't understand this at all -- it's not like USPS was literally flying a plane to St. Pierre, was it?

tdeck 5y ago

Also Samoa is right next to American Samoa, which is a U.S. territory.

markdown 5y ago
American Samoa has had tight border restrictions, including from the US mainland. Samoa even more so, given they had a high death toll from a measles epidemic there two years before covid struck.
- Dylan16807 5y ago
  More directly, Samoa is only allowing one cargo flight per week right now and it doesn't go to American Samoa.

gao8a 5y ago

I am Canadian and I just learned about this, wow

smnrchrds 5y ago
People always think Canada has only one international border: with the US. But in reality, Saint Pierre et Miquelon is so close to Newfoundland that there is no international water between them. So in addition to our land and maritime borders with the US, we have a maritime border with France. Also one with Greenland (Denmark), but that's too arctic for anyone to care about.
mig39 5y ago
When Prohibition was active in both the US and Canada, St. Pierre & Miquelon was the place buy smuggle booze into Canada (and the USA). In recent times, it was the source of tax-free, cheap Canadian cigarettes and Canadian booze. Neither of which the local French population consume, but are more than happy to sell it to Newfoundlanders visiting :-)

notatoad 5y ago

I doubt that "too hard" is really the issue here. yeah, if USPS wanted to figure it out, i'm sure they could. but what actually happens is that the USPS contracts somebody else to figure it out for them, and that contractor charges USPS a price for that. if the price is worth it, USPS pays. if the price isn't worth it, then USPS stops delivering there.