Feds searched my mail...

[txaslftist]

No shit. I have a friend who mailed me a copy of a book she wrote (It's actually quite good) to edit. When I get home the book is out of the package and sitting where my wife usually puts my mail. I say, "Hi, honey. Did you open up my book?" (curious, not accusatory).

She says, "No. The post office did. They stamped it 'media-subject to inspection'. I threw the package away."

So I'm like, sure. She wanted to see what it was and opened it, right? Just for verification purposes, I looked in the trash and found the opened package. Sure enough, there was a cut in the side of the package that had been poorly retaped and a little red stamp that said "MEDIA SUBJECT TO INSPECTION".

Okay, folks, this was a bound volume of 8 1/2 by 11 paper (generated from a computer printer) and NOTHING ELSE. I checked with the writer who sent it to me, and that was ALL she sent. If you were to pick up this package, there is no way you could possibly mistake it for anything else.

It was simply a stack of computer paper bound like a book.

Can the post office now open up our mail and read it? They clearly read (and slightly damaged - not that I care) mine! WTF?

[Boo Boo]

1. Sounds like your friend is being watched. Or...

I guess it could be you.

Been to any anti-war protests lately?

[Coventina]

2. Well of course they can read your mail. Who is going to stop them?

:shrug:

[charlie]

3. Far as I know

they've always been allowed to open and inspect packages.

[skooooo]

4. I'd go talk to a lawyer...

...if you have means and time, challenge this BS.

[Horse with no Name]

5. I wouldn't worry too much about it

I have a friend who buys quite a bit of stuff on Ebay and most of it comes Media Mail.
Since Media Mail is so much cheaper, the postal inspector will sometimes open the packages to verify that the items actually qualify for media mail. This happens to her about once a month.
Once the items didn't, and she had to pay about $20 extra in shipping charges.
Since it was not a standard size "feel" for a book, my guess is that they checked to make sure it was bound.

[neweurope]

6. By what I gather from PATRIOT I + II they can now do whatever they want

to you.

------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[LeftyMom]

7. They check media mail

because people were shipping regular stuff at the media mail rate. Sure, it could be a cover for reading your mail, but more than likely it's just a check to make sure nobody's sending anything they shouldn't at the cut rate.

[ET Awful]

10. My thoughts exactly. Media Mail packages are inspected randomly

because people were abusing the very low shipping rate for media mail.

[Generic Other]

8. Call and file a complaint

Ask for a written explanation. I am sure they are accountable for such actions.

If we except such treatment in silence, it will continue.

I can't believe they did that!

They do amazing things to my subscription to Adbusters. They finger it, stomp on it, tear pages, probably even wipe their asses on it before delivery. And I complain.

[CabalPowered]

9. I recently purchased a book from the Amazon marketplace and

it had the same stamp. It didn't appear to have been opened. Did the Comstock law get reinstated for the war on porn?

edit: sp.. oops

[SheilaT]

11. Media mail

has always been subject to opening.

Who knows if your mail was opened entirely at random or because of who it came from or anything else. If you have reason to think you're being watched, file an FOIA request to see what kind of files they have on you. Otherwise, don't sweat it.

There have long been rumors out there that the phone company listens in on lots of phone calls, and I've always been convinced that, other than targeted wire-tapping (some of which is done on shaky legal grounds) there's no vast network of listeners to our phone conversations.

I know that supposedly there are programs out there that are able to listen to conversations and pick up on key words and record those conversations, and programs that can scan emails, and probably message boards like this, and again pick up key words. But knowing how slow our government was to translate messages between known terrorists around the time of 9/11, I am utterly unconvinced of the ability of our government to keep track of anyone.

In other words, don't sweat this. Unless there was some content in it that would trigger a personal visit from Homeland Security. In which case, they wouldn't have delivered the book to you. Keep in mind, that they made sure you knew it was opened, rather than re-sealing it carefully.

[PATRICK]

12. Other explanation

IF the package had regular stamps in excess of the exact amount in lieu of a metered or something stamped at the post office, and if it had to be flown(not much flies, most is trucked actually) you might get inspected. Or any damp spot or white powder?

There has been an update or increase in warnings about suspicious packages just lately so they may be spot checking a lot more as part of the program.

They also inspect for things that should be first class mail although that would be kind of cheap and the cut would be small and as above, it would have to be postage you applied not the clerk.

You might ask the Inspection service(not the FBI) which could be far away depending on where it was inspected. Things received and checked at the PO I don't think should be subject to opening unless there is something very wrong with the appearance of the package.

If you want to really feel persecuted wait until you get a piece of machine damaged mail in a wrapper. I have never seen a manuscript strewn about in 20 some years but plenty of other bulky multi sheet mailings and books and tapes galore.

And though I am not up to chapter and verse, media mail is not subject to the same personal privacy protections as first class mail. I never did pay much attention when they changed classifications from bulk class mail to standard and media mail.

[mcscajun]

13. They've put signs up in the Post Offices now explaining Media Mail

Rates and that all Media Mail packages are subject to inspection, to assure that people aren't abusing the rate.

So, if you ship (or are the recipient of a shipment of) CDs, DVDs, Books, Bulk Magazines, whatever, this is going to happen from time to time.

If your friends ships another book to you by First Class Mail, that package should not be opened before you get it, period.

[Boo Boo]

18. Ya mean it's not some kind of black helicopter conspiracy?

It's just Media Mail? Man, that's like... really boring.

[mnhtnbb]

14. Media mail subject to inspection

because of lower postal rate. If the package is not presented to the PO open so they can see it qualifies, they will open it to check that it only contains qualified media material.

Ask the person who sent it to you if she mailed it herself with media postage rather than taking it to the PO to have it weighed, inspected, and postage attached by an agent at the counter.

[WoodrowFan]

15. They will check Media Mail

the USPS will check Media Mail to see if it was indeed "Media." Since they charge less for Media, they want to make sure that the person sending it isn't cheating. I sell books online and use Media Mail a LOT and that's what they told me.


I'd be pretty creeped out as well if I were in your shoes. However, I suspect if they were reading your mail they do it quietly and not let you know.

On edit: sorry, I went ot look up the regs online for Media Mail and didn't recheck the thread before I posted....

[txaslftist]

16. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.

Now I know why they inspected it (hopefully) just to make sure my friend wasn't cheating on postage.

I feel better (and less paranoid) now.

[Kablooie]

17. Make sure your wife didn't buy a "MEDIA SUBJECT TO INSPECTION" stamp.

My wife uses her's all the time.