# A curious parcel arrived last night **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 19, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309 "2007-10-19T16:42:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/1 "2007-10-19T16:42:36Z")
Something rather unusual happened last night. I know some of you enjoy a bit of mystery now and again, so I decided to share it here. It was nearly midnight when the doorbell rang. I’m something of a night person, but I seldom have visitors so late. I was quite surprised to find a young woman at the door with a large, paper-wrapped box at her feet. The tag on her light blue uniform identified her as “Lisa”, an employee of some courier service. Lisa seemed relieved not to be facing a grumpy, freshly-awakened resident and chattered on as I signed her delivery form. I gathered that her firm specializes in emergency shipments, and that the sender had paid a premium for such a late-night delivery. Needless to say, I was curious about the package by this point, and reached for it as soon as Lisa went on her way. It was surprisingly heavy, and much too solid to be cardboard. The return address specified an agency of some sort in Chicago; I didn’t recognize the firm. Brushing aside the scattered debris of other projects, I set the box on my desk and tore away the coarse brown paper. It was a strongbox, about a foot and a half in every dimension. It was a pretty good one, too—steel walls, internal hinges, and an excellent lock. No wonder it was heavy. I sifted through the wrappings to see if there was any sign of who sent it. Nothing. Also, there was no key. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/2 "2007-10-19T16:47:26Z")
Was it addressed to you? How big is it? Why don’t you look up the firm’s number and give 'em a ring? ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/3 "2007-10-19T16:49:42Z")
Be careful. It might have miniature army guys inside - and they’re mean! And a nuclear weapon. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/4 "2007-10-19T16:51:11Z")
It contains a million dollars. Unfortunately, someone you’ve never met will have to die. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/5 "2007-10-19T16:52:27Z")
It’s obviously the work of Cenobites. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/6 "2007-10-19T16:52:55Z")
If you put your ear to it can you hear a beating heart? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/7 "2007-10-19T16:53:30Z")
Odd. I got a package containing only a single key yesterday from a company based in Skokie, IL. Do you think…? ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/8 "2007-10-19T16:55:51Z")
Did Lisa look nervous? Did she say anything that really didn’t fit in with the rest of the conversation? Such as something that could be taken as a password for the transfer of the package? ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/9 "2007-10-19T17:04:11Z")
Have you googled the firm? The company Lisa works for? Are there any notes or anything inside or outside of the package that might possibly contain directions or a clue as to where you would find a key? ---
**Author:** ![Kuboydal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/10 "2007-10-19T17:10:09Z")
How can you tell that it is a strong box? What can it lift? Is there some sort of international standard of strength for boxes? I’m sorry but I just don’t understand. I did 'sign Lisa’s ‘delivery form’ once. That was neat. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/11 "2007-10-19T17:48:12Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder] Odd. I got a package containing only a single key yesterday from a company based in Skokie, IL. Do you think…? [/QUOTE] I got a brand new mystery stong box, you got a brand new key. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/12 "2007-10-19T17:53:20Z")
I would be having a fit until I could find a way to open this. Actually, now I’ll be compulsively checking this thread until the mystery is revealed. ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/13 "2007-10-19T18:06:15Z")
[QUOTE=Kuboydal] I did 'sign Lisa’s ‘delivery form’ once. [/QUOTE] …but, only for 20 minutes, right? (sorry) ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/14 "2007-10-19T18:09:14Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] I got a brand new mystery stong box, you got a brand new key. [/QUOTE] Bra-vo. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/15 "2007-10-19T18:16:05Z")
Does it say “Property of Marsellus Wallace”? If so, try combination “666”. I’d _really_ like to know what’s inside. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/16 "2007-10-19T18:18:21Z")
Quick responses before I run off to a meeting: Googling got me the agency’s phone number, and I gave them a call during lunch. I got their voice mail and left a message. The package was addressed to me. Lisa didn’t seem particularly nervous. She didn’t say or do anything weird. Well, nothing beyond delivering a mystery box to me at midnight, anyway. I’ve got meetings all afternoon, but I’m going to try to get the box open tonight. I’ll update when I get it open, or when I get a call back from the company that sent it. [QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder] Odd. I got a package containing only a single key yesterday from a company based in Skokie, IL. Do you think…? [/QUOTE] Maybe we should swap? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lynne\_kilii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lynne\_kilii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynne_kilii)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/17 "2007-10-19T18:20:21Z")
You really meant it?! I thought it was a joke! Good luck, then. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/18 "2007-10-19T18:22:35Z")
[QUOTE=Balance] Maybe we should swap? 😉 [/QUOTE] What good does that do anybody? Then you’ll still have something you can’t use. I take it it’s the kind with a key, not a dial? See if you can pick it. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/19 "2007-10-19T19:04:40Z")
A courier delivering at _midnight_? That’s a little… suspicious, isn’t it? Is the sender real? I’d be calling the bomb squad. I don’t want to see a headline on the news tomorrow “Explosion in Dallas…” ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309/20 "2007-10-19T19:29:59Z")
Am I the only one thinking… \*\* BOOM!!!\*\* damn unibomber has scarred me for life I guess I’m not. Yes. It does take me 25 minutes to post sometimes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-curious-parcel-arrived-last-night/423309.md?page=2)