# Acceptable margin of error for the USPS? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 30, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-margin-of-error-for-the-usps/252814 "2004-06-30T02:02:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-margin-of-error-for-the-usps/252814/21 "2004-07-01T01:17:31Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > My husband is a USPS letter carrier, and I’ve talked to many a postal worker in both clerk and carrier jobs. The Postal Inspectors don’t screw around - they will occasionally tail carriers on their routes, they set up “stings” like leaving a wad of cash in a bin of mail (apparently any other response to seeing the cash other than leaving it alone and immediately telling a supervisor - including picking up the cash - will get the worker busted), and so forth. Even taking junk mail that cannot be delivered (no such address, etc.) will get a carrier in trouble. We’ve had a couple of guys get caught over the years I’ve worked there. Like most criminals, they are either too stupid or too full of false confidence ( re your comments about the Mail Carrier knowing he’d be the fprime suspect, **DDG**. These idjuts are pretty arrogant. It might not be a clue to them). One guy who was stealing stuff to fund his obsessive coin collection hobby was actually approached by a manager who thrust a tray of mail at him and said, “Hey, don’t sort those. Sort these instead!”. This was a relatively high level manager, not an immediate supervisor on the processing floor. you’d think the bozo thief woulda twigged, but no… From time to time, I’ve had money and such fall out of postal articles. I immediately freeze, stop whatever maxhine is running, hold the cash up to the nearest camera, then keeping it in theatrically obvious plain sight, take it to the manager. If he wants to then steal it, that’s his lookout. I’m clear. ---
**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-margin-of-error-for-the-usps/252814/22 "2004-07-01T01:47:29Z")
If you’ve ever played the first mission of “Enter The Matrix”, the reason for the problem will be obvious. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_world_s_most_deadliest)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-margin-of-error-for-the-usps/252814/23 "2004-07-01T12:56:41Z")
Hey folks, Don’t mean to bump this thread unnecessarily, but I wanted to thank everyone for the good advice and comments. Oddly enough, all improperly addressed mail DOES come back to us - I have a stack of it on my desk right now. (Of course these are generally flyers, nothing good in there to steal) > [@Cervaise](#): > > Well, there is a huge black market for this sort of thing in Finland. I KNEW we should be trying to break the oversees market with this!!! :smack: 😃 > [@PolyCarp](#): > > And I picked up a new euphemism: a “preneed account” to a funeral home is someone who is still alive! Hit the nail on the head. And when they die, you betcha they turn into an “at-need account”. I wonder if I should start an Ask the Funeral Home Industry Worker thread… ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-margin-of-error-for-the-usps/252814/24 "2004-07-01T13:49:37Z")
Well, I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say, “Bump this if/when you find out what happened.” Because now we’re all curious. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-margin-of-error-for-the-usps/252814/25 "2004-07-01T13:59:27Z")
Another reason it wouldn’t be the local mail guy is that the thefts are recurring despite the software being of no value. (To the general populace, I mean, no aspersions meant to the software.) I mean, can you picture someone stupid enough to continually open packages of software from “XYZ Co.” after the first five or whatever are revealed to be useless? “Duh. The last 40 were crap, maybe this one is better”? It has to be being done by multiple people, which to me means a sorting facility with little (or crooked) supervision going on. Second, a suggestion for the OP: Why not send your software out in packages marked “AOL – 5000 hours free!”?? NOBODY would steal those. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-margin-of-error-for-the-usps/252814/26 "2004-07-01T14:50:29Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > NOBODY would steal those. 😃 Sorry. [Someone would.](http://www.collegehumor.com/?image_id=43679) (NOT WORK-SAFE) (In some people’s eyes, the ads are trouble!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acceptable-margin-of-error-for-the-usps/252814.md?page=1)