# How does this make economic/logistical sense?!? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 7, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-make-economic-logistical-sense/675745 "2013-12-07T12:13:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-make-economic-logistical-sense/675745/1 "2013-12-07T12:13:34Z")
Last week I ordered on Amazon one of those big furry Russian hats from a supplier in Russia. According to the tracking system it left Russia, entered the US via Bothell, near Seattle, made its merry way down to Los Angeles then winged across America, out over the Atlantic to arrive in my local post office. I live in Northern Ireland, wouldn’t it have made more sense to ship it the _opposite_ direction? ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-make-economic-logistical-sense/675745/2 "2013-12-07T13:22:06Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > Last week I ordered on Amazon one of those big furry Russian hats from a supplier in Russia. > > According to the tracking system it left Russia, entered the US via Bothell, near Seattle, made its merry way down to Los Angeles then winged across America, out over the Atlantic to arrive in my local post office. > > I live in Northern Ireland, wouldn’t it have made more sense to ship it the _opposite_ direction? [Right turns only!](http://www.e-myth.com/cs/user/print/post/ups-makes-the-right-turn) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-make-economic-logistical-sense/675745/3 "2013-12-07T13:31:29Z")
Whether or not your hat was on those planes, the planes would have been flying anyway. So, essentially it cost nothing to transport the hat. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-make-economic-logistical-sense/675745/4 "2013-12-07T15:57:37Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > Last week I ordered on Amazon one of those big furry Russian hats from a supplier in Russia. > > According to the tracking system it left Russia, entered the US via Bothell, near Seattle, made its merry way down to Los Angeles then winged across America, out over the Atlantic to arrive in my local post office. > > I live in Northern Ireland, wouldn’t it have made more sense to ship it the _opposite_ direction? Depends. Did it come from a farm in Siberia or Russia’s Far East? Given the country’s internal air routes and shipping practices, it might actually have been quicker to send it through the US. There might not even have been a reliable air freight service headed west from the hat’s point of origin. Also: A lot of the fur hats marketed as “Made in Russia” actually come from China, especially those with cheaper furs like rabbit. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-make-economic-logistical-sense/675745/5 "2013-12-07T21:00:01Z")
> [@Marion\_Wormer](#): > > [Right turns only!](http://www.e-myth.com/cs/user/print/post/ups-makes-the-right-turn) That’s a bit extreme but OK! 😃 > [@Leaffan](#): > > Whether or not your hat was on those planes, the planes would have been flying anyway. So, essentially it cost nothing to transport the hat. I don’t understand economics so I’ll take your word for it, still seems strange though. > [@terentii](#): > > Depends. Did it come from a farm in Siberia or Russia’s Far East? Given the country’s internal air routes and shipping practices, it might actually have been quicker to send it through the US. There might not even have been a reliable air freight service headed west from the hat’s point of origin. Yes, that’s a point, I don’t know what part of the country it originated in. > [@terentii](#): > > Also: A lot of the fur hats marketed as “Made in Russia” actually come from China, especially those with cheaper furs like rabbit. Don’t tell me that! ☹