# The Post Office Opened My Mail **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 4, 2021, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386 "2021-05-04T19:17:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/42 "2021-05-06T23:34:03Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > > [@nelliebly](#): > > > > Am I the only one who finds this disturbing? > > I mentioned it, and I believe it’s been mentioned in previous threads of his. It’s a little creepy. Several times in the past decades I’ve had mail mangled by a sorting machine and then delivered. It’s no big deal. Big brother is not out to get us or to suppress earth-shattering theories and shocking truths. I agree that if the feds wanted to look at your mail, they would and we would never know. They sure would do better than stapling it shut. And I’m pretty sure the 1st amendment has little to do with protecting the sanctity of mail. Plenty of federal laws and regulations out there to protect my Lands End catalogs and birthday cards. There are only circumscribed applications of the 1st amendment to the USMail: > **[Mail](https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/mail/)** > > Throughout U.S. history, the mail has played a crucial role in shaping jurisprudence on free expression, but its impact on the First Amendment has diminished in recent years. ---
**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/43 "2021-05-06T23:44:46Z")
If “they” are opening your mail and blocking your communications, why would “they” return it to you damaged? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/44 "2021-05-06T23:48:58Z")
It makes no sense to make someone suspicious by returning mangled mail, when just “losing” it, _which happens quite often_, would allay such suspicion…unless of course you would be just as suspicious if it happened the other way around. In that case, I got nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/45 "2021-05-07T00:09:21Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > Am I the only one who finds this disturbing? Very disturbing… > [@'Address Service Requested'](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827): > > As many of you may already know, I have a number of scientific and medical theories that I have been trying to share with people for about 20 years now, if not more. Anyways, I like using the US mail to share it sometimes. Why not? But I have noticed a lot of them have been returned to me. And it sometimes for the stupidest of reasons. A letter is off, a number, maybe I didn’t specify the suite, maybe the person has moved to the next floor. You get the picture. So I bought this stamp from Amaz… > [@What's the Purpose of Security Envelopes?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-purpose-of-security-envelopes/855177): > > I might as well tell you, I have a number of scientific theories I have been trying to share with people for some time now. I think I even shared a couple on these boards, FWIW. And I like the postal service, because it is governed by the First Amendment. Not that I need it. But I mean, if a message board moderator (not necessarily on these boards) gets a bee in their bonnet, they can’t censor me. Anyway, that has little or nothing to do with my question. Security envelopes. I myself use them, … > [@Returned International Mail.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/returned-international-mail/686802): > > Although some of you might find it hard to believe, I sometime use the old-fashioned USPS mail system (so-called snail mail). And sometimes (not very often) I have to send my mail overseas (typically to some other English-speaking country [I speak no foreign language]). Oh, it is really easy. Just take the letter to the front window. And the lady there stamps it with this postal bar code. Then the foreign country, as I understand it, gets a share of the money I spent for the letter. And of cour… > [@Mail Over 1 lb. with No Return Address.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-over-1-lb-with-no-return-address/381232): > > What happens to mail weighing over one pound mailed in an outside mail box, with no return address? I know if such a parcel had a return address, it would be returned to sender, since you must take all U.S. mail weighing over a pound to the post office now. BTW, I am talking about harmless mail, not a terrorist plot or anything like that. Thank you in advance to all who reply slight_smile > [@What Does CSICOP Do With the Chain Letters You Send Them?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-csicop-do-with-the-chain-letters-you-send-them/281288): > > As many of you probably already know, CSICOP (i.e., Committee for the Scientific Investigation of the Paranormal) is an organization of skeptical scientists. And perhaps persuant to this, they have [this](http://www.csicop.org/chain/) website to break people of their habit of bugging others with superstitious chain letters. They tell you, if you must send a chain letter to someone, don’t bother some poor stranger with it. Send it to them. And they even provide you with a postal address [here](http://www.csicop.org/chain/postal.html) and an online method [here](http://www.csicop.org/chain/form.html). When you … > [@What Happens to Chain Letters You Send to This Address?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-chain-letters-you-send-to-this-address/148675): > > A little while ago, while surfing the net, I came across [this](http://www.csicop.org/chain/) website. It is runned by [CSICOP](http://www.csicop.org)–the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. As many of you may already know, they are a group of scientists that like to debunk outrageous claims, like of ghosts, UFO’s and the like. As you can see, [it](http://www.csicop.org/chain/) is meant to help people who are “addicted” to sending those dreaded chain letters–which it of course is totally against. I got that part. But what I don’t understand, is w… ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/46 "2021-05-07T00:42:22Z")
Holy shit. 😲 _As many of you already know_, that’s fucking disturbing. Has there ever been a person who sends out “theories” en masse to strangers unsolicited through the mail who _wasn’t_ a crackpot? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/47 "2021-05-07T01:33:35Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > Am I the only one who finds this disturbing? No, it sets all kinds of alarm bells. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/48 "2021-05-07T04:24:13Z")
I see crackpot theories in the papers, on TV, on radio all the time. I get spam and advertising all the time. Even my relatives are ignorant, suspicious and naive. Getting spammed with crackpot theories wouldn’t cross my threshold for ‘unusual’. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/49 "2021-05-07T05:02:38Z")
I think most people would regard a personal letter filled with such theories and sent by a specific individual very differently than they would editorials, spam, ads, or the random remarks of relatives. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/50 "2021-05-07T11:05:54Z")
How do I subscribe? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/51 "2021-05-07T11:50:12Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/quOI_djS8oc/hqdefault.jpg "Your Ideas Are Intriguing to Me and I Wish to Subscribe to Your Newsletter") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quOI_djS8oc) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/52 "2021-05-07T14:43:41Z")
So, **Jim\_B** , why are you being so coy? Why not let us in on the fun… post one of your theories here! I’m already making popcorn for the [Physical Geography of the world …being supernaturally changed](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-physical-geography-of-the-world-and-our-historical-timeline-are-being-supernaturally-changed-as-i-type-this/941576) thread. Got my recliner and a cup of coffee… fire away, Jimby! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/53 "2021-05-07T14:50:24Z")
> [@digs](#): > > So, **Jim\_B** , why are you being so coy? Why not let us in on the fun… post one of your theories here! He’s posted lots of them - just look at his history. I think even he has one currently. I’m more curious about whom he decides to mail them to. Where does he find them? Does he know them? Are they random strangers? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/54 "2021-05-07T14:52:09Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Has there ever been a person who sends out “theories” en masse to strangers unsolicited through the mail Jack Chick > [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > who _wasn’t_ a crackpot? nevermind ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/55 "2021-05-07T16:18:17Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > I see crackpot theories in the papers, on TV, on radio all the time. Heck, I’ve even seen advertisements promoting various insane ideas placed in magazines like Scientific American, Harper’s, and the like. When I see them, I feel a combination of pity and horror that someone is wasting their money (I don’t know what a quarter-page ad in a prominent magazine costs, but it can’t be cheap) to vainly attempt to gain support for their nuttery through methods that are doomed to expensive failure. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/56 "2021-05-07T16:48:29Z")
I assume that the question of what the theories are has already been answered (as someone said, I’ve shared it here many times before). How do I choose the people to send it to? Usually I choose people who are heads of their departments. Or maybe I see them on TV. Also I think I have already said I include my return address on all of them. Obviously I am not doing anything even remotely improper. As I said, often I even get a positive reply. If you’ve seen someone else doing something, and you’re inaccurately putting me in their category, that’s clearly not my fault. As I said, I always include my return address. So clearly I am not up to anything improper or even that someone finds troubling, if now that’s what you’re implying. And yes the First Amendment does give you more protections that message boards do. I have seen and heard of people getting banned and chastised on message boards for some of the silliest reasons. And I am only going to say this next one once, because it is so ridiculous. But stalking laws require that what the person is doing has no legitimate purpose. My letters obviously serve some perfectly legitimate purpose. Does that make things clearer now? And I don’t understand what the problem was with the past posts of mine that you included in this thread. Maybe you need to make more clear what was wrong with them. Especially since they clearly span a long period of time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/57 "2021-05-07T16:57:45Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > Also I think I have already said I include my return address on all of them You’ve said that a number of times. Doesn’t change anything at all. Or make it any less creepy or weird. > [@Jim\_B](#): > > Obviously I am not doing anything even remotely improper. That may be what you think, but I feel most others wouldn’t agree, especially the recipients. > [@Jim\_B](#): > > As I said, I always include my return address Again, doesn’t change anything. > [@Jim\_B](#): > > So clearly I am not up to anything improper or even that someone finds troubling, Well, a number of people just in this thread have found it troubling, so you’re wrong there too. > [@Jim\_B](#): > > But stalking laws require that what the person is doing has no legitimate purpose. No, they don’t, full stop. > [@Jim\_B](#): > > And yes the First Amendment [I can’t remember where I heard this, but someone once said that defending a position by citing free speech is sort of the ultimate concession; you’re saying that the most compelling thing you can say for your position is that it’s not literally illegal to express.](https://xkcd.com/1357/) ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/58 "2021-05-07T17:16:12Z")
This thread really has me perplexed. I mean did you see or hear about someone else? Maybe on TV? And now you’re ascribing their characteristics to me? I know that I’ve heard this country is becoming too sensitive to some things. But I didn’t realize that it had already gotten to this point. As I said, I’ve been sharing my theories for over 20 years. And the police have never knocked on my door, people. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/59 "2021-05-07T17:27:25Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > the police have never knocked on my door They don’t have time to, they’re too busy reading your mail! ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/60 "2021-05-07T17:34:48Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > My letters obviously serve some perfectly legitimate purpose. What “perfectly legitimate purpose” do they serve? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386/61 "2021-05-07T17:38:45Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > What “perfectly legitimate purpose” do they serve? Bolstering the paper industry and the USPS. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-post-office-opened-my-mail/941386.md?page=4)