# U.S. Post Offices **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 20, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278 "2015-10-20T21:03:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278/1 "2015-10-20T21:03:41Z")
I haven’t been in a U.S. post office for many years, but I’m curious - are pictures and descriptions of “most wanted” fugitives still displayed on the walls? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278/2 "2015-10-20T21:19:19Z")
yes I have seen the pictures there recently. (in the last year ) Don’t know if they have to put the posters up or if it’s optional. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278/3 "2015-10-20T21:20:29Z")
I go every month or so but never see them. The post office is no longer the place that everyone visits anymore (as you can attest to) and we now have America’s Most Wanted, Crime Stoppers, and the whole internet to fill that role. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278/4 "2015-10-20T22:08:54Z")
When I was small there were posters regarding American [**Colorado Potato Beetles**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_potato_beetle) in British Post Offices, but those are the only wanted posters I have _ever_ seen. Except for lost pets of course, but those are non-governmental. I didn’t know _why_ they they wanted the little chaps, but apparently they were a great [**scourge**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_against_the_potato_beetle), and both sides in WWII thought of breeding them and donating them to the enemy; and in the Cold War the Americans were suspected of trying to destroy communist potatoes with them. Which bearing in mind their demented efforts against _El Jefe_ might not be totally ludicrous. _The British considered dropping them over Germany during World War I, for example. And although Hitler had prohibited active research into biological weapons, a small group of German scientists performed a number of tests dropping specially-bred potato beetles out of planes in 1943. The idea was soon abandoned._ [**BBC**](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23929124) And from that: _The French considered importing beetles from the US and dropping them over Germany after World War I - but the plan was abandoned due to fears it might also damage French agriculture_. _ **After** _ the War. Bloody charming. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278/5 "2015-10-20T23:07:28Z")
When I was a kid, there were posters about American grey squirrels in British Post Offices. One shilling or two free cartridges was paid per grey squirrel tail. The bounty was raised to two shillings in 1956. > **[Grey Squirrel Control: History of Control](https://www.greysquirrelcontrol.co.uk/history-of-control.php)** > > Grey Squirrel Control offers advice, information, training and sells products for control. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278/6 "2015-10-20T23:20:43Z")
I haven’t seen the Wanted posters for a VERY long time. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278/7 "2015-10-21T02:37:07Z")
WANTED at the U. S. Post Office (preferably alive): Customers! ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278/8 "2015-10-21T02:49:22Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > WANTED at the U. S. Post Office (preferably alive): Customers! Nobody goes to the post office anymore – the lines are too long! ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278/9 "2015-10-21T04:00:53Z")
Wanted posters have been replaced by marketing materials since 2010. The Postal Service would rather you spend your time with them as a consumer of their goods and services than a concerned citizen. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278/10 "2015-10-21T13:11:05Z")
I volunteer for my county government and have to walk through our Sheriff’s office to get to the meeting room and there are dozens of wanted posters hanging on the walls there. There are also missing persons posters. My post office doesn’t have those things anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-post-offices/735278/11 "2015-10-21T13:45:04Z")
Haven’t seen Wanted posters anywhere other than in the lobby of our courthouse in many, many years.