Interesting to note that in the 80s and 90s, anytime there was a security incident, we didn't have the crazy responses we now. Occasionally, security might be increased for a period of time, but it always went back to normal once they had a handle on things. And even the increased security wasn't a huge deal then.

But I guess 9/11 changed everything. :rolleyes: Now we have to overreact to every little thing, and can't back down once either a threat has passed (if it ever was one), or even if they were wrong and/or overreacted.

9/11, coupled with the Bush administration's desire to go to war in the middle east, spawned an 'anything for security' industry based on fear. Far worse than anything perpetrated on the American population during the Mccarthy years ('reds' lurking under every bed) and the cold war (bomb shelters in backyards).

I would like to hope I live long enough to see us pass through this like we did the 'red' scare and the 'bomb' scare, but I don't know if I will. The erosion/redefinition of fundamental rights seem far worse than anything we've seen before. The previous fear-mongering was largely political in nature, IMHO, but this time it's fueled by unparalleled greed of an industry that needs to keep the American public living in fear.

It's not just stuff from outside the US. Last Oct DHS came out with this gem:

Mailpieces weighing more than 13 ounces bearing only postage
stamps as postage may not be deposited into a collection box, Postal
Service lobby drop, Automated Postal Center (APC) drop, Postal Service
dock, customer mailbox, or other unattended location. These mailpieces
are also precluded from pickup service. The sender must present such
items to an employee at a retail service counter in a Postal Service
facility. The Postal Service will return improperly presented items to
the sender for proper entry and acceptance.

There's an exception for metered mail or postage purchased online (I guess terrorists don't know how to use stamps.com)

I can only assume that the postal clerks are now profiling people and that is why a 14oz letter must be presented to one of them in person (and fortunately for the terrorists, I don't think enough anthrax to do harm would put them over the 13oz limit so at least those plans are upset by this).

What I also don't get, is if they're so fearful of these over 13oz packages, why send them through the system back to the sender (and make the assumption that the 'sender address' isn't a real intended recipient)?

Somewhere in a cave, people will be giving each other high fives. "We have trounced the infidels"

Oh, please, this is so obviously reactive to the toner bomb of October 2010 that it's transparent.

As to "by that date", the OP mentioned a date of 9 December for Cyprus. wendyg cited a Royal Mail document which had a deadline for posting for Christmas, but no end date to the restrictions. Australia Post does not indicate a date at which the additional cost/delay/risk of damage will stop. TSA has had YEARS to come up with "appropriate measures" "to adequately screen cargo coming into the USA" and they haven't, but you reckon they can manage something by this Thursday? Um, sure. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

I imagine it's $1 for a 30 minute search, and $8 for the 47.5 hour storage. (No smilie; I'm serious.)
Yeah, you and me both. Merry Christmas, indeed. :(

Uh-oh? Something is strange going on? :confused:

Well it is possible. But without an explanation or announcement, who knows? As I mentioned, in Cyprus they are not accepting any mail to the US at all. And it's ok to send the mail to someone in the UK who can then send it on the the US? That just doesn't make any sense, at least not to me. Isn't the UK concerned about possible "dangerous cargo".

Oh, and BTW, my leaving the USA had nothing to do with the TSA and DHS, but they certainly aren't making a case for me to come back.

Well, after those print drums, I guess foreigners wonder "what's the point"?

As one former intel official put it, Americans have ceded security and many other things that formerly were personal responsibility to the government. Even if the government "took" it, the people let it happen. Americans have become conditioned to letting someone else take responsibility. (This also leads to the "tax the crap out of those with high incomes but not middle class" warfare we have going on right now).

According to this former agency official, it's to the point where any number of companies expect the government to protect them from cyber attacks - the companies are not taking adequate steps on their own.

As they said in my boyhood, "Let George do it".

Important information

As a result of the attempted package bombing in the last weeks the US has implemented safety regulations for the transport of letters, small packages, and parcels. Customers of Deutsche Post DHL can understandably still send packages to the USA. As a result of the strengthened safety controls it can take longer than usual. Ensure that all required customs forms are completed in their entirety.

These rules will be in effect through 8.12.2010

http://www.dhl.de/de/paket/privatkun...rnational.html

I'm not certain why safety costs $9AUD

And now we have TSA at UPS? I drop off packages at FedEx and UPS a couple of times each week. The shipping info is all done online so I normally just walk in and drop them off with a quick nod from whomever is behind the counter. This morning I dropped at box off and UPS and the gal yelled at me that I had to get in line. I informed her that the package is drop-off ready. "Not anymore, I have to verify your ID now."

I grumbled and asked if I had to wait behind people who were taking several minutes each (I'd estimate the line to be about 10 - 15 minutes) if the ID check would only take seconds. "Yep"

Fortunately a manager came out and checked me in quickly and let me on my way.

Not sure if this is UPS doing this on their own or being forced to by DHS/TSA.

Nowadays, I put mine in one of the many dropboxes all over. So what, they're now gonna send trucks out to pull all those back in?

40 grams is 1.4 ounces.

I'm thinking the unibomber was sending out packages of considerably higher weight than eight sheets of paper weigh.

Not really sure what anthrax has to do with it either, it's OK to send it on the 9th, but not on the 8th? Yeah, that makes perfect sense too.

Did some digging on the UPS thing and here's the scoop. Packages entered into UPS' system online by identified account holders will not require checking of ID. A UPS representative said that "our cooperation with the department of homeland security and the transportation security agency in checking and tracking the identities of those shipping packages with UPS is for our own security and based on the recommendation of the transportation security agency. This action was not mandated by DHS."

They refused to answer if they were sharing the names of shippers or shipment information with any government agency or if they were checking any names or other information against a watchlist.

When I dropped a box off this morning and asked if she needed ID she smiled and said "not anymore".

So there you have it.