Do you want to receive snail-mail at an anonymous mail box? It's not as easy as you might think. The federal government has passed laws attempting to prevent you from receiving your mail anonymously. By law, U.S. Postal Service employees must examine and make a record of two pieces of identification for anyone renting a mailbox. The law also requires that private vendors of mailboxes, or "mail-drops," must also see identification and keep records of your name and address.
One employee at a mail-drop explained that he was required by law to have all box renters fill out an address form and present two pieces of identification. He added, though, that no law required him to make certain that the name and address on the IDs matched those on the address form.
He suggested that anyone wanting an anonymous mail box fill in the address form with fictional information. Two subsequent attempts to rent a box at other mail-drops using this technique resulted in one refusal and one anonymous mailbox.
Different vendors provide different services. For example, some mail-drops include keys for 24-hour access to your mail. Prices also vary wildly. A new vendor will often offer great introductory pricing for a mail-drop. Shop around for the features you want. Most shipping and postal service stores have mailboxes to rent, and some storage lockers offer mailboxes.
There are no automatic mail forwarding privileges associated with mail-drop mailboxes. If you close a U.S. Postal Service mailbox, your mail will be forwarded for 6 months or more, at no charge, to any place in the U.S. If you allow your mail-drop box to close, your mail will not normally be forwarded to you. Some mail-drops provide for forwarding for a price, however.
The most complete review of mail drops can be found in Jack Luger's book, How to Use Mail Drops for Privacy and Profit, which is published by Loompanics. Luger walks you through all the various ways you can use these devices to enhance your postal privacy. In Part I, he discusses need greater mail privacy. He points out, for example, that although it takes a court order for government or postal agents to open your first- class mail, no such restrictions pertain to a "mail cover."
In a mail cover, the postal agent (who can be anyone from your letter carrier to the person who sells you stamps) simply notes the address on all mail delivered to your address. "In one sense, this is worse than a court-ordered opening of the mail," writes Luger, "because it's indiscriminate. Anyone who sends a letter or package to an address under surveillance can wind up on a list of suspects."
Luger goes on to point out that the advent of the computer has automated the mail cover to some degree. "There are now `address bars' on envelopes, as businesses and even individuals obtain the equipment to make computerized mail sorting easier. This also makes it much quicker to sort out suspect mail for special treatment. When all but a small minority print address bars on their mail, the postal service will be able to make it mandatory, refusing to deliver any envelopes lacking these computerized addresses."
Luger offers the pros and cons of postal privacy tools ranging from regular Post Office lock boxes ("The main use of a post office box is to mask the client's real address.") to "a quick and cheap fake address." In Part III, he even gives some basics on starting and running your our mail-drop business. Other topics include "Private Storage Facilities," "Sexual Uses of Mail Drops," "Using Mail Drops to Vanish," and "How to Tell if Your Correspondent is Using a Mail Drop."
How to Use Mail Drops for Privacy and Profit, by Jack Luger, 1988, 112 pp, illustrated, soft cover. Available by mail from: Loompanics Unlimited, PO Box 1197, Port Townsend, WA 98368
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Tools For Privacy copyright 1995 Smart Publications
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