Thursday, February 19, 2009

Does this happen to you?

As often happens, a heavy package from a bookstore, sent by media mail, was delivered to my address by mistake this afternoon. (I've learned, of course, always to check the mailing label before opening packages.) It has just occurred to me that the reason the mail carrier keeps delivering packages of books not addressed to me is because he's somehow gotten it into his head that if any package looks as though it has books in it, they must de facto be addressed to me--and so he doesn't even bother to look at the address when he's delivering book mailers. Granted, I get a lot of books in the mail; today, for instance, I received not only the misdelivered package, but one that was actually addressed to me. But I'm sure there are people who actually get a lot more than I do.

My mail carrier, I suppose, must assume that only highly eccentric people are likely to be receiving books in the mail. Either that, or I'm some sort of metaphysical book magnet, radiating waves of covetousness for several blocks in all directions, preventing the mail carrier from delivering books to anyone but me...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The 'book magnet' is a great theory. You need to clutch the package and say, "They love me!" like Sally Field.

My carrier seems to deliver all my bills to my neighbor. I guess she seems more responsible.

Or maybe 'cos her son is always hiding behind my big tree, playing future soldier with a big orange super ray gun at the ready - safer to drop all the mail at her house.

-Carrie

Josh said...

On a couple of occasions, the sweatshop delivery service that Amazon sometimes uses, A-1 Courier, has put my address on a package for someone else. I've had to find the right name and address on the invoice, google the right recipient's email, contact them, and arrange an exchange of books in a central Philadelphia location. Nice way to meet new people.

Foxessa said...

I too get multiple deliveries of books every week via post office, fed ex and UPS, and sometimes messenger. Sometimes they are addressed to me, sometimes to my husband, sometimes to both of us. We're both on many lists.

The new UPS guy commented last week, "You must read a LOT!" He sounded puzzled, that one might read ... a lot.

Love, C.