because the 'trash', the pens, water bottles, flashlights,umbrellas, shirts, hats and the like, still belong to the mailer. he has chosen to have it desposed of by the post office.MEDEVL wrote:So is stuff only trash until it's picked up?? Could you take coupons or Fritos out of a garbage truck or dumpsite without getting in trouble?? Just curious because that trash thing makes NO sense to me. If it's thrown away at that point it's just discarded junk and I don't see how you still claim any rights to it.
if i take a ceramic coffee cup, that was sent out as a free gift, as an advertisement, for say a animal shelter; out of the dumpster behing the post office; wheather i open the box it's in or not, i can get arrested, fired, and proscuted.
now, once it hits a garbage truck or dump, then it's trash. and that's why i said make sure you shred you ads and such with your personal info. there are people who live by going thru your trash. some are paid by the dump, to remove trash from recycles and to remove hazardous and dangerous materials. and some do it to sell it. i had a licence plate stolen from the trash. it 'appeared' on a van that was 300 miles away, that was left at a smash and grab crime scene. the police wanted to talk to the owner of the plate, my dad. minor problem, my dad was dead for almost a year at that time.
like i said about the radio promo. there were thousands of them thrown away. the company dropped off millions of them. some had bad addresses, or were otherwise undeliverable or unforardable. they employees went thrru the dumpsters, while on break, and took the pages. they heard the number and made the call. they were fired for theft of mail. even if the piece says,
john smith
123 any street
any town, any state,
it's still mail.
it's still a personalised document. and that's what the inspectors look at. it belongs to the SENDER until the addressee gets it. then it's his to do as he pleases.
remember, the inspectors are the equal of the FBI, and any OTHER FEDERAL MARSHAL.