Oh that's nothing. A while back I had/have a friend in the UK, Ray, who makes r/c airplane kits. He sent me one, Registered Airmail. And I waited, and waited, and waited.
After a month had gone by I started checking. Said package had crossed the big pond to New York, then was shipped back across the big pond to the UK, right back to my friends post office. Postmaster there couldn't explain it so he shipped it out again. Back across the big pond and again back across the big pond back to the UK. Before making the second trip back to the UK it went from New York, to New Jersey, to Charlotte North Carolina.
I called the Post Office here, and was told to contact the Postal Inspectors in New York, who had me contact US Customs in Jersey. They in turn had me call the Secret Service in Washington D.C, who had me call the FBI in Charlotte.
Agent there seemed like I was wasting his time with the call, that is until I mentioned all the folks who were pointing their fingers at the FBI, who was supposed to inspect a "suspicious package". One that had now made 4 trips across the big pond in a commercial aircraft, and that I had photos of the package still unopened after it's 4th trip. Oh, and that I'm pretty sure the local news station would love to hear about it too.
At that point I was told they would call me back.
My friend Ray calls me later to say he had just got off the phone with the Post Office. The Postmaster there had called to say he had been ordered to come pick up the package from him, and hand deliver it to the airport.
Hang up with him and the phone rings. It's the FBI. Now speaking to Special Agent in Charge. He tells me package is on it's way, will be met in New York by a pair of Agents, who will personally handle it getting to me, if that is acceptable.
I tell him that's fine, I just want my package.
2 days later the doorbell rings, package is sitting on my front porch. Still unopened and not signed for, and I see a black Chevy Suburban is pulling out of my driveway.
And to add one last bit, this was the same weekend Vice President Dick Cheney was in town. Hmm...
ut:
