A Parcel's Eye View
May 7, 2013 10:35 AM   Subscribe

In this hidden-camera video, designer Ruben van der Vleuten answers the question, "What happens when you send something by mail?" (SLV)
posted by tocts (9 comments total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
I swear this is a double, because I want to recall the meta about the derail about taking pictures of people w/o consent etc, but am not easily finding it.
posted by k5.user at 10:50 AM on May 7, 2013


I swear this is a double

I remember an earlier video with the same concept, but it wasn't this video. Can't remember if I saw it here, though.

I'm finding it a bit hard to believe that this video is quite what it purports to be, though. Unless he sent the parcel a whole bunch of times and edited this together out of the various shots he got. If it was just the one parcel sent the one time then he was amazingly lucky how often the camera lens ended up with a reasonably unobcured shot out from whatever bin it was in. Maybe it was all made with the cooperation of the Post Office?
posted by yoink at 10:58 AM on May 7, 2013 [4 favorites]


Is there anything fragile, liquid or perishable?
posted by Leezie at 11:10 AM on May 7, 2013


If it was just the one parcel sent the one time then he was amazingly lucky how often the camera lens ended up with a reasonably unobcured shot out from whatever bin it was in. Maybe it was all made with the cooperation of the Post Office?

I was thinking the same thing, but it would probably be possible to maximize the usable footage with some thought. He could have sized the box so it was large enough that it would likely be placed with a side facing the outside of a bin (which were mostly wire-mesh) and put separate cameras on each side.
posted by cosmic.osmo at 11:25 AM on May 7, 2013


I remember an earlier video with the same concept, but it wasn't this video. Can't remember if I saw it here, though.

This perhaps?
posted by Kabanos at 11:28 AM on May 7, 2013


The obviousness of the signs in the video aside, this is definitely not the Florida division of the United States Postal Service. The voyage didn't take longer than the battery's capacity, and the delivery appears to take place in the same decade as the drop-off.

My recent experiences with my local postal service include:

It regularly taking upwards of two weeks to send/receive letters within the East Coast... Both cards and packages sent by other people to me, and holiday cards I have sent out.


I am also still "waiting" for a package I ordered for my wife in January for Valentine's Day. At this point it's more of an exercise in humor, as I already contacted the retailer to reship and have since received it by other means.

I did this after a few disappointing calls to USPS customer service, who could not explain why my Valentine's Day package had arrived at my local post office (dropped off by UPS), but then was sent to another state by the postal service for some mysterious reason. I called the retailer, who had used a hybrid of UPS and USPS for the final leg, and pleaded with them to send it FedEx (as they did the other package which I actually received), or for the love of God, ANY other method other than USPS. They quickly did so, and even overnighted it to me free of charge thanks, Shutterfly!!


This is also why I will not shed a tear at the possible demise of the USPS. I know I refuse to use them unless absolutely necessary or required by law.
posted by Debaser626 at 11:29 AM on May 7, 2013


There was also this approach, in which the (still) camera is not really hidden, but relies on the goodwill of postal workers.
posted by Kabanos at 11:33 AM on May 7, 2013




Debaser626: sorry about your bad experiences. I sure don't share them. USPS has been fantastic for me. Of at least 300-400 packages delivered through priority mail and first class in the last few years for my small business, I only had one issue: once a package showed up 2 days later than expected. A good 20-30 times, packages showed up early.

It's an important public service in my book, and it should stay that way.

Anyway, on topic, I wonder if he contacted the postal service in advance to let them know about the package?
posted by Old Man McKay at 9:37 PM on May 7, 2013


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