In honor of Star Wars’ 30th anniversary, the United States Postal Service is unveiling a new commemorative stamp March 29. And my very own Lincoln, Neb., is one of 200 cities nationwide to be selected for a new mailbox to mark the event.
Christy Funcke, customer relations coordinator at the Lincoln post office, explained that some 400 mailboxes made to resemble the famous Star Wars character would be installed nationwide in time for the unveiling of the stamp.
Along with the mailboxes, the USPS will launch a Web site for the commemorative stamp. The site now contains a teaser video with scenes from the original 1977 movie edited to show R2-D2 accepting a letter.
The postal service notified law enforcement to be on the lookout for Star Wars fans gone awry who might try to steal the mailbox, and also notified the Department of Homeland Security of its plans, Funcke said.
R2-D2 was a natural fit because the squat little fellow resembled a mailbox’s shape, anyway, Funcke said, but the promotion was appropriate in other ways, too.
“(R2-D2) is a fun, feisty little character,” Funcke said. “He embodies the trust and dependability for which the post office is renowned.” — Lincoln Journal-Star
I understand why local law enforcement would need to be notified. The likelihood of this little guy being droid-napped are probably pretty high, even if it is a federal offense to tamper with mailboxes. But why Homeland Security? Someone might mistake it for a bomb. Thanks, Boston. Now Lincoln cannot even put up a mailbox without notifying somebody.
(Hat Tip: The Popped Collar)
Information from Principled Discovery. Michael Hampton contributed to this report.
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March 23, 2007 4:31 am
15 Comments
That is an insult to R2-D2.
Beam me up Scottie…
I really hope that the USPS is smart enough not install any of these in or around Boston. Otherwise the USPS (taxpayers) might have to pay Boston’s expenses when another fake panic ensues. Gee, if they had to pay a fine they might have to raise the price of stamps again, Do’h they are already doing that!
The post office is officially on my shit list.
And now you know where the two extra cents for a first-class letter starting in May will be going…
–Po
Hey dumbasses the USPS DOES NOT RUN ON TAX $$$. It is 100% run on revenue generated. And with the largest non-military fleet of vehicles in the world, the price of fuel is eating up that extra 2 cents and then some. UGGGGGGGGGG stupid people like you drive me CRAZY!!!
I recall hearing something about how the USPS was overpaying for fuel. I’ll have to look into that…
That doesn’t look like R2-D2 at ALL. Star Wars fans would be embarrassed to steal them. Maybe they’d burn them in protest though.
you’d think the “largest non-military fleet of vehicles in the world” would have struck a deal for a price break since they have so much buying power, but what can you expect from a groups of people who’d rather “ban” clocks then speed up their service.
PS
Don’t call me a dumbass; dumbass.
Potential Threat
Might be a dumbass but I agree, the USPO is squandering and wasting our $$$$, and at their behest can raise the price of first class at their leisue, leaving the junk mail coming in at a fast and furious pace for next to nothing. The new mailboxes are a flagrant slap in our faces of the USPO ability to waste our hard earned money (I did not get any breaks from “fuel cost adjustments”, just keep getting charged by everyone doing business”, same thing, uncontrolled and running away! USPO has an “attitude” problem too.
Errr… I believe the “dumbass” comment was directed at
Comment #6 wasn’t me.
–The *real* Potential Threat, now with email address for verifiability goodness
I do wish that bug could be fixed…
Did they tell all you “customers” that after they spent all your money on those R2-D2 boxes that they are going to get rid of all drop boxes? The old blue drop boxes that R2-D2 replaced will not be replaced when they sell the R2-D2 ones on Ebay. More of your hard earned money down the drain. Please don’t blame me though, I don’t run the place. I just work for those idiots.
Dear Potential Threat,
The post office loses $$$ every year and TAXES are used to make up the deficit. The USPS is the most pathetic, poorly run organization. It is a classic government brainless bureaucracy. How could you ever defend that mess. Only Amtrak is run more poorly.
yeah, Useless Stupid Post Office.
Here in fly-overland they have a consistent 20% fail rate in delivering our clients’ mail with fees to state government. So, we use UPS exclusively. For some reason, UPS doesn’t loose a one. Maybe if we gave Brown tax money they could become as good as the USPS…
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