Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the incident fades. As a result, each individual needs to be his or her own
safety inspector.
Most of the measures dealing with the receipt of mail and packages
are based on common sense. First rule; trust your instincts. They usually
are right. If you get an item that for any reason seems suspicious or makes
you uncomfortable,
do not open it.
Carefully place it aside and calmly con-
sider your options. (We discuss what those options are below.)
The easiest way to separate mail is to look at the return address. A
letter or parcel from a familiar sender is not a threat (with the possible
exception of an ex-wife or ex-husband). The same is true regarding
expected packages. For example, if you order something from the Eddie
Bauer catalog and two weeks later you receive a package from Eddie
Bauer, it is safe to assume that the package is legitimate and you don't
need to call the embassy to x-ray the package. You can include most peri-
odicals and other items that you subscribe to in the same “safe” category.
Those are the easy items. Now what about the rest? For example, you
receive a box with a return address that is unfamiliar to you. You don't
recall ordering anything so you pay a bit more attention to the type of
package. You notice it is from a U.S. location and a company name is on
the box. So you call information in the United States or check the Inter-
net to get the name of this company and its number. If you learn that it
is something that your spouse ordered and forgot to tell you about, you
have solved the mystery.
What types of mail or packages should set off alarm bells and have you
calling the embassy for guidance?
The best set of general guidelines has been set forth by the United
States Postal Service. Few people realize that the Postal Service has its own
investigative division of armed postal inspectors. Many of these inspectors
are experts in recognizing explosive devices disguised as letters or pack-
ages. Below is a listing of some of the recommendations of the Postal Ser-
vice and other governmental agencies about how to detect a mail bomb.
Restrictive Endorsement
A mail bomb may include the words “Private” or “Personal” or “To be
opened by addressee only.” The reason for this is obvious. The bomber
wishes to ensure that the intended victim, not the secretary in the office
or someone else at home, opens the package and thereby sets off the
explosive. This is particularly significant if the package comes to the
