Do I have a tinfoil hat I'm not aware of?

[Juanita Renee]

I ordered potassium iodide tablets from Amazon a while ago. Yesterday, a Saturday, a man in an unmarked Lincoln Towncar rang the bell, asked my husband if he was me (I have a masculine nickname) then left the package with him.

I understand verifying the recipient; what I am uneasy about is how my order was delivered. I've never had anything come any other way except by US mail, UPS, or even FedEx.

I keep a very low profile in prepping and this has really weighed on my mind. Am I on "the list" now? Do I have a tinfoil hat I didn't know I had? Am I being paranoid? Or foolish? Who was this man?

Asked somewhat tongue in cheek, but I am curious what you all would think.

[bee]

Could the delivery service have left the package at the wrong address and the man that brought it to you was just doing a "good deed"? Look the package over for the shipper; it should be evident by name,postal cancel or other.

[||Downhome||]

Originally Posted by bee

Could the delivery service have left the package at the wrong address and the man that brought it to you was just doing a "good deed"? Look the package over for the shipper; it should be evident by name,postal cancel or other.

thats my guess also. I have had folks do that for me as well as doing it for others.

[Cyngbaeld]

I think bee is right. FedEx and UPS will sometimes drop a package off at the wrong address. The man was probably just redelivering and had no idea what was in it.

[Wags]

I'll add my voice guessing it was just a someone being neighborly and dropping off a miss-delivered package.

I had a subscription magazine come once with someone else's magazine stuck to mine. So I delivered it even though they were on the opposite side of town. Made a couple of new friends that day and we are still friends several years later.

[WanderingOak]

I know DHL used to subcontract out local deliveries. I used to work at a secure military base, and we had a hard time receiving packages delivered by DHL because the delivery men were driving their own (unmarked) vehicles, and usually didn't have any paperwork aside from a cheap-looking photo ID identifying themselves as working for DHL. I did have to pick up a DHL package at the front gate, when security wouldn't let the driver through. The driver (let's call him Vlad) barely spoke English with a thick Slavic accent and was driving a 20 year old rusted panel van that was leaking antifreeze, and sounded like it didn't have a muffler. When Vlad gave me the package, he didn't verify my identity and didn't even have me sign anything. The whole exchange was so bizarre that security almost didn't let him leave, and the package had to be x-rayed, checked for Anthrax, etc., before I could open it...

[joyfulheart]

someone in an old beat up hyundai with 2 sleeping kids in the back delivered an amazon order (tortilla press) once. Said they were a subcontractor for some delivery service that amazon sometimes uses.

Another time, had someone in a UHAUL deliver an amazon package== another irregular subcontractor. In august, so this wasn't any christmas season overflow vehicle.

Both times they asked my name.

With UPS/FEDEX/DHL, I have signed the "release" saying they could deliver on the porch, but this sub contractor doesn't have a release.

Don't worry too much, think this is innocent enough.

[Jakk]

I also think it was delivered to the wrong place. Stange that they would only ask your name and not explain that it was delivered to a different address. I know I have brought mail to a neighbors house and always said it was delivered by mistake.

I had ordered several packages at one time, and only 3 out of the 7 were delivered. I called each place and each time they had a tracking number saying it had been delivered. Someone was stealing my packages from my porch before I would get home from work. One package showed up on my steps, opened and with a note just saying "sorry". Inside was my order of red bio bags. The ones with the skull design for bio hazzard materials. I had ordered them to go with my portable toilet.

I can only imagine what they must think is going on in my house.

[NewGround]

Just to be safe dust the package for radioactive tracking powder, then burn the packing materials and bury the ashes at least 4 miles from your home. Shower for four hours straight while washing with lye soap to insure no tracking powder remains on your skin. Burn all clothing worn on the day of delivery and also burn all curtains, rugs etc. Dress is cached clothes you have prepared for this kind of thing. Keep the tablets sealed in a lead container while you pack and move at least two states away without any forwarding address while changing your identity at least twice during the move.

Of course that's just what I would do... ;-)

[Juanita Renee]

Thanks for all the replies. I know for a fact it wasn't a neighbor. Now a subcontractor sits right with me, so I'll choose to believe that's who it was.

Just an out of the ordinary event in an otherwise ordinary day and it gave me pause.

And thanks for your suggestions NewGround, but my tinfoil isn't quite that tight yet,

[texican]

Trust me, if you were being 'watched', you'd not know it. Sorta like you never hear the bullet that kills you (in wartime). Seriously doubt if tptb were onto you, they'd ever let you know it.

Doubt also whether potassium iodide would trigger any alerts...

If an agency were to 're-deliver' your package, would probably find a more friendly innocuous agent to do it...

Now if you get crates of surplus ammo delivered weekly, and vans deliver pallets of food..... and you have neighbors... well, yeah, someone might be 'interested'.

good luck!

[hsmom2four]

Originally Posted by joyfulheart

someone in an old beat up hyundai with 2 sleeping kids in the back delivered an amazon order (tortilla press) once. Said they were a subcontractor for some delivery service that amazon sometimes uses.

Another time, had someone in a UHAUL deliver an amazon package== another irregular subcontractor. In august, so this wasn't any christmas season overflow vehicle.

Both times they asked my name.

With UPS/FEDEX/DHL, I have signed the "release" saying they could deliver on the porch, but this sub contractor doesn't have a release.

Don't worry too much, think this is innocent enough.

This same thing just happened at my house on Friday. My daughter had ordered a cell phone case from amazon and it was brought to our front door by some guy in a beat up old van with no markings and he wasn't wearing a uniform. Luckily he just left it on the front porch and left. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

It is a funny coincidence though.

[7thswan]

Well, I would be Creeped. A Lincoln Town Car in this neighborhood. If it's Not a Truck, then it's one of the neighborhood kids with a bad muffler.

[mekasmom]

Originally Posted by texican

Doubt also whether potassium iodide would trigger any alerts...

If an agency were to 're-deliver' your package, would probably find a more friendly innocuous agent to do it...

vans deliver pallets of food..... and you have neighbors... well, yeah, someone might be 'interested'.

Isn't sad that people would snoop into other people's lives over pallets of food though? But you are probably right.


The Fed Ex driver commented on how many cellphones we get delivered here one time. Did he keep track or what? That bothered me, so I understand why the OP is concerned. I guess we all have tinfoil hats too tight once in a while.

[seagullplayer]

I think you are on "the list"...
Take the tin foil and put it inside a regular cap, so no one will know.

Seriously, that would seem rather odd. They should make the subcontractors put some type of identification on their vehicle.