Re: [Killietalk] Killietalk Digest, USPS Regulations

["Robert Goldstein" <rgoldstein at rjgaCarolina_com>]

I stopped using USPS overnight when Fedex got the contract and refused to 
take fish. I don't know if that's still an issue.  Additionally, nothing 
ever arrived the next day ostensibly because at every change of planes the 
package had to be entered manually on a log. Best they'll do is refund your 
postage. With Priority, it's always there in 2 or (the latest) 3 days, so I 
pack accordingly. My local post office doesn't fuss about fish once I assure 
them they're triple bagged, according to regulations.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Davis" <unclescott at prodigy_net>
To: <apistomaster at excite_com>; "killifish discussion list" 
<killietalk at aka_org>
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2007 3:58 PM
Subject: Re: [Killietalk] Killietalk Digest, USPS Regulations


> You may want DMM Co22.3.3
>
> I think Tony T  and Wright H both put us on to that.
>
> You can find that DMM CO22.3.3 if you go to the US Post Office site. (I 
> guess.)
> Go to http://www.usps.com/
>
> Doug Eberling mentioned that he uses the following label:
>
>
> PERISHABLE
> Small Cold-Blooded Animals
> DMM CO22.3.3
>
> Bob Alston (who navigates around the USPO site better than I do) suggested 
> going to
>
> http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/601.htm
> Publication 52 (offered by Bill Vannerson) and just mentioned by Patrick
>
>
> section 526.6 Small, Harmless, Cold-Blooded Animals 
> http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/month.200109/msg00867.html
>
>
> Most of the above was dredged up from the Killietalk archives.
>
> As an aside, on the few occasions when I have recently mailed fish I have 
> sent an e-mail ahead of time detailing what was in there and including the 
> receiver's address. I would have been wise to include phone numbers.
>
> A copy of that letter was also tied into a plastic shipping bag (I forget 
> who first modeled this) and packed on top of everything, so that postal 
> officials could open the box, inventory it if they wanted to or call the 
> recipient.On one occasion at the post office desk, the lady asked if there 
> was anything perishable or liquid in there. I smiled and replied "Yes, 
> both." She almost imperceptibly started a bit.
>
> As Patrick has indicated, it was worth whole to mention that one is taking 
> pains to follow regulations and note that there were a bunch of  little 
> fishes in there, double bagged, some bagged plants merely wet and that 
> everything was additionally contained in a larger (tied off) plastic bag 
> so there would be no leaking, as per those post office regulations. Then 
> they were put in a sealed styrofoam box which was nested in a cardboard 
> outer box, also as per USPO regulations. She saw that there was no 
> non-regulation masking tape, but that the proper clear shipping tape was 
> used.
> The postal employee gently shook it and there was no movement and minimal 
> sloshing. (Memo to self - keep stuffing little bags of plants or of air in 
> there until nothing moves. ;)
> Mentioned that I had done a rescue at the airport, where a big package had 
> leaked on other people's things. Noted that since 9/11 some post office 
> people gave aquarists a hard time. (Sort of implied that a few aquarists 
> and a few post office counter people had given the rest a bad name.) She
> responded, "Yeah, over terrorist guppies."
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