Return To Sender .... Address Unknown

Now I know that for many citizens of North America, the world largely ends either at their local states border ...

Americans Geography Knowledge Can Be A Little Hazy - So Here's A Helpful Map

or perhaps the borders of the Good Ol' USA.

For the more out going, this knowledge of the outside world might also include Mexico and Canada ..... after that the world ends, and Terra Incognito begins. Sometimes these unknown lands are referred to as places full of 'dangerous ferrner's ..... Now in some regards I can understand that living on a continent of your own, with a northern neighbour who shares much of your history and language, can make a persons sense of world geography rather hazy.

US Passport Ownership Hasn't Change Destinations Much.

The increase in passport ownership in the US, hasn't actually extended that geographical range or knowledge, as the vast number of trips abroad by US residents are still to Mexico and Canada, with Britain a very poor third place.

However, when you are sending a package abroad, a quick glance at a map to see where it is, and how to spell it in full, would seem the very least precaution that the sender could take before posting their package in to the unknown.

However, someone in Kentucky apparently didn't think that this limited knowledge of the world by their fellow citizens would be an issue, if they addressed their package carefully enough with the country name. So this person addressed the package very clearly, and put it into the US mail in late 2018. Well in God we may trust, in the US mail perhaps not so much so.

What's The Difference Between Austria And Australia - Just A Few Letters .... Or Thousand Miles.

The package was clearly marked 'Australia' on a printed label. However, off it went to Austria, who sent it back to the US mail carrier marked 'MISSENT TO AUSTRIA' (that's the international agreed way to deal with this situation) .... but a week or so later, back it arrived in Austria. They sent it back again, only for it to return a few days later .... the Austrian post even marked is 'Again!' against one of the missent stampings, but to no avail.

Apparently the US carrier didn't recognise Australia or the code AU as a place (perhaps a kangaroo drawn on the address label would have done better) .... in the end, someone in Austria took it upon themselves to ignore the rules, and redirect the package to Australia, where it duly turned up a couple of months after being sent.

Of course this hit social media, and it appears not to be the first time that this has happened. "I live in Austria and my family add ‘EUROPE’ to my address due to Christmas presents having been sent to Australia instead, several times ..." was one comment.

Another "Can confirm. Once ordered a bunch of DVDs from Canada. Never arrived. Company sent replacements. Some two months later they arrived having been on a holiday to Austria."  while yet another said "I had a package meant for France sent to Montana twice," .... presumably the address said Mont*** something or other e.g. Mont Saint Michel, and that was enough to send it to Montana.

Ah well, with the Christmas season on us again, I expect that this won't be the only story of this kind .... human error makes fools of us all. 

 

NB: I myself sent three first class postage Christmas cards to Liverpool, England, a week before the 25th and they arrived the 5th of January, delivered by Royal Mail ... all the others in the set were delivered to other parts of the country (Scotland, London, Northumberland), by the 22nd or 23rd of December ... only Liverpool is a Terra Incognito to the Royal Mail (or perhaps it was just the local sorting office working at its own speed and living up to stereotype).