-cDc- TWGSC: <209>/526-3194 -cDc-

Free Mail!
10/16/87
Version 1.0

Want to be able to mail letters for free?  No postage required?  It is
possible to do, but I gotta warn you that it is a form of mail fraud to
do it on purpose...so make sure you only do it by accident IF you do 
it at all...IS THAT CLEAR???

Let's say you want to send a letter to your friend who lives in...
Salt Lake City.  You, of course, live in Chicago.  Here is how you
address the envelope...

_________________________________________________________________________
|                                                          {note lack   |
| Your Friend                                               of postage  |
| 666 State Street                                          stamp!}     |
| SLC, UT 84444                                                         |
|                                                                       |
|                                                                       |
|                                        Your Name                      |
|                                        69 Halstead St                 |
|                                        Chi-Town, IL 60000             |
|                                                                       |
|                                                                       |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pretty simple eh?  Obviously you should use the accurate (real) addresses
where indicated (no shit!).  What happens when you mail this letter is
the post office will mark it RETURN TO SENDER  INSUFFICIENT POSTAGE.
The sender, as indicated on the envelope, is your friend.   Therefore
good old Uncle Sam delivers it to the destination you sought.  All for
free!

Why it works:  The Postal Department regulation prohibit delivery of mail
that does not have the proper postage.  They must return it to the sender
for first class letters.  Now it may seem a little funny to see a letter
that is supposed to be from Salt Lake in a Chicago mail box, but the 
postal workers probably won't notice and even if they do they can only
assume that the letter is correct as addressed...they simply can't spend
their time second guessing destinations.  Because if they are wrong (and
assumed it was mailed from Chicago and sent it thru the system to you on
Halstead) they would be breaking their own rules by delivering non-stamped
mail *as addressed*.  The postal worker, even if he has time to notice or
cares, simply must take the envelope at face value and follow regulations.
Hence, it gets delivered to your friend.

Glitches:  Of the dozens of letters I know have been sent like this once
in a while one will come back to you.  With all the mail the post office
handles some are bound to get thru the system and actually get delivered.
It happens.  Once I heard of the envelope coming thru with a postage due
attachment.  This should not happen normally.  Post Office regulations say
that  postage due can only be done when the postage affixed is not enough
to cover the cost.  It can not be done when there is no postage at all.
But again, sometimes it happens.  Because of the potential glitch problem
don't send important stuff this way. It may boomerang back to you or it
may get caught up in the gears of post office red tape and just vanish.
It is possible.

Hints:  Make the "return" address very complete and legible.  Don't 
indicate in your letter inside or on the back flap that it may have
been done on purpose  (ie: I hope you get this letter...pretty cool the
way I mailed it!).  On the evelope will tip off an alert employee, inside
could be discovered by a nosey mailman (don't kid yourself...they do read
letters once in a while, but they just toss them away when done.  I know
a mailman who admitted it.  This is how many letters get "lost")  Also,
 it won't work for postcards.  Make sure the envelope doesn't say address
 correction requested, or do not forward, or 2nd class mail...or anything
 else unusual.  Just make it looklike your average law abiding
 letter mailed w/out postage by accident.

Disclaimer/Statement of Facts:  Mail Fraud is a big fucking crime.  I
don't use this technique (I just know of it), I don't suggest you do it
either  (but it's your choice).  Reading, having, telling, and knowing
this techinique is NOT against the law...neither is distributing it.
IF you decide to try it the odds are %99.99999999999999999 percent that
no one will ever know.  But as a precaution NEVER admit, brag, tell
anyone that you EVER mailed a letter w/out postage ON PURPOSE.  We all
make mistakes...even Ronny Raygun.  Remember, the only scumbag that
came out of Watergate with both his testicles was G. Gordon Liddy and
he KEPT HIS MOUTH SHUT.  Learn by his example.

But hey!  I don't mean to get preachy.  Have fun with this.  Sleep easier
now that the potential exists to mail free.  Rebels unite, you have
nothing to loose but your inhibitions.

            T H U M P R    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
                                 of
                                        ChicagoLand ////////////////////

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BUSYOUT.ARC for phun and excitement using your modem, ST and Flash terminal 
software. On better BBS's around the nation

PPS: I didn't originate this postage free system, someone told me about
it many years ago.  It is probably quite common but many I have talked to
have not heard it so I thought I'd type it up and distribute.  If you
found yourself thinking..."how old" than you are right.  If you found
yourself thinking "how stupid" then go fuck yourself.  Knowledge is
power and must be distributed or we will all perish in a bourgeoise
nuclear death.

EOF