When Does It End?

Now I've received word that things are even getting worse outside of passenger air travel.

The US has decided to limit severely any inbound packages to US addresses, thanks to TSA paranoia. I don't know about other countries, but I've just learned that Japan Post will be limiting, at least for the next month, all packages to the US to 1 pound, no more.

While EMS shipping is expected to be available for any weight around mid-December, EMS is extremely expensive and all customers can't pay such a high price.

Unless sellers take the time and painstakingly long process to register as a 'reliable shipper', they're basically limited to 1 pound.

So goodbye to any manga, doujinshi, books, furniture, even religious items like kamidana.

Naturally, as with the rest of their paranoia, they haven't listed any indication of when this will actually end, and the mid-December date is merely an estimate.

With the economy in the shambles that it is, limiting commerce is not the answer. And even though 'reliable shippers' can get things through -- after a process that is at least 30 days long, usually much longer -- this yet again unfairly limits commerce by creating a limited elite. Smaller businesses, or businesses who are unaware of these arbitrary changes, will be hit the hardest. This is going to have a severely negative effect on the economy.

Promoting insular monetary behaviour is unacceptable.

Note that the USPS have also neglected to mention, as of this writing, these limitations on their official website. Good going!

Write not only your representatives, but please also take the time to complain to the US Postal Service here. This seems to work best with IE. And contact your representatives here.

This is intolerable and ridiculous, and especially at this time of year is only an outrageous stunt to ruin buyers' holiday season.

It's already intolerable what they do to air travellers, but extending their influence to the postal service and the American public? Inexcusable.

They have crossed the line. Let's let them know it won't be allowed.