General Discussion

DavidDvorkin

(20,581 posts) Tue Mar 26, 2013, 11:15 AM Mar 2013

Is the US Postal Service Biased Against Atheists? Check Out This Study [View all]

Remember those atheist shoes?

Well, the Berlin-based makers of the shoes have been sending their goods to a lot of Americans and they’ve noticed something weird: The shoes take a lot longer for American customers to receive than you might expect:

We have lots of customers in the USA, but sometimes the shoes we send them take longer than they should to arrive, or even go missing. And, when some of our customers asked us not to use ATHEIST-branded packing tape on their shipments, we started to wonder if the delays were caused by the US Postal Service taking offence at our overt godlessness…

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/03/26/is-the-us-postal-service-biased-against-atheists-check-out-this-study/

144 replies

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Is the US Postal Service Biased Against Atheists? Check Out This Study [View all] DavidDvorkin Mar 2013 OP

I doubt it nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #1

Didnt you know that the Post Office is funding HARP to target Atheist Shoemakers???? Come on!! Katashi_itto Mar 2013 #8

That explains the nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #13

Exactly! Katashi_itto Mar 2013 #14

Got any evidence? backscatter712 Mar 2013 #58

Correction: The Atheist Shoe Illuminati! Katashi_itto Mar 2013 #59

Lemme see, ship them through the Postal System in Berlin nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #60

You saw post #15, or the same illustration in the link in the OP, correct? backscatter712 Mar 2013 #61

Yes, I read it nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #62

The evidence shows that mail marked "ATHEIST" gets handled differently than normal mail. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #69

because the autimated system nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #71

Interesting hypothesis. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #80

So you think postal workers are doing it on purpoise nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #82

I don't think it's most postal/DHL workers - it'd likely a small subset of felonious bad apples. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #119

How about DHL? nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #121

The company lied nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #123

If postal workers are involved s with last mile nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #124

Here is one better nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #117

You'd have a point, except that they sent "plain wrap" packages to the same people jeff47 Mar 2013 #51

The shoes are being sent to younger people, identifying the product, against USPS rules. TheBlackAdder Mar 2013 #83

They are getting delayed due to not following packaging nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #84

because apparently the most obvious explaination.. Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #94

Well this is what we call bias confirmation nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #95

no this is what *you* are calling 'bias confirmation', not *we* Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #96

You mean my first hand story nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #98

that's not how '1st' vs '2nd' hand works. Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #100

No son, he is what historians consider a primary source nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #102

I would roll my eyes at a package covered with 'Atheist' just much as 'Christian.' onehandle Mar 2013 #2

And the automated processing machine nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #68

Neither would sound preachy to me. ZombieHorde Mar 2013 #140

I don't know if it's bias, but kudzu22 Mar 2013 #3

The neutral package met USPS shipping regulations nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #108

Aha -- perhaps the culprit has been revealed kudzu22 Mar 2013 #111

You welcome nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #113

More to the culprit nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #118

Gee, I wonder what would happen if they used RoccoR5955 Mar 2013 #4

So they wouldn't get into copyright issues LiberalFighter Mar 2013 #7

The machine would kick it out as well nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #90

There needs to be an investigation as to who is doing the delaying LiberalFighter Mar 2013 #5

Yes - clearly, some fundies are letting their religious beliefs interfere with their jobs. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #28

I doubt it My Good Babushka Mar 2013 #6

When humans are involved it can happen. LiberalFighter Mar 2013 #9

All those shoes are going to the same place My Good Babushka Mar 2013 #22

Mebbe company is not following USPS shipping guidelines nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #103

Is the "not following" part WinniSkipper Mar 2013 #141

See post #15. n/t backscatter712 Mar 2013 #27

I have no idea how often packages from other German companies go missing My Good Babushka Mar 2013 #33

The study here presented a control. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #37

Three days. nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #85

Thank you, I have a small craft business that does lots of shipping My Good Babushka Mar 2013 #132

And add insult to injury nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #134

This atheist needs a little more proof before he'll have faith in the assertion. nt Poll_Blind Mar 2013 #10

The link does show an actual experiment being conducted. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #25

He of little faith...you were correct. nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #125

Unrec for pointless speculation: "we started to wonder if" FSogol Mar 2013 #11

Oh, like good atheists they performed a carefully conducted experiment after they wondered Fumesucker Mar 2013 #15

Carefully Constructed Experiement would have included tape that said SOMETHING inoffensive AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #142

I think customs is the problem. RebelOne Mar 2013 #19

And it is DHL that does the shipping per their own site nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #127

I didn't realize shoes could have a religious preference. Fawke Em Mar 2013 #12

this is most interesting niyad Mar 2013 #16

Save The Atheist Shoes!!!11! MineralMan Mar 2013 #17

How about having a government agency treat everyone equally. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #29

Actually, I'd be more interested in seeing if there was truly MineralMan Mar 2013 #35

The study in the OP show numbers comparing ATHEIST-marked packages with unmarked packages. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #46

due to the automated Niceguy1 Mar 2013 #76

WOW. Packages mailed internationally taking a long time to get there? Nye Bevan Mar 2013 #18

FFS, try reading more than the headline. jeff47 Mar 2013 #53

GET REAL olddots Mar 2013 #20

Using atheist packaging tape is "shoving it down people's throats"? Apophis Mar 2013 #23

Using DHL and blaming USPS is kind of funny nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #128

You just "shoved it down people's throats" more than a strip of tape on a package. jeff47 Mar 2013 #54

must have hit home olddots Mar 2013 #66

It's not bias, the US postal service really sucks when it comes to international packages. JVS Mar 2013 #21

You did read the part where packages with atheist tape Apophis Mar 2013 #24

See post #15. n/t backscatter712 Mar 2013 #26

But given the abominably slow nature of the postal service's handling of international packages is.. JVS Mar 2013 #32

Is the fact that ATHEIST-marked packages were ten times more likely to be lost significant? n/t backscatter712 Mar 2013 #38

Yes. They did the math. So's the 10x higher loss rate. (nt) jeff47 Mar 2013 #55

See the bottom of the illustration in post #15. p<.01. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #56

And it is really, the slow point, US Customs. nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #63

They use DHL by the by nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #129

But are the shoes any good? OriginalGeek Mar 2013 #30

They'd better, for the price 129.00 euros nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #91

Yep... OriginalGeek Mar 2013 #109

The real question is: Do they have soles? nt mathematic Mar 2013 #31

Atheist shoes got no soles. MineralMan Mar 2013 #36

Oh, Thank God! (so to speak)... JHB Mar 2013 #39

I'm curious as to whether the tape itself might be the problem. surrealAmerican Mar 2013 #34

Maybe there should be a third group in this experiment. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #40

The 4th group would probably be prone to being blown up in controlled explosions (nt) muriel_volestrangler Mar 2013 #72

Yes, but not exactly the reason you suggest. nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #74

so your 2nd hand anecdotal 'evidence' is.. Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #92

You mean my first hand nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #97

doesn't change the *fact* that your 2nd hand evidence.. Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #99

So riddle me this batman nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #101

cutting to the chase here.. Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #104

To sum up nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #105

Look at the "study" again. hay rick Mar 2013 #106

Gets better nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #120

Look what I just found nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #116

I think you've adequately explained the delay. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #144

Looks like the "controlled study" missed accouting for one variable kudzu22 Mar 2013 #112

And what of the missing packages? AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #143

One cannot create a good statistical analysis from such a small sample size. NCTraveler Mar 2013 #41

I've seen studies with this kind of size that show statistical significance. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #44

Scratch that, the atheist folks from Berlin DID run a statistical analysis. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #47

wow the attempts to weasel out of statistical analysis here are telling. Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #42

The unspoken message I'm getting here is: backscatter712 Mar 2013 #43

right.. Phillip McCleod Mar 2013 #45

Just barely unspoken DavidDvorkin Mar 2013 #49

Riggghhhttt nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #75

That's the message I'm seeing. Apophis Mar 2013 #110

Indeed. DavidDvorkin Mar 2013 #48

And I just posted the fine print at the bottom of that illustration. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #50

Numbers don't lie, but the interpretation of them often does kudzu22 Mar 2013 #114

What if I told you they use DHL not USPS? nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #136

Not any real surprise to me. Rex Mar 2013 #52

Wish I were surprised temporary311 Mar 2013 #57

Not the USPS. But if each package goes through a dozen different hands? ieoeja Mar 2013 #64

Oh and here is more nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #65

Isn't there some way to trace or track the packages? Blue_Tires Mar 2013 #67

An answer that is away from victim mode nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #73

I want my conspiracy theory back. hay rick Mar 2013 #79

I just posted as much nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #81

Evidently Amazon dot com is not aware of this problem with the USPS machines.. Fumesucker Mar 2013 #131

A few points. hay rick Mar 2013 #135

And then I found the truth nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #126

WHO IS THIS SENDER AND WHAT IS HE DOING WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S MAIL?!?!?!? Tommy_Carcetti Mar 2013 #70

If the mail scanning machines automatically kick out packages with printed tapes djean111 Mar 2013 #77

They do nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #78

I'd like to point out that this was apparently part of an ad campaign... Marr Mar 2013 #86

Hubby had another theory nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #87

Could be. It'd be a bit hypocritical of me Marr Mar 2013 #88

I happen to be married to one of the workers nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #89

This "study" was very graphics-intensive. hay rick Mar 2013 #93

So, they think the overworked and harried package sorters have special corner for "atheist" stuff? bhikkhu Mar 2013 #107

I suspect all the worker has to do is put the package that offends him in the wrong bin. backscatter712 Mar 2013 #122

There is more... nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #115

poor controls. poor study. eom yawnmaster Mar 2013 #130

And they ship through DHL nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #133

Looking at the link, I do believe this is mainly for publicity... yawnmaster Mar 2013 #138

Not really, they had this "study" posted, nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #139

oh! sure yah! them postal employees is got nothin on their mind cept whether th'sender struggle4progress Mar 2013 #137