Confused by What I Saw and Heard

[anygunanywhere]

I was in the post office today mailing the payment for the brass I ordered from Mr. Hughes. There was a device at the door that looked like a metal detector. It did not go off when I walked through. It never has gone off when I walk through no matter how much mail I was carrying. Including steel toe boots.

While standing in line, A lady in a nice business suit walked through and the device alarmed. She ignored the sound as did everyone else. I glanced her way and admired the suit.

She fetched her mail from her mailbox and the device went off again as she exited, and I admired her suit, looking for anything that would cause the device to go off. No one seemed to care or notice. I saw nothing that did not belong where it was supposed to be.

The device did not go off when I exited carrying my receipt and whatever I had in my pockets when I entered.

Now then. This is not a thread to debate post office carry. I am curious. I have had those sensors that pick up those electronic chip thingys go off, and maybe a metal detector or two.

What exactly was that device, if there are any postal types or other knowledgable types here, and if it was a metal detector, do they really expect it to work??

With everyone ignoring it, why have it?

Anygunanywhere

[seamusTX]

Does this post office have a sort of retail store in addition to the old-fashioned windows? If it does, the conventional wisdom is that the detector by the door detects shoplifting prevention devices.

I don't know for a fact what they are.

- Jim

[nitrogen]

It's probably an RF EAS system, like you see in stores.
It detects these little boogers:

These are basically circuits etched into paper and aluminum.
The little pedestals both activate the tags and listen for responses from them.

They are deactivated by a very strong electromagnetic pulse that basically burns the circuit out of the tag.

The woman probably had an item with a non-deactivated tag in it. This is pretty common, actually, especially around this time of year.

Note that these machines, as well as metal detectors use a similar type of technology to do their work, and both can be harmful to pacemakers.

[kauboy]

It was probably her purse. I know that retailers like to put those little tags inside the lining of bags. If it doesn't get deactivated at the register, she will set off every single one in town.

[Glockamolie]

Same goes for wallets. If you set off those things every time you enter or exit a store, remove your credit cards, and have them swipe your wallet to deactivate it. I used to set them all off until a drug store clerk clued me in.

[anygunanywhere]

It was all post office and no other stores. The lady did not have a purse. I did not see anything that would warrant one of those devices and I have never seen a post office use the magnetic field thing to zap one of those.

Anygun

[seamusTX]

You might see if the thing has a label that says what it is.

- Jim

[flintknapper]

It was all post office and no other stores. The lady did not have a purse. I did not see anything that would warrant one of those devices and I have never seen a post office use the magnetic field thing to zap one of those.

Anygun

In that case, it was a "Hot" detector.


I know, I know.....thats so chauvinistic.

[txinvestigator]

It is an anti-theft device. They can be very small and hidden almost anywhere.

We used to play a joke on employees at the range where we would hide an active unit in the collar of another employee's jacket or coat. That was high enough not to set off our detector, but often detectors would go crazy when the employee entered another place.

[anygunanywhere]

It was all post office and no other stores. The lady did not have a purse. I did not see anything that would warrant one of those devices and I have never seen a post office use the magnetic field thing to zap one of those.

Anygun

In that case, it was a "Hot" detector.


I know, I know.....thats so chauvinistic.

Yeah, that was it. It supplemented my own built in preprogrammed unit.

Anygun

[rbraughn]

My postoffice has the same thing, and ours is an anti-theft detector. There is an area that you can buy specialty stamps, padded envelopes, and gifts that are very "open" to shoplifting. It has its own register, but there is never anyone working it except around Christmas. Normally you grab your stuff and wait in the endless "window" line with everyone else

[stevie_d_64]

It's probably an RF EAS system, like you see in stores.
It detects these little boogers:

These are basically circuits etched into paper and aluminum.
The little pedestals both activate the tags and listen for responses from them.

They are deactivated by a very strong electromagnetic pulse that basically burns the circuit out of the tag.

The woman probably had an item with a non-deactivated tag in it. This is pretty common, actually, especially around this time of year.

Note that these machines, as well as metal detectors use a similar type of technology to do their work, and both can be harmful to pacemakers.

RFID's, yep, thats what I bet those "detectors" were for...

Its fairly easy to tell the difference in what a metal detector and RFID detectors are...

Metal detectors are usually manned, right at ther point of entry...RFID's are usually in a more retail environment...And are not usually attended by anyone in particular...But those are not the only clues...

[GrannyGlock]

While standing in line, A lady in a nice business suit walked through and the device alarmed. She ignored the sound as did everyone else. She fetched her mail from her mailbox and the device went off again as she exited, and I admired her suit, looking for anything that would cause the device to go off. No one seemed to care or notice.

With everyone ignoring it, why have it?

My question as well. Obviously no one was concerned at the PO enough to even look up. Maybe she did this everyday at the same PO? Could this be a desensitization method similiar to casing airlines and airports before something major happens. . .

I don't think she is really a problem but our collective ability to laugh at the cry of "Wolf" is a little disconcerting.

[barres]

While standing in line, A lady in a nice business suit walked through and the device alarmed. She ignored the sound as did everyone else. She fetched her mail from her mailbox and the device went off again as she exited, and I admired her suit, looking for anything that would cause the device to go off. No one seemed to care or notice.

With everyone ignoring it, why have it?

My question as well. Obviously no one was concerned at the PO enough to even look up. Maybe she did this everyday at the same PO? Could this be a desensitization method similiar to casing airlines and airports before something major happens. . .

I don't think she is really a problem but our collective ability to laugh at the cry of "Wolf" is a little disconcerting.

The probably weren't concerned because she set it off both coming and going. I'm sure they would have paid more attention if it had only gone off as she left and not as she came in.

[Tote 9]

I haye been in 2or 3 stores when these things were activaded by people
going through the doors. This was at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. No one
paid any attention to them. I think they malfunctioned all the time , and
that is why no one paid them any mind.