Today I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the Swedish postal system on successfully preventing probably millions of packages to get picked up by their recipients, who dare to live in Sweden WITHOUT a Swedish ID. Even worse, there are apparently even individuals who have the nerve to try to pick up packages with - gasp - European ID cards, which are otherwise only accepted at airports, borders and other half-legal institutions. I know, it is hard to believe that there are people like this out there, who try to undermine the Swedish postal laws - so let us look at a case to understand the severity of threats that the Swedish post is exposed to on a daily basis by aggressive non-Swedish ID possessing foreigners.
Britta, a typical dubios immigrant from high-risk country Germany, orders something online in Sweden. Remark: Of course Britta does not have a Swedish ID because she thinks her German one is sufficient (what a little naive lamb). However, so one day she gets a letter in the mail with a note to pick up her package. It says that ID is required. Britta thinks "no problem", grabs her worthless German ID and hurries to the post office. Once there she only has to wait 15 minutes - because service in Sweden is always high-speed - and tada - she presents the letter and her ID to the post guy and says innocently she wants to pick up a package.
But the post guy of course knows betters. When he sees Britta's German "ID" it only takes him 4 minutes and 2 chats with colleagues to identify the ID card as Non-Swedish (rumour says that people at Swedish post offices are trained by the MI6). He then hands Britta the ID back with the words "Wrong ID, we need Swedish ID.". He of course doesn't let Britta confuse him with neither her arguments that the German ID is valid within whole Europe nor the fact that she can even cross borders with it. Nix. You want to pick up package in Sweden, you need Swedish ID.
Now Britta gets a little annoyed because this is not the first time this happens. Actually this happes to her all the time. So she asks the post officer why it then says on the Schenker information board standing next to him that "European IDs are accepted". But the post officer has already an answer: "Your ID is not European". Most people would have thought that Germany is kind of within Europe, but no, our anti-pick up -package-terrorism expert knows of course better.
But since Britta is German (and since she really would like her package because it includes christmas presents for her family and it is 23rd of December) she does not give up yet. She forces the guy to call Schenker. Or the police. He chooses Schenker.
10 minutes later Britta gets the package. With her German ID.
So now tell me Schenker Sweden, is this really necessary??? Do I have to fight for an hour and threaten people to call the police now every time I have to pick up a package from you? I don't think so.
And just for the record: That stupid Swedish ID which you treat as holy grail of security can actually even be issued at BANKS. That is really super safe, especially looking at how reliable and trustworthy banks have proven to be in 2011!
Britta, a typical dubios immigrant from high-risk country Germany, orders something online in Sweden. Remark: Of course Britta does not have a Swedish ID because she thinks her German one is sufficient (what a little naive lamb). However, so one day she gets a letter in the mail with a note to pick up her package. It says that ID is required. Britta thinks "no problem", grabs her worthless German ID and hurries to the post office. Once there she only has to wait 15 minutes - because service in Sweden is always high-speed - and tada - she presents the letter and her ID to the post guy and says innocently she wants to pick up a package.
But the post guy of course knows betters. When he sees Britta's German "ID" it only takes him 4 minutes and 2 chats with colleagues to identify the ID card as Non-Swedish (rumour says that people at Swedish post offices are trained by the MI6). He then hands Britta the ID back with the words "Wrong ID, we need Swedish ID.". He of course doesn't let Britta confuse him with neither her arguments that the German ID is valid within whole Europe nor the fact that she can even cross borders with it. Nix. You want to pick up package in Sweden, you need Swedish ID.
Now Britta gets a little annoyed because this is not the first time this happens. Actually this happes to her all the time. So she asks the post officer why it then says on the Schenker information board standing next to him that "European IDs are accepted". But the post officer has already an answer: "Your ID is not European". Most people would have thought that Germany is kind of within Europe, but no, our anti-pick up -package-terrorism expert knows of course better.
But since Britta is German (and since she really would like her package because it includes christmas presents for her family and it is 23rd of December) she does not give up yet. She forces the guy to call Schenker. Or the police. He chooses Schenker.
10 minutes later Britta gets the package. With her German ID.
So now tell me Schenker Sweden, is this really necessary??? Do I have to fight for an hour and threaten people to call the police now every time I have to pick up a package from you? I don't think so.
And just for the record: That stupid Swedish ID which you treat as holy grail of security can actually even be issued at BANKS. That is really super safe, especially looking at how reliable and trustworthy banks have proven to be in 2011!
