“We custom-ordered some stamps with our youngest daughter’s face on it to mail birthday party invitations,” writes Pablo in Virginia. “There were extras, so we used them to pay some bills.” Apparently, one of those envelope recipients found this small act of thrift somewhat less than adorable.
Adds Pablo: “The creepy part? This note was deposited in our mailbox anonymously, making us think the real crazy person is the author.”
related: Cloudy with a chance of hate mail
177 responses so far ↓
#1
Party in my pants
Let me be the FIRST to say… I agree the writer is Crazy!! FIRST, they are messing with the federal government and as soon as they get health care taken care of they are coming after them!
Mar 26, 2010 at 6:08 am rating: 14
#2
pickaduck
Well, they di kinda have a point…I bet they don’t do it again!
Mar 26, 2010 at 6:15 am rating: 40
#3
Connie
Call me crazy, but I really don’t think it’s that hard for perverts to find children. Frankly, they’re always outing themselves, behaving dangerously by gathering in large groups. Leaving your child at school, taking them to the playground? How irresponsible.
Mar 26, 2010 at 6:27 am rating: 120
#4
Marie-Ann
Oh wow. I did this 2 years ago for my daughters 1st bday. You mean someone might know where I live? And know I have children?! To be honest, there are days where I would PAY to have someone take them for a while!! It’s a STAMP, get over it.
Mar 26, 2010 at 6:28 am rating: 62
#5
Yaz
I agree with the letter writer. Pablo is being incredibly foolhardy in putting a photo of his child with return address included. That stamp would be seen by many people on its way to its destination. Yes, it is dangerous. Yes, there are crazy people out there. The letter writer had her or his heart in the right place, at least.
Mar 26, 2010 at 6:30 am rating: 70
#6
brandine
Ironically, that snowman was found brutally murdered.
Mar 26, 2010 at 6:32 am rating: 89
#7
Grant
It would never be allowed in the UK. Yet.
Mar 26, 2010 at 6:35 am rating: 0
#8
aaa
Of course, this begs the question of how long the note-writer has been rifling through Pablo’s mailbox before they started using these stamps.
Mar 26, 2010 at 6:55 am rating: 43
#9
TotalBlammBlamm
Yes, it is very dangerous to flaunt your child to the world.
Please return her immediately to the storage box she came in when she is not in use. Pro tip: Ensure cover is fastened tightly!
Mar 26, 2010 at 7:00 am rating: 40
#10
Jorge Barnes
Team nobody. Stamp a bad idea, respondent creepy.
Mar 26, 2010 at 7:05 am rating: 49
#11
eddy
Silly writer. It’s so much easier to pick up underage girls on Facebook or Myspace.
…too much?
Mar 26, 2010 at 7:07 am rating: 22
#12
Hmm
Note writer is having trouble controlling his urges, so he tries to control what everyone else does instead. Sound familiar, politicians?
Mar 26, 2010 at 7:13 am rating: 29
#13
tilywinn
Does that handwriting read ‘Current President’? Wow; this kid is poised for world domination.
Mar 26, 2010 at 7:37 am rating: 2
#14
Canthz_B
When they put Harriet Tubman on a postage stamp I never used one.
Didn’t want slave-catchers using the return address searching my place for her.
Mar 26, 2010 at 7:38 am rating: 47
#15
tilywinn
Anyone else see the irony of submitting this stamp to the internet? Someone didn’t learn their lesson.
Mar 26, 2010 at 7:58 am rating: 30
#16
Gavin
Can I be one of those idiots that questions the note for not being passive aggressive, please!
Ps. I dont think Alexis was flaunting it, she’s not even doing the Blue Steel or anything http://www.wikihow.com/Do-the-%22Blue-Steel%22-Pose-from-Zoolander, if she had pigtails than yeah, maybe there would be a point in question, but it looks like a lobsided pony tail to me, so all power to her! With all this sexualising of young children, so said the radio, competition is getting tougher in the sandbox.
Mar 26, 2010 at 7:58 am rating: 3
#17
Slow Gin
I want a Tupac stamp. We gotta find him.
Mar 26, 2010 at 8:00 am rating: 1
#18
claw71
Pablo, you’re not likely to find quarter here. If you look at the blog roll you’ll notice that this site’s proprietor has included a link entitled STFU, Parents and if you look through some of the previous posts you’ll also detect a distinct animosity toward “breeders”. Not all parents are bad, but the kind of people who send out Christmas cards emblazoned with pictures of their baby or those who would special order stamps with their brat’s mediocre mug inserted in place of Elvis, Susan B. Anthony or a Space Shuttle are the sort of parents we would all like to punch in the face.
Mar 26, 2010 at 8:03 am rating: 21
#19
Canthz_B
Mr. Pitney and Mr. Bowes are watching you!
Mar 26, 2010 at 8:05 am rating: 3
#20
Just Me
All of this and I’m still surprised that we can buy custom-made stamps.
I don’t get out much.
Can you use any picture? Maybe a photo of a pile of dog poop to stick on bills and letter to Congress?
I agree with everyone else: note-writer is stalker-creepy, and I’d never share my kids’ photo that way.
Mar 26, 2010 at 8:06 am rating: 10
#21
claw71
Has anybody else noticed what a little slut that Alexis is? She’s got a sinful look on her face, big bedroom eyes and her mouth is open to a tantalizing width. So hot.
Mar 26, 2010 at 8:10 am rating: 11
#22
Lizz
While I agree the person got a little carried away in their letter, the Post Office itself actually warns people that using pictures of themselves or their children is strongly discouraged for the very same argument that the mail could end up in the wrong hands. Just because you know the people you are sending the letter to, does not guarantee someone else won’t see the photo and copy the return address while the letter is on route to the recipient. Again, this isn’t something I’m “being crazy” about-the US Post Office makes the same argument right on the stamp making kit’s packaging.
Mar 26, 2010 at 8:10 am rating: 11
#23
Kate
The Queen is on our stamps. Crazy people have been after her for years.
Who else has been on a stamp? Was Elvis? Is that what really happened to him?
Mar 26, 2010 at 8:13 am rating: 21
#24
Canthz_B
I applaud Pablo for taking any action necessary to keep his neighbors happy.
You see, Pab lives in an apartment with very thin walls and Alexis cries like a fucking Banshee.
He’s tried everything to get her to shut her yap at 3:00am, but her wailing persists.
It’s either shop her around or clean-up that pesky credit report so he can buy a free-standing home at this point.
Mar 26, 2010 at 8:13 am rating: 6
#25
Kore
Watching America’s Most Wanted has ruined my generation of parents. Kids are barely allowed to play outside anymore, we’re all so afraid of the stranger danger.
Mar 26, 2010 at 8:29 am rating: 19
#26
Beth
Good thing I keep paper bags on my children at all times to prevent the world from seeing how cute they are.
Sadly, the biggest dangers to children are the people they know best: family, friends, teachers, or coaches. And Pablo’s next door neighbor.
Mar 26, 2010 at 8:37 am rating: 38
#27
Grumpy McGrumperson
It would never have occurred to me, if I saw a letter with that stamp, that that was actually their kid…I would have assumed it was just one of those cutesy-yet-generic things people seem to love. Am I alone in that?
Mar 26, 2010 at 9:08 am rating: 20
#28
Jenny
While I don’t like the fact that people are putting naked pics of their kids on facebook…I think someone’s face on a stamp is pretty harmless.
@Grumpy I never would have assumed it was their child either
Mar 26, 2010 at 9:17 am rating: 9
#29
Jenna
I don’t think the lack of postmark means the letter was hand delivered. You can see a mark on the snowman stamp, which looks like it was hand canceled. Either way, still a very weird and unexpected letter to receive. I love how this person returned the Alexis stamp to the sender.
Mar 26, 2010 at 9:23 am rating: 3
#30
flying gargoyle
Ah, yes. The “I assume the worst will happen, ergo you must live your life as I do” author. An author, who, ironically, provides the creepiness danger factor by their own actions. The worst is that s/he is too busy looking for creepiness all around to see that they are the ones providing it. (apologies for the atrocious grammar….)
Mar 26, 2010 at 10:14 am rating: 39
#31
Creme Brulee
I think it’s putting the name on the stamp that puts it over the line. Without the name, it’s just a generic cute kid on a stamp. With the name, it’s this specific kid, who lives at this address. Yeah, I think that’s a little irresponsible.
Mar 26, 2010 at 10:40 am rating: 7
#32
Jenn
I think the more pressing question here is: Which bill didn’t get paid?
That concerned citizen owes you $27.95 in late fees!
Mar 26, 2010 at 11:10 am rating: 14
#33
GhostWriter
As child endangerment goes, a tiny pic on a stamp is nothing. I’m starting a campaign against a real endangerment- one that broadcasts to the general public exactly how many kids are in your family, their gender, their relative ages, their pets and maybe even their hobbies.
Those white stick-figure stickers of family members holding hands, found on every minivan’s rear window, Have Got To Go!
Mar 26, 2010 at 11:31 am rating: 23
#34
Fiona
Your childs’ face doth offend me!!
Mar 26, 2010 at 11:49 am rating: 9
#35
Patty
While I agree with the letter writer. I’m sorry, doing stupid stuff like paying to have a stamp made with your kid is not only dangerous (come on, people!) it’s STUPID!!! What a waste of money.
Kid probably has her own FB account.
Mar 26, 2010 at 11:54 am rating: 4
#36
Mo®
Do you lick that stamp to stick it on or was it self adhering?
Mar 26, 2010 at 12:09 pm rating: 2
#37
snatchbeast
Team Letter Writer. The picture + return address does invite stalkers, but I’m ok with that. Putting her name on the stamp makes it creepy.
Pablo and Alexis suck.
Mar 26, 2010 at 1:08 pm rating: 4
#38
Odious
The writer’s point: You should be just as paranoid about extremely unlikely/illogical events as I am! Especially when you can think of a reason to make assumptions and lecture/send hate.
Come to think of it, necessarily P/A!
Mar 26, 2010 at 2:17 pm rating: 7
#39
jadefirefly
Isn’t the real question, Who the heck got their hands on the letter in the first place? I mean, all’s well if it’s one of the workers at wherever-the-bill-came-from.
But if some random stranger got ahold of it, cut the stamp off, and wrote a creepy letter — really that suggests that Anonymous ‘Good’ Samaritan is significantly creepier than he or she lets on.
I’m more creeped out about creepy-letter-writer than I am a face on a stamp. I grew up in a little town where -everyone- knew where everyone else lived. OH NO! Pedo’s gonna come get me!
… Only they didn’t.
Funny how that works.
Mar 26, 2010 at 2:52 pm rating: 8
#40
TippingCows
Team nobody as well. Only obsessed, namby-pamby parents who think their child should be the center of their universe would waste their money on putting their child’s picture on stamps (WTF). We all know how kids like that turn out … Paris Hilton, anyone? Claw is right about those bedroom eyes.
And the letter writer should just chill out and smoke a j or somethin’.
Mar 26, 2010 at 4:24 pm rating: 3
#41
Z
I know parents that have fat assed halo playing kids because they wanted to keep an eye on them. I’m sure when they are adults and have a hard time getting a chick, cuz they are socially inept, and look like a greasy fur burger mom will be able to keep an eye on them for a long long time. It’s good to think about keeping your kid safe and not whoring them out. This stamp, could be a lot worse.
Mar 26, 2010 at 4:36 pm rating: 2
#42
dogsleder
1. The government knows about this postage stamp “scheme.” They get the same amount of money they would from one of their own stamps. This is why customized stamps usually cost $1.00 apiece. Go to Zazzle.com and check it out.
2. And most importantly…the “crazy” person’s reason for admonishing/warning the parents is the same reason we NEVER give children, ours or anyone else’s…a backpack, lunchbox, item of clothing…with their name on it. Children, especially small ones, might not be able to tell the difference between a “good” person who knows them by name and someone who can make them disappear and perhaps never be seen again. “Hi, Betsy, would you like to help me feed my bunny?” “Hi, Joey, can you help me find my lost puppy?”
Think about it.
Mar 26, 2010 at 4:38 pm rating: 5
#43
pplsoft
That’s about all I can stand! Creepy McCreeperson aka note stalker is the problem. Probably someone who knows the family or a co-worker. If it freaked him/her out so much talk to the family…”Hi I’m a pedophile and when I see stuff like this I think its an invitation to molest your child! You should be more careful in the future. By the way you accidential threw away the final notice cable, water and utlities but paid them with my stamp collection! Ciao”
Mar 26, 2010 at 5:26 pm rating: 0
#44
Gandalf
I’ve been paying bills by mail for a long time now. I’ve also sent a lot of invitations out for many various events I have hosted. The one common thread in all of these cases is, the recipient usually responds to me by my name. Of course Pablo’s legal name may, in fact, be Current Resident. It’s always a possibility. I once considered starting a company called “Your Name Here” to take advantage of the low prices on promotional items.
The question I have is, how did the note writer obtain the envelope, but did not know the addressee’s name? That’s what I find a little on the creepy side.
Mar 26, 2010 at 6:05 pm rating: 2
#45
Monzo Matic
There’s crazy people in here, too.
Mar 26, 2010 at 6:59 pm rating: 4
#46
Jazzy
I can verify that this WAS canceled, as someone noted earlier the black mark on the envelope denotes that it was hand-canceled rather than processed through a machine. This is often the case if the envelope is too big to fit through the machine, or sometimes postal workers even do this because they think there may be an easily-damaged photo inside. Maybe of your daughter.
Mar 26, 2010 at 8:22 pm rating: 1
#47
Jen
OMG! These are such irresponsible parents! Now, several people know that a child, named Alexis, lives at Pablo’s house! Because that was such a secret before! I am sure that this child has never been called by her name in a public place. After all, if she had, some creepy pedophile could have followed her home and… what?
She’s all of 2. How much time do you think she spends alone anywhere, much less where strangers have access to her? Moreover, apparently some of the people on this site have never met a two year old, because you don’t need to know their names to gain their trust. Hell, half the time they volunteer it to you — in line at the bank, in the aisle at the grocery store, next to you at church.
If Team Pedophile Panic took a moment to look at the facts, they’d know little Alexis is in far more danger of being abused by someone her parents know than she is by a stranger. Not making a cute stamp, not putting her name on her clothes, covering her head with a blanket when she goes out a la Michael Jackson, NONE of that is substitute for keeping an eye on your child, all the time.
Also, Creepy Letter Writer needs to look up the definition of the word “exploiting”.
Mar 26, 2010 at 9:54 pm rating: 23
#48
r
I had return address labels w/ my sons picture on them and my ex-husband said the same thing to me. I basically responded with, “Um, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Mar 26, 2010 at 10:43 pm rating: 7
#49
xyzzy
Obviously the scary letter-writer (and some of the people here) haven’t heard that cases like this one from yesterday are a heck of a lot more common:
http://tinyurl.com/yapnepp
So much for “crazy people” and “strangers” being the dangerous ones…
Mar 26, 2010 at 11:19 pm rating: 3
#50
Oink
… should I maybe stick a picture of my face on a stamp and see who comes knocking? It’s cheaper than dating sites or having to leave the house.
Mar 27, 2010 at 1:51 am rating: 20
#51
Limeliberator
I’m just annoyed that society is becoming so “child-centric.” It’s like some people can’t feel fulfilled unless everyone knows how wonderful Jenny or Billy, Jr. is. Don’t even get me started on the little-people-on-the-minivan-window stickers and “My-Child-is-an- Honor-Student-at-blah-blah-blah” stickers. Yeah, I get it: your child is unique and special…. just like everyone else.
Mar 27, 2010 at 1:37 pm rating: 8
#52
Cordelia
This letter writer needs to get a grip. Like a pedophile can’t just take a walk down a residential street and see who has a swing set, has kids playing in the yard, has a “child on board” bumper sticker on their minivan with a car seat in it? I fail to see how the stamp puts this kid in any greater danger than everyday living in a crazy world.
Mar 27, 2010 at 2:30 pm rating: 10
#53
Fanboy Wife
How is the child supposed to go to school if she can’t ever be seen in public?
Mar 27, 2010 at 2:46 pm rating: 8
#54
Walker, "Tex" (a stranger)
“Dear Letter Writer,
Thank you for returning this uncanceled stamp of Alexis. We feel so lucky to be able to use it again.
Best Regards,
Pablo and family”
Mar 27, 2010 at 10:32 pm rating: 10
#55
Jess
The person who wrote the note is fail. First of all, it’s illegal to tamper with mail. Second of all, it’s no one’s business how the family chooses to display their child. There are soooo many ways to find out addresses of houses with children that the only way to combat it would be to never leave your house (especially with your child), never sign on to the internet, never shop at Babys R Us, etc. I guess we should go back in time and scold all the people who had photos of their children developed, since you have to give your name and such, and a name and payment information is enough to find stuff out. (And what if you have them mailed! The agony! That package has a stalker, not pictures!)
People need to stop being so paranoid. Oh, and mind their own dang business.
Mar 27, 2010 at 11:05 pm rating: 15
#56
MN
As tacky as I find the stamp itself, the letter writer is as creepy as it gets. For starters, unless Alexis is being abused, then letter writer needs to mind their own business and stop trying to tell people what to do in regard to anything, especially their kid. Secondly, while I am all for taking the reasonable precautions to protect a child from a molestor, the letter writer is displaying the type of paranoia that sends kids to therapy in the long run. I hope they don’t have children. Finally, tampering with mail is illegal so if you’re going to do it, at least make it worthwhile.
Mar 28, 2010 at 6:19 am rating: 6
#57
ERICH ELSTER
Now you’ve exposed the kid to the entire internet!!!
Mar 29, 2010 at 1:08 am rating: 0
#58 I love you...sometimes. | PassiveAggressiveNotes.com
[...] polite and hilariously hostile writings from shared spaces the world over ← There are crazy people out there, you know Completely valid rebuttals [...]
Mar 30, 2010 at 3:34 pm rating: 0
#59
katie
They’re right, though. It is careless and a bad move.
Mar 31, 2010 at 3:30 am rating: 1
#60
mneiai
You know, I don’t know why that person’s brain immediately went to child molestation. My first thought when I just looked at it was “this seems like something one of those people who can’t get over the death of their child would do,” which really wouldn’t help child molesters, unless they were necrophiliacs, too.
Apr 1, 2010 at 12:48 am rating: 2
#61
KarenW
Michelle, I call absolute bullshit to your story, unless this happened twenty or thirty years ago. NO school releases a child to an unknown person. They have lists of people who are able to pick up children in case of emergencies.
Apr 3, 2010 at 9:06 pm rating: 1
#62
Waltz
“Actually, I don’t find it paranoid at all. There was a case where a pedophile used the “family” stickers on the back of someone’s truck to find out the little girl’s name, and followed the truck when they went to pick up the little girl from school.”
Better be sure not to call your children by name in public either then. But if you do that then they get used to being called “Hey you” and anyone can say “Hey you get in my van.”
Never let them leave the house ever!
Oh, and no more names on soccer/baseball.football jerseys. Way too dangerous.
Apr 9, 2010 at 11:15 am rating: 1
#63
Nathan
I’m convinced that this constant fear of other people is harmful to our society. Kids don’t go out and play in the neighborhood anymore. They don’t even trick or treat for christs sake. Have some trust in your neighbors to do RIGHT, not just wrong. Always imagining the worst brings everyone down.
Apr 10, 2010 at 12:45 am rating: 3
#64
strah
The child could be a grandchild, niece, cousin, whatever – the stamp doesn’t mean the child necessarily lives at that address. If someone is looking for any home where a young child lives it wouldn’t be too hard to figure out just by hanging around the neighborhood. Safety is great, total safety is unrealistic.
Apr 10, 2010 at 1:11 am rating: 2
#65
MSLGWCEO
Some of you paranoid, freaked out people, please “get a grip,” for heaven’s sakes.
Try visiting http://freerangekids.wordpress.com
Apr 10, 2010 at 7:01 am rating: 1
#66
Alice
There’s no more information there than a passerby might get when this family is entering or leaving their home. It is ridiculous to worry about the threat to a child caused by a stamp.
That being said, I think it’s silly to waste money making stamps of your kid. Anyone who cares enough what your kid looks like would rather have an actual picture.
Apr 11, 2010 at 4:29 pm rating: 3
#67
Scarfy
Is it too late for me to get some of those Alexis stamps?
Apr 17, 2010 at 1:45 pm rating: 0
#68
Faylyn
So, being as the child on the stamp is obviously very young, how does a child molester get her even if they do have her address? Usually a child that young is not left to her own devices very often. So the child molester shows up at the house and the parents just hand her over? Or are they out shopping or seeing a movie while she hangs out in her bouncy chair?
Apr 18, 2010 at 4:01 pm rating: 5
#69 Free Range Kids » “Crazies Are Out to Kidnap Your Cutie!”
[...] to me they were asking a crazy person to drop them a crazy note. Anyway, here’s the story, as it appears on the wonderful site, passiveaggressivenotes.com . Read it and creep (out). — [...]
May 21, 2012 at 11:13 am rating: 0
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