Postally used stamp re-usage is fraud.

One of the things about penpalling/snail mail is that it can be an expensive hobby: postage is not cheap. However, in one penpal group on Facebook, someone is showing off her outgoing mail with postally used stamps as postage. She claims Mr Grumpy, shown below, is a brand new stamp.

 She is very much mistaken as the mark on the top left corner of the stamp is from a first day issue postmark (Mr. Tickle).

She also says she buys stamps off ebay. Shown below, this was the first picture of hers I noticed on the group.

You can clearly see postmarks. Nice for a stamp collection or for decorating letters/scrapbooking, but no, she uses them for postage. One of the group's moderators agreed they were postmarked and that it would be fraud to reuse them for postage.

She didn't listen.

The pear from the tasty stamp issue is on the top envelope and could well be the same stamp in that all used stamps picture. The same first day issue postmark is also visible on the two Mr Men stamps. In the thread discussion, she says:

Further investigation into her posts in the group reveal another visibly, but faintly, postmarked stamp across the bottom part of the neck by the 1st indicator..

I can perhaps forgive a one-off mistake, but this is ongoing. 

The black scrub-out is mine as I don't want to show the names of the unfortunate recipients who may have to pay the surcharge for the sender's criminal behaviour.

Royal Mail's postal fraud online form isn't particularly helpful in this instance.

On the incoming front, yesterday, I received a letter from the US - the stamp had sticky tape on. You might just be able to see the different colour paper underneath the stamp on top of the envelope.

 I peeled the tape from the envelope and revealed this - it had been used. The angle of the photo doesn't do the gold paper justice - looks like it is from an envelope to go with a greetings card.

Friday the First. Thought for the month.

I grew up in London, experiencing racism and bullying in school. I was called Paki more often than British. As far as I know, I have no Pakistani ancestry. I am not a Paki; Hercule Poirot isn't French. 

I have moved on from London and away. I am still seen as foreign but this time, I am either seen as an Italian or Greek woman. I don't feel as cross or feel this is as hurtful as being called Paki.

Being different, some people do not know what to say. Some, on seeing people of colour or different ethnicity would ignore them, at worst cross the road to the other side, refuse to make eye contact if on public transport with no escape until the next station or bus stop. If words are spoke, these are sometimes questions asking, "where are you from?" or, "when are you going home?" I had to pay a bill and did so over the counter at my bank. The bank teller was a lovely lady just like me, of mixed race. Her parents met at university as foreign students in the next town. She was born there. She has been asked those questions, and on one occasion, her manager heard and intervened. "OK, she's from the next town," the manager said in a jokey voice as there can be a bit of local rivalry, before admonishing the customer's attitude. 

I like letter writing because you don't start with stereotypes and prejudice from seeing someone's face. Some people can be put off by what they see (tattoos and even piercings, as well as colour). I think perhaps we all do to some extent but letter writing allows me to get over that hurdle, to allow words with thoughtfulness to come flowing out of the pen, in my own time. It doesn't matter if my written conversation partner is at work, asleep or doing other things, for I will not be disturbing them. They will read the letter when they are ready to, perhaps when I am asleep myself.