When Reddit user Seventy_Seven opened his door on Monday morning, he was shocked to see that the UPS had delivered to his home a $350,000 U.S. government drone addressed to him.
When he posted the photos to Reddit, he asked, incredulously:
“I guess this controls it. Did I just get a drone in the mail?”
?It’s odd, all the labels were to me, and my address,? he wrote. ?That note designating that it’s government property was inside the case. In all fairness, the UPS guy that delivered it said it was part 2 of my package, so I genuinely thought at first, that it was part of the weight lifting bench set I ordered. Not sure if that will protect me from the government though.?
A card with a phone number and address inside the box indicated that the drone belongs to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hanger in Tampa, Florida.
Seventy_Seven?is reluctant to share his exact address, but he said that he lives in the northern U.S. When he called UPS to report the “misdelivery,” a company employee insisted that it was definitely delivered to the right address and that it belonged to Seventy_Seven. The rep?told him “that it was up to me if I want to keep it or not.? (!!!!!!)
Another Reddit user — a soldier who served in Afghanistan — said that the drone is a Puma AE unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). These drones are used to “spy on nature.”
?It has a range of up to 22 kilometres, has a gyro stabilized, HD, thermal camera,? the redditor?wrote. ?The remote is a little like a Wii U remote, only it’s probably more expensive 🙂 The UAV can be hand launched, but the propeller needs to be running at max rpm and there is a serious risk of damage to the operator. Even though the blades are made from plastic, they will easily sever a finger!?
?The thing will take a beating!,? the soldier wrote. ?Don’t play chicken with this thing, I’ve seen one go half way through a car door.?
Seventy-Seven noted that a few parts are missing from the package.
NOAA has confirmed that parts of the drone had gone missing while en route from the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa to a marine sanctuary in Massachusetts.
“We sent one of our Puma unmanned aircraft systems to?Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary?in Massachusetts. We sent a set of about eight boxes for this one aircraft system, and one was misdelivered by UPS. We’re working with UPS to find it.”
This is what happens when you go with the lowest bidder. They should have used the United States Postal Service cargo option.
h/t The Daily Dot
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Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
