It has been a long time since mail was a common item of dress. However, I think if I had to go to New York in the future, I’d look into getting some mail, perhaps incorporated into a long coat. Why? Well, it’d be heavy, and would thus make for a decent workout. Plus, it’d be handy if someone tried to stab me. But most importantly: to annoy the New York police state.

NYPD Commissioner says department will begin testing  a new high-tech device that scans for concealed weapons

The NYPD is procuring some nice expensive scanners that can apparently “see” concealed weapons. The description in the article is a bit fuzzy… it claims that “people and inanimate objects” emit terahertz radiation, which concealed guns would block, and would thus be visible to the scanner. But regardless of how it works, a metal mesh – such as a mail jacket – would seem likely to well and truly mess with the scanning system. Not to mention metal detectors, of course.

It’s irritating enough to be under a microscope at an airport, which at least has the excuse of being private property. But out on the street? Bah. Seems a 4th Amendment issue.

I’m not alone in this, either…

Anti-Drone Camouflage: What to Wear in Total Surveillance

Fight the machine.