Epacking a package was, at XXe century, a nightmare reserved for the three days before Christmas or for students wanting to earn pocket money in department stores during the holidays. Since the boom of sites selling second-hand items, such as Vinted or Leboncoin, packing parcels is now a widespread activity among all segments of the population, and many people have thus acquired packaging know-how. . To the point of taking a liking to it, of developing skills specific to this new expertise, and even of making judgments about how to pack others. They are believed to be addicted to online shopping, but it is adhesive tape that they have become addicted to.
How do we recognize them?
At home, a space is now devoted to boxes, large envelopes and rolls of Scotch tape. They have developed this expertise entirely on their own: no online sales site indicates that one can pack an object in old school copies or that crushed plastic water bottles make it possible to wedge dishes from opportunity in a package. They buy their bubble envelopes in packs of 250 from office supply stores. They use all kinds of packaging except those of La Poste.
When they pass an empty shoebox or a pile of boxes on the street, they can’t help but imagine what they might be packing with. When they make a package, they don’t like a crease in the tape line. When they’ve pulled off a nice wrap, they don’t post it right away but parade it around in front of their friends or colleagues at lunchtime (“I just have this to go post”). They reuse envelopes that they have impatiently torn by patching them up with adhesive tape. When they receive a package, they get an idea of the sender from their use of the tape. They know the first names of the employees of the Mondial Relay next to their homes.
how they talk
“I have incredible pressure: my spouse forbids me to send parcels whose four edges of the label are not well glued even though the probability that it will tear off is quite low. “I like to think it will be as hard to open as the plastic CD wrappers of old.” » “When I see the amount of duct tape used, I think the guy must be really barricaded mentally. » “I adapt the packaging to what’s inside: tissue paper when it’s expensive, otherwise bubble wrap. » « You paid 3 euros, don’t expect to receive a Chanel box. “I’ve used a butcher’s bag before with a little pig drawn on it, but there was no grease on it.” “Pizza boxes are still not very respectful. “Receiving a package is like meeting someone you don’t know for the first time. »
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