Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Trick parcel

goes round and round the system
  (+12)(+12)
(+12)
  [vote for,
against]

A parcel is made with the address visible through a clear window on the front.

The address is printed on a long scroll. A GPS detector inside the parcel advances the address scroll when it detects it is in the distribution centre near to the destination. The window now shows a different address, far away.

The process repeats lots of times.

pocmloc, Dec 01 2013

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       (+) but... how would you get around the postage?   

       I think the point is that the postman, as he is about to deliver the parcel, suddenly realises that the address is not what he thought it was.
MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 01 2013
  

       I was thinking it would be at the distribution centre that the sorters realise it's at the wrong distribution centre. You are right, you don't want it to get too close to the delivery destination otherwise it may accidentally come out of the system.
pocmloc, Dec 01 2013
  

       It should also somehow inflate a little each time making more room for additional post office marks, and becoming more cumbersome, while slightly changing appearance.
rcarty, Dec 01 2013
  

       and heavier: make it hydrophilic, sopping up ambient humidity.
FlyingToaster, Dec 01 2013
  

       When no one's looking it should sprout tiny legs and waddle to another part of the warehouse.
mitxela, Dec 01 2013
  

       If the package contained a battery powered flywheel, then suddenly applying the breaks would cause the package to flop around if that helps...   

       If you've got a flywheel in the package, you don't need to apply brakes to it in order to make the package move. Just move the axis around which the flywheel spins, and precessional forces will do the rest.
goldbb, Dec 02 2013
  

       Well yeah... but if the flywheel were constantly spinning, it would precess in the handlers hands as well, and the jig would be up..   

       use two flywheels spinning in opposite directions so that the precession cancels out, then just stop one flywheel as needed. Or, allow the flywheel to move freely inside the package. My vote is for the tiny legs though.
sninctown, Dec 02 2013
  

       [+] You'd have to put a cellular transmitter in the parcel so it could report its position. You could save battery by only powering up the GPS unit and transmitter every few hours or so.   

       Ideally, you'd want to update the address while the parcel was traveling at vehicle speed, since that's probably when it's on its way to the distribution center, and besides, it's unlikely that anyone is looking at it at that point.
ytk, Dec 02 2013
  

       Does the parcel contain a fruitcake? ( I know people who do this with a fruitcake!)
xandram, Dec 02 2013
  
      
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