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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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Participate
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I have a horse, how can I join the ride?
If you're an experienced trail rider or horsepacker with a mount of your own, Slow Mail needs you. The relay won't work without riders and horses to carry the letter – it's a long way down to Los Angeles. Send us an email to ride with us! (NOTE: We are no longer accepting applications).
Can I ride if I don't have a horse?
If there's enough interest, Slow Mail may be able to partner with professional horsepackers who will give you a horse and take you out on the trail (think 'Outward Bound' or 'NOLS' but with horses instead of backpacks). Please get in touch if this is something you'd like to do.
I live in Los Angeles, Menlo Park or a city in between. How can I help?
Slow Mail needs local organizers to coordinate Mail Call events and work with civic authorities to safely get the horses in and out of town. Slow Mail also needs local organizations to host the Mail Call events. Not all of the stops along the way are set, so if you want to make the case for Santa Cruz instead of Monterey – please get in touch.
I want to participate, but none of the above apply.
Most importantly, you can send a letter or five!
You can also help spread the word. Tell anyone you know who might want to participate. Use your social network of choice, pickup the phone and call your best friend, hang a banner out of your window – whatever works for you.
I'm really feeling generous, how can I help?
Slow Mail can always use your donations to help defray production expenses (permits for the horses, food for the people, gas to get the horses to the trailheads, our web development and hosting . . . it's a long list).
No matter how you want to be involved or send us feedback, we'd love to hear from you.
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About Your Letter
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What happens at 'Mail Call' event?
The riders will stop in cities and towns along the trail between Menlo Park to Los Angeles. These intermediate stops give local recipients a chance to pick-up their letters in person and meet the riders and horses that carried them. These events are also an opportunity to slip an additional letter in the mailbag and hear stories from the trail.
Can anyone send or recieve a letter?
Yes. Anyone from anywhere can send a letter using the online form. Letters that are sent to residents along the route will be made available for in-person pick-up at the public 'Mail Call' events. Recipients who do not live along the route may input their address to have their letter mailed to them via USPS after the conclusion of the ride.
What happens after I hit the button to 'Post' my letter?
Back when the internet was born, computers didn't have screens – they had dot matrix printers instead. We'll print your letter on Slow Mail stationary that takes it's cue from this era..
What happens after my letter is printed?
It'll be carried on horseback by a relay of backcountry riders. Each new rider will stamp your letter with their unique cancellation. This relay is very similar to the digital relay that happens when you send an email.
How does my recipient know to pick up their letter?
Once you 'Post' your Slow Mail letter, we'll send your recipient an email letting them know that they have a letter on the way. It'll have a link with more information on the project and give specifics about how they can claim their letter in San Jose. If we don't hear back from your recipient, we'll let you know – maybe they changed email addresses?
Why do I need to use full names when creating a letter?
Your recipient is getting an email out of the blue from something called Slow Mail – if we can use your full name in that email, your recipient is more likely to pay attention and the Slow Mail email is less likely to end up in the trash by mistake.
Using your recipient's full name makes it easier for them to claim their letter when the riders arrive in San Jose. Just imagine, if everyone addressed their letter to 'Mom,' the Mail Call would be pretty chaotic.
How will I know where my letter is?
Both senders and recipients get regular updates over email and text message – depending on the options they've selected. You'll hear about what's happening on the trail and where your letter has traveled. It's a good idea to check in with your recipient to make sure they're getting updates.
Why does it cost $5? That's so cheap!
You're right – there's a lot more effort behind this than could possibly be covered by your fiver. Thanks to a grant from the ZERO1 Biennial and help from MANY people, Slow Mail letters can be sent for this amazing bargain price.
Why does it cost $5? That's so expensive!
You're right – it is pricey compared to sending the same letter using the United States Postal Service. Actually, in order to comply with the USPS's monopoly, Slow Mail letters are required to be three times more expensive than regular postage – or get there faster than regular mail, but then it wouldn't be 'Slow.'
The price-tag also does some other important things: it helps defray the costs of the project and printing your letters.