One of the stops on this afternoon's round o' errands was the Post Office to mail some books. I'd placed the books in a sturdy tote bag, intending to transfer them to a flat rate Priority Mail box for shipping. I found a parking space next to an SUV. Two adorable dachshunds were in the back seat and I said something to the lady in the passenger seat about how they were lovely dogs and all that as I grabbed my bag and waltzed inside.

As I placed the bag on the counter to transfer the books to t...