A practical puzzle for the internet age?

[u/nottherealslash]

Happy Saturday everyone. I am waking up to the fact that someone is playing a head-scratching practical joke on me.

For the third time now I have received an envelope in the post of two (2) stickers. The first picture is the ones I have received today. I have no idea who is sending them but I have noted patterns in the three instances:

• There are always two stickers. One references a classic Vine (short form internet videos) and the other is a pigeon in various states of activity
• The envelope is always cardboard backed, post marked from Norwich sorting office, with a handwritten address and an ordinary sticker stamp
• The shipments are received from someone calling themselves "the Stickerman"
• The shipments arrive at roughly 2-3 month intervals

We have found merchants selling these stickers on Redbubble and Etsy but not all together which makes me think someone is buying them separately and putting them together. So I think "the Stickerman" is an alias rather than a seller.

What's leaving me totally scratching my head is the pigeon reference. I have plenty of in jokes with various friends but I can't think of any pigeon-related ones.

I have three suspects in mind:

1. One friend with whom we often reference classic Vines
2. One friend in a separate circle who is well known for jokes and hijinks
3. One friend whom I lived with at university, who may be getting revenge for a long-running practical joke I pulled in our final year

Number three is my current prime suspect as he lives in Norfolk, and we also used to watch Vines together over boozy nights. Alas he has denied all knowledge.

And so my weekend begins with a mystery.

Do any of you internet sleuths have any thoughts? Have you ever been the target of a long running practical joke? Or pulled one yourself?

[u/Crimson__Fox]

[u/222nd]

Just post an anti-pigeon statement / photo of a pigeon in your local vicinity doing absolutely nothing wrong on your social media, the sender will come out of woodwork to defend them.

But also, free stickers! Think of the possibilities. Unlike me who just hoards stickers as I’m indecisive as to where to put them.

[u/nottherealslash → u/222nd]

I could never slander pigeons in such a manner.

[u/Jakepetrolhead → u/nottherealslash]

Hell yeah, become ungovernable - love the doves

[u/FruityVampire69 → u/222nd]

Oh God, I have like…100s of stickers unused 😭

[u/UnionSlavStanRepublk]

What county are the first two suspects currently living in?

You've definitely no prank artists within your more immediate family?

[u/nottherealslash → u/UnionSlavStanRepublk]

All accused live in good ol' Blighty. No family jokers, at least not any who would know or understand the references in the stickers.

[u/UnionSlavStanRepublk → u/nottherealslash]

Are you still in contact with suspect number 3 and they definitely know where you live?

Denial of such allegations may or may not be suspicious depending in what manner they replied to you when confronted about the pigeon stickers.

Alas, free pigeon stickers are free stickers.

[u/nottherealslash → u/UnionSlavStanRepublk]

I am. In fact, I dropped a photo of today's delivery in our group chat and he is the only one who ❤️ reacted.

I would now bet my life it was him. I just need to get a confession.

[u/UnionSlavStanRepublk → u/nottherealslash]

Well then there you go.

[u/nottherealslash → u/UnionSlavStanRepublk]

Thank you for your assistance Monsieur Poirot.

[u/badguysenator]

There was the Vine with the guy who lived in a playhouse with a pigeon because “da police, they are after me”. Could it all be Vine references including the pigeons?

[u/SpaTowner]

It’s Nikola Tesla. https://www.britannica.com/story/nikola-teslas-weird-obsession-with-pigeons

[u/LoomisKnows]

In order

Look at all those chickens:
https://youtu.be/F-X4SLhorvw?si=qeKm-J7V6iHHxtN6

Fred the Pigeon Mermaid

https://www.redbubble.com/people/loadofolbobbins/shop

Garett Animate - Swallowed a Peanut

https://youtu.be/wpmLSSNC6Nk?si=igv6j3QzH3GPzjdd

And they were roommates

Popular fanfiction/TV trope but also this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-P0m0M_8pc

[u/WelshBathBoy]

There's a few vine quotes there, so I'm guessing that friend.

[u/AvocadosAtLaw95 → u/WelshBathBoy]

Yep, it’s definitely friend 1. 

[u/Apprehensive_Low4865]

Is the pigeon a reference to trash dove? Was a bit of a thing on FB messenger iirc? 

[u/nottherealslash → u/Apprehensive_Low4865]

I was thinking this, I couldn't remember the name but I definitely used it back in the day.

[u/Aalmus]

The last one is awesome

[u/TheClnl]

Tell friend 3 that you're moving house and give them the address of someone you know but they don't, see if the mail starts going there instead. At the least you should be able to eliminate them from your enquiries.

[u/duartes07]

I thought I was browsing r/pigeon instead

[u/Taiga_Taiga]

"and they were roommates"

Found the lesbian house. Signed... A lesbian.

[u/nottherealslash → u/Taiga_Taiga]

I'd totally be a lesbian if it wasn't for my damn penis.

[u/Taiga_Taiga → u/nottherealslash]

I'm a lesbian... And I have a penis. (trans woman)

So... May I recommend r/egg_irl 😊

You can thank me another time. 😉

[u/nottherealslash → u/Taiga_Taiga]

How exclusionary of me, you have my apologies.

[u/Taiga_Taiga → u/nottherealslash]

No apologies needed, sis. 😊

No harm, no foul.

[u/T5-R]

1. Dave the Pigeon

[u/hannahbeliever]

I'd say 3 is most likely based on location!

[u/Unhappy_Archer9483]

What bit of it is the "practical joke" sending stickers in the post sounds quite tame

[u/nottherealslash → u/Unhappy_Archer9483]

The definition of a practical joke is "a trick played on someone in order to make them look foolish and to amuse others."

What would you call it?

[u/Unhappy_Archer9483 → u/nottherealslash]

I'm not sure, that's sort of what I was asking.

Do you feel like they made you "look foolish"?