Oh, tink....well written. I can see and feel your affinity with this topic.
It reminds me of a story, actually....a true one....one that happened to me.
I remember going through a phase in my childhood (probably around the age of 9-10) where I rushed out to the letterbox to get our family's mail. Funnily, my son is going through the same phase now. And, like an excited child, sometimes I hurriedly opened these letters, even though they were addressed to my parents. Usually they were bills for electricity and gas....nothing too exciting.
One day, I opened a letter without looking at the addressee at the front. It was a neighbour's telephone bill that had been accidently delivered to the wrong address. In my desperate hurry to beat my sisters to open the mail, I innocently ripped open the envelope, not realising my mistake.
I later confessed my error to my father, totally aware that I had done something wrong, but also very afraid of the consequences. He made me personally take the letter to my neighbour and I had to explain what had happened, apologising for my behaviour. As a 9-10 year old, I was so embarassed and scared to perform this act, that I think in the end, I just taped up the letter, and wrote an apology on the outside. Of course my father never knew I had taken that action.
I have never opened another letter since, without first looking at the addressee on the envelope.
This symbol, and your interpretation tink, reminded me that sometimes the opening of another's mail can be the result of an innocent mistake. And yet, other times, there are snoops that will steam open the envelope, just to get a look at what is inside. (My aunty told me she had done this to a letter of her ex-husbands - as she suspected he was having an affair. He was actually having an affair, though this letter turned out to be an innocent one.)
with love
purple_scorp